Imagine stepping into a town where only white residents are allowed to live. Just outside Johannesburg, South Africa, lies Kleinfontein, a community of about 1,000 people with its own school, bank, and shops.

To live there, residents must meet strict rules: they must be white, Afrikaans-speaking Protestant Christians, and descendants of Voortrekkers. Despite these conditions, documentary maker Ben Zand, who is of mixed heritage, was granted rare access. “They told me I probably wouldn’t ‘fit in’ if I tried to live there,” he recalled.

The town was founded in 1992, shortly after apartheid ended. Shockingly, a monument to Hendrik Verwoerd, known as the “father of apartheid,” still stands proudly. While leaders insist Kleinfontein is “not racist,” Zand noted the deep contradictions. “They were so welcoming to me, yet their rules clearly exclude others,” he explained.

The filmmaker left with mixed feelings. On one hand, residents showed kindness and strong community spirit. On the other, their unity exists by shutting others out. His final reflection: true strength comes when identity unites people across race and culture.