Opening in 1981 to moviegoers in Japan, France, and the United States, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" became an international hit. Set in Botswana, the film covers a relatively small geographic area yet nevertheless can open classroom discussions about how many cultures and how much cultural diversity can exist in a small area. It has three main groups of characters: (1) a tribe of simple and unpretentious bushmen, hunting and gathering natives who live in the Kalahari desert; (2) 600 miles to the south, there is a city where a modern newspaper office employs men and women of different races; and (3) in still another setting, there are revolutionaries--black Africans in military-type outfits. According to good dramatic writing, these three groups will meet at some point in the movie: each group has goals which conflict with those of the other groups. What does the film tell us about intercultural communication? For one thing, the viewer sees these different groups in a limited geographical region--a picture of Africa that runs contrary to stereotypes. Any "all" statement about these African scenes will have no validity. Not only is the viewer unable to make any "all" statements about Africans, but he or she is also unable to make any "all" statement about a particular country in Africa. Charges that the film is racist have been laid to rest by critics and writers such as Tim O'Brien, who notes that the humor of the film is at everyone's expense. (TB)