Genie
Genie is the daughter of freedom fighter Golide Gumele. She is born at such a turbulent time in history. Despite her circumstances, Genie aspires to be free from violence and carnage. Unfortunately, her life becomes a tragedy when she is raped and both her parents are murdered in a massacre.
Throughout her life, Genie aspired to be anywhere else but where she was in reality. Unfortunately, she would spend her entire life hoping to achieve even a shred of that freedom. In a bittersweet ending to her life, Genie finds the freedom she'd always wished for. She finds peace in knowing that she might've had no control over how her life turned out, but she now gets to decide how it ends.
Genie's life is filled with misfortune at every turn, but she never loses hope. Her free spirit nature is truly an inspiration in the face of such adversity. Genie is resilient as she always finds a way to look on the bright side of every situation. Her inner strength knows no bounds.
Golide Gumele
Golide is Genie's father. He is a charismatic freedom fighter who aspires to free his people from colonial rule. Golide meets an aspiring singer known as Elizabeth. He quickly falls in love with her. Their fate become intertwined as Golide vows to build a plane for Elizabeth and fly with her to the United States.
While living at the Beauford farm, Golide's plane is coming along well which sparks a following among the people and paranoia among the leadership. Fearing a revolution, soldiers massacre the people at the farm. Golide and Elizabeth are killed and so are their aspirations. Their death however symbolizes their earned freedom.
Suffering from albinism and rejection from his father, Golide grows up to be a free spirit but also a great leader. He spreads inspiration among his people in hopes of empowering them to be great. Golide is hopeful that the future will be better and therefore works diligently to reach it. He is a man full of vision who could've easily led his people to prosperity.
Vida de Villiers
Vida is a mixed-race son born to a wealthy Afrikaner mechanical engineer. Growing up, he develops an artistic soul. Vida's bisexuality becomes a target for bullies to exact their brutality. His father, however, is supportive and loves him unconditionally.
Having a death wish after his lover dies at war, Vida enlists, hoping to meet the same fate. He survives the war but decides to live on the streets, where he meets Genie, and they form a bond. Vida welds sculptures out of scrap metal which become famous among the people but was also a target of the government's crackdown.
Vida has always struggled to fit in his entire life. Born as a mixed-race, he was subjected to stereotypes since his mother was a maid to a wealthy Afrikaner, his father. As an adolescent, he is bullied because of his sexual orientation. The death of his parents and lover further plunges him into an abyss of alienation. Meeting Genie brings back some hope to his life, but that is completely shattered when she decides to end her life.
Marcus Masuku
Marcus befriended Genie while living at the Beauford Farm. They played together and confided in each other. Marcus' parents left for the United States, leaving him behind. His parents eventually came back for him, but he was slightly hesitant to leave the newfound family at the farm.
After the massacre at the farm, Genie moves in with Marcus' family. He falls in love with her. Marcus eventually leaves Genie behind and goes to the United States. He gets married and has a successful career.
Marcus gets a relatively happy ending. Despite living at the farm with Genie, his life wasn't riddled with misfortunes. While he genuinely loved Genie, his love was unrequited. Marcus eventually learns to let go of Genie and embrace his new life in the United States.
