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Representations of homelessness A semiotic analysis of the representation of homelessness in two South African documentary films. Homelessness is a growing phenomenon in post-apartheid South Africa. Therefore many documentaries about homeless subjects are being made. This essay analyses the concept of homelessness in the context of documentaries aimed at creating an awareness of the issues surrounding the homeless experience. Semiotic analysis of Street Stories South Africa (2011) The image associated with the black African is of humiliation, debasement, nameless suffering, nonbeing and social death. All the above Mbembe (2002: 241-242) mentions is characterised by denial of human dignity, torment of exile and heavy psychic damage. Street Stories South Africa (2011) perpetuates some of the above mentioned attributes. This documentary is a short depiction of a story of a young boy named Thulani. He is argued to have run away from home and he ends up in the street. During his time in the street he faces tragedy and hardships, yet he still hopes for a brighter future. The study therefore seeks to problematise the associations of the black subject with lifelessness and social death amongst other associations. Semiotic analysis of White Poverty (in a New South Africa) (2013) Richard Dyer (1997) argues that white is associated with ideas of purity, safety, divinity and order. White poverty (in a New South Africa) (2013) is a documentary film about a man who helps white homeless people on a farm by giving them food from the grocery store. The homeless white people are said to have lost their homes as a result of forced removal caused by the lack of financial capacity to pay rent. The documentary depicts their struggles with fires and trees that fall during harsh weather conditions. A homeless white lady argues that black people receive assistance from the municipality yet the requests of the white homeless are rejected.

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The image associated with the black African is of humiliation, debasement, nameless suffering, nonbeing and social death. All the above Mbembe (2002: 241-242) mentions is characterised by denial of human dignity, torment of exile and heavy psychic damage. Street Stories South Africa (2011) perpetuates some of the above mentioned attributes. This documentary is a short depiction of a story of a young boy named Thulani. He is argued to have run away from home and he ends up in the street. During his time in the street he faces tragedy and hardships, yet he still hopes for a brighter future. The study therefore seeks to problematise the associations of the black subject with lifelessness and social death amongst other associations.
Richard Dyer (1997) argues that white is associated with ideas of purity, safety, divinity and order. White poverty (in a New South Africa) (2013) is a documentary film about a man who helps white homeless people on a farm by giving them food from the grocery store. The homeless white people are said to have lost their homes as a result of forced removal caused by the lack of financial capacity to pay rent. The documentary depicts their struggles with fires and trees that fall during harsh weather conditions. A homeless white lady argues that black people receive assistance from the municipality yet the requests of the white homeless are rejected.