46664: The Event
Over four hours of live music from the concert on 11/29/03 in Cape Town, South Africa. The press launch in London when Nelson Mandela announces the event to the world's media. Backstage documentary showing the making of 46664 during the week leading up to the event in Cape Town. Artist interviews about the event and why they are supporting the 46664 campaign. Footage from a visit to Khayelitsha to see the Mothers 2 Mothers-2-Be and Baphumelele children's home projects. 12 one-minute films by some of the world's leading and most influential contemporary visual artists representing their vision on HIV/AIDS. Spirit of Africa documentary
Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony (2002)
The stunning documentary Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony tells the story of protest music in South Africa--but as it does so, it tells the story of the struggle against apartheid itself, for the music and the revolution are inseparable. Through archival footage and interviews with musicians, freedom fighters, and even members of the former government police, Amandla! creates a vivid and powerful portrait of how music was crucial not only to communicating a political message beyond words, but also to the resistance itself--how songs bonded communities, buoyed resistance in the face of bullets and tear gas, and sowed fear in the ruling elite. Part history, part musical exploration, part sheer force of life, Amandla! captures both the sorrow and the triumph of life in South Africa from the 1950s to 1990, when Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress came into power.
Angels of the Dust
The inspiring story of Marion Cloete who with her family fearlessly walked away from a life of privilege in Johannesburg to start an orphanage for more than 550 South African children. For a nation overwhelmed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and recovering from Apartheid's legacy Marion's orphanage offers a pathway of hope.WINNER2007 Emerging Pictures/Full Frame Audience Award WINNER2007 Seattle International Film Festival Running Time: 105 minutes. Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/BIOGRAPHY
Beat the Drum (2003)
A young, orphaned boy sets out for the big city to find his uncle after a mysterious illness strikes his village. Driven by his determination to survive and his growing social awareness, he finds a way to make an honest living and returns to his village with a truth and understanding his elders have failed to grasp. An emotional and timely drama reminding us how one small voice can be the brave start of colossal change –uniting a village, a township, and even a nation.
Bopha!
In his directorial debut, actor Morgan Freeman cast a knowing eye on the ways the racist apartheid movement in South Africa--now demolished--divided South African blacks even from each other in this story of a black policeman. Danny Glover plays the cop, who believes he's trying to help his people, even while serving as a pawn of the racist government. When his son gets involved in the antiapartheid movement, he finds himself torn between his family (including long-suffering wife Alfre Woodard) and what he believes is his duty. A sorrowful, anger-tinged film featuring a complex performance by the marvelous Glover, who seems to come apart at the seams before your very eyes. --Marshall FineI
Cape Town: Globetrotting Sight Seeing Tours
CAPE TOWN Located on the southern edge of Africa and lying at the foot of Table Mountain, the metropolis of Cape Town is certainly one of the world's most beautiful cities, an exciting combination of Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. In the park-lined Government Avenue and Queen Victoria Street there's a wonderful collection of well-restored Victorian houses and the Anglican St.Georges Cathedral is where Archbishop Desmond Tutu protested against Apartheid. Part of the historic harbour is the Victoria And Alfred Waterfront. In 1860, Prince Alfred ordered construction of a new harbour basin, followed by the Victoria Basin that contained two watchtowers. Today, the whole of the old port is an internationally-styled entertainment and shopping complex. The two large water tanks in the harbour's Two Ocean Aquarium contain around 3,000 examples of sea life from the Indian and Atlantic oceans. In the adjoining South African Maritime Museum there are examples of the city's historic ships, its fishing industry and details on the construction of its outstanding harbour. Robben Island is situated 11 km. off the coast and in the 16th century the Dutch used it as a prison. During apartheid, political prisoners were incarcerated there, the prison's most famous inmate having been Nelson Mandela who spent 18 years of his 28 year sentence on the island. After the closure of the prison, in 1997 the South African government opened both the island and its former prison to the public. Thus the face of Robben Island changed from being a place of terror and suppression to one of pilgrimage, a symbol of resistance and also a major tourist attraction! The Cape Of Good Hope is the southernmost tip of Africa and since1936 this section of the Cape Peninsula has been a nature reserve. Cape Town and its environs are completely different to the normal expectations of Africa. No desolate bush land reaching to the horizon and no life-threatening wild animals. But it's certainly another remarkable and beautiful dimension to South Africa's magnificent Garden Of Eden!
Color of Freedom, The (2007) Alternate Title: Goodbye Bafana
Bille August's inspirational docudrama Goodbye Bafana begins in 1968, with South Africa buried neck-deep in the horrors of apartheid and Nelson Mandela (Dennis Haysbert) -- then an underground leader of the African National Congress -- imprisoned on Robben Island for sedition. As the story opens, the native African population of the country -- 25,000,000 in number -- buckles beneath the crippling weight of the racist white minority, who control the Nationalist Party Government. The film follows the spiritual and psychological journey of James Gregory (Joseph Fiennes), a Caucasian Afrikaner who came of age on a farm in the Transkei and initially views all blacks as subhuman. Gregory also speaks Mandela's native language of Xhosa with perfect fluency, which makes him an ideal candidate to serve as warden of the Robben Island Prison and eavesdrop on Mandela and his inmates. What he fails to anticipate is the most unlikely and special of friendships (one of history's greatest) that burgeons between himself and Mandela -- and helps him evolve from a narrow-minded bigot with limited self-awareness to a sensitive, humane critic of social injustice with a heightened awareness of mankind's ill treatment of one another and a genuine level of love for his fellow man. As the friendship between Gregory and Mandela grows and matures, it symbolizes Africa's transition from the oppressiveness of Apartheid to the freedom of multi-racial democracy.
Cry Freedom (1987)
Starring: Kevin Kline, Denzel Washington, Director: Richard Attenborough
Sir Richard Attenborough (Gandhi) directs this semi-successful drama about the real life relationship between South African black activist Steven Biko and sympathetic newspaper editor Donald Woods (later to become Steve Biko's biographer).
Cry, the Beloved Country (1995)
Starring: James Earl Jones
This moving adaptation of Alan Paton's celebrated novel stars James Earl Jones as a beloved, rural minister in South Africa who makes his first trip to Johannesburg in search of his son. Adapted from the award-wining novel by Alan Paton, and with an star cast including James Earl Jones and Richard Harris. A black, country parish priest is summonsed to Johannesburg where he learns his son is in jail for the murder of young white man. The action is really about the priest (Jones) and the murdered man's white racist father (Harris). The book starts “There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it.” But it is the inner journey taken by these two men that is the real action of the movie.
District Six, The Colour of Our Skin Joe Schaffers (50 minutes)
Narrated by Joe Schaffers who was born in District 6 in 1939 and lived there for 28 years. Currently a full time educator at the District 6 Museum, in this film Joe tells the story of the of his community before the Group Areas Act that claimed District 6 as a white only area forcing all residents to be moved to the various locations on the outskirts of Cape Town, known as the Cape Flats. In 1989 the District Six Museum Foundation was established, and in 1994 the District Six Museum came into being. It serves as a remembrance to the events of the apartheid era as well as the culture and history of the area before the removals. The ground floor is covered by a large street map of District Six, with handwritten notes from former residents indicating where their homes had been; other features of the museum include street signs from the old district, displays of the histories and lives of District Six families, and historical explanations of the life of the District and its destruction. In addition to its function as a museum it also serves as a memorial to a decimated community, and a meeting place and community center for Cape Town residents who identify with its history
District 9 (2009)
From director Peter Jackson---A provocative science fiction drama, District 9 boasts an original story that gets a little lost in blow-'em-up mayhem. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, District 9 begins as a mock documentary about the imminent eviction of extraterrestrials from a pathetic shantytown (called District 9). The creatures, it turns out, have been on Earth for years, having arrived sickly and starving. Initially received by humans with compassion and care, the aliens are now mired in blighted conditions typical of long-term refugee camps unwanted by a hostile, host society. With the creatures' care contracted out to a for-profit corporation, the shantytown has become a violent slum. The aliens sift through massive piles of junk while their minders secretly research weapons technology that arrived on the visitors' spacecraft. Against this backdrop is a more personal story about a bureaucrat named Wikus (Sharlto Copley) who is accidentally exposed to a DNA-altering substance. As he begins metamorphosing into one of the creatures, Wikus goes on the run from scientists who want to harvest his evolving, new parts and aliens who see him as a threat. When he pairs up with an extraterrestrial secretly planning an escape from Earth, however, what should be a fascinating relationship story becomes a series of firefights and explosions. Nuance is lost to numbing violence, and the more interesting potential of the film is obscured. Yet, for a while District 9 is a powerful movie with a unique tale to tell. Seamless special effects alone are worth seeing: the (often brutal) exchanges between alien and human are breathtaking. --Tom Keogh
Dry White Season, A (1989)
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Janet Suzman, Zakes Mokae, Marlon Brando Director: Euzhan Palcy
"A Dry White Season" is set in the 1970s, at the time when the schoolchildren of Soweto, an African township outside Johannesburg, held a series of protests which culminated in the June 16, 1976 Soweto Uprising and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of children. They wanted to be educated in English, not Afrikaans (a language spoken only in South Africa and mostly by whites).
Hugh Masekela: South Africa’s Jazz Legend, Homecoming Concert (2000)
Jazz trumpet virtuoso Hugh Masekela was born in South Africa and first played in bands there before being exiled from his native land for more than 30 years. After achieving musical success and a following in the U.S., Masekela celebrated the downfall of apartheid by returning to South Africa and embarking on a triumphant concert tour. This DVD captures a joyous night on that tour, as Masekela performs before a joyous, dancing audience in Johannesburg. Backed by saxophone, electric guitar, electric bass, keyboards, and a multitude of drums and percussion instruments, Masekela unleashes inspiring trumpet solos. At one point, a troupe of South African vocalists takes the stage, and the heartfelt songs of freedom make it obvious that Masekela's shows were about much more than music. Masekela cheerfully sings along and seems to be making a profound connection with his homeland. Throughout the concert, a number of South African guest artists, both singers and dancers, share the stage with Masekela's brilliant band, making what begins as a jazz concert an ebullient sampler of native rhythms. The music is brilliant, and the lively performers and audience make this a concert that deserves to be seen. --Robert J. McNamara
I’m Not Black, I’m Coloured: Identity Crisis at the Cape of Good Hope (78 minutes)
The first documentary to explore apartheid from the perspective of the Cape Coloured (South Africans of mixed European and African or Malayan descent), I'm Not Black, I'm Coloured details the complex existence of a people living in a country that continues to struggle with racial identity. In 1994, the Cape Coloured embraced Desmond Tutu's concept of an all-encompassing "rainbow nation" only to discover shortly thereafter that the privilege, freedom, economic growth, and equal representation would not include them. In the aftermath of this realization, they became confused: was apartheid the injustice that kept them separated from whites, or the blessing that kept them apart from the blacks? Whatever the answer to that question may be, the Cape Coloured were still the majority population in Cape Town. Now, as tensions continue to mount, community elders, local leaders, pastors, members of Parliament, educators, and students open up about their concerns for the future as a revolutionary DNA project reveals their ancestral roots.
Invictus (2009)
The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.
Mandela and de Klerk (1997)
Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine both received Emmy nominations for their performances in this made-for-TV movie. The plot follows Nelson Mandela's 27-year struggle to end apartheid. That segregation was abolished without bloodshed also had much to do with the political maneuverings of South African President F.W. de Klerk, played with convincing and tired resolution by Caine. Poitier plays the more powerful personality, and shines as the self-assured leader. Filmed in Cape Town, this extremely talky and sometimes static film is intriguing as a historical study. As a drama, it is a bit dry
Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation
A vibrantly presented and emotionally charged portrait of the dynamic African leader, this needed tighter narration to close informational gaps. For instance, there is very little mention of F.W. de Klerk, although as the corecipient of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize (along with Nelson Mandela), he most certainly figured greatly in the peaceful passing of the political baton. It may leave you with a few questions but otherwise captures Mandela's remarkable spirit. It follows him from his early days and tribal education through his work with the African National Congress to his election as Africa's first black president. Produced by Jonathan Demme, this wisely includes poetry of Africa, as much a part of Mandela's story as his own inner strength. Nominated for 1997 Academy Award for Best Documentary. --Rochelle O'Gorman
A captivating view of the incredible spirit of one of the world s most fascinating people, this full-length documentary follows Nelson Mandela form his early days and tribal education to his election as South Africa s first black president. 1996 Academy Award® Nominee for Best Documentary. Co- Produced by Jonathan Demme.
Nelson Mandela Journey to Freedom
The A & E Biography of Nelson Mandela tells, in clear, complete, and exciting detail, the story of the man who dedicated his life to the struggle to end the domination of the black race by the whites in South Africa. Through interviews with colleagues and scholars and wonderful historical footage, we learn both about Mandela's amazing life story and the sweeping transformation that his nation has undergone. The son of a tribal chief, Mandela was groomed for leadership in the countryside, far from urban racial tensions. When he ran away to Johannesburg as a young man, he was shocked by the violent inhumanity of apartheid, the government-enforced policy of racism. He soon became involved with the African National Congress (ANC), which was working to overturn this unjust and oppressive system. In response to their campaign of civil disobedience and sabotage, he and other ANC leaders were arrested, tried and sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island, South Africa's Alcatraz. Against all odds, Mandela continued to fight apartheid from inside one of the world's harshest prisons, himself becoming a universal symbol of freedom. His release, after nearly three decades, electrified both his country and the world. At age 75, he was elected president in a landslide victory. It was Mandela's iron will and unshakable belief in the inevitability of his cause that made it possible for a man once imprisoned as a dangerous traitor to lead a nation
Nelson Mandela: The Life and Times (2010)
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall'- Nelson Mandela
Celebrated as an international hero upon his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is one of the 20th century's towering leaders. Mandela rose from poverty, against overwhelming odds, to become president of the richest, most culturally diverse country in Africa. He endured more than 27 years in jail for trying to overthrow a white police state, becoming the world's most famous political prisoner. In 1994, he led vote-less black South Africans from the racist apartheid period into a democratic era. He is an educated man, a lawyer, a democrat, a shrewd observer of human behavior, a disciplined politician who led a military uprising against an inhuman system, a best-selling and wealthy author, and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Mandela personifies struggle. He continues to speak out against global injustice with the extraordinary vigour and resilience of a man who spent nearly three decades of his life behind bars. He has sacrificed his private and family life for his people, and remains South Africa's best known and most beloved hero. But there is much myth around Mandela. His real story is, in many ways, more compelling than the romantic myth. Featuring interviews with Nobel Prize Winners Nadine Gordimer and F.W. De Klerk; Robben Island co-prisoners Ahmed Kathrada, Mac Maharaj and Tokyo Sexwale; Mandela biographers Alister Sparks, Anthony Sampson and Charlene Smith; and Mandela's friends and family, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF NELSON MANDELA reveals a story unknown to the world beyond his inner circle. Mandela talks of his love of children, how apartheid affected him, facing the death sentence, how he survived prison, won over his enemies, and overcame prejudice. He also speaks about the pain of his marriage to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, with whom he had two daughters. In an interview, Winnie talks about her first meeting with Mandela, the last time they were home together, and how she survived torture and scandal.
Paul Simon Graceland: The African Concert
Songs include: "Township Jive," "The Boy In The Bubble," "Gumboots," "Whispering Bells," "Bring Him Back Home," "Crazy Love: Part 2," "I Know What I Know," "Jinkel E Mawani," "Soweto Blues," "Under African Skies," "Unomathemba," "Hello My Baby," "Homeless," "Graceland," "You Can Call Me Al," "Stimela," "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes," and "N'Kosi Sikeleli Africa (Traditional)," "King of Kings"
Power of One, The (1992)
Starring: Morgan Freeman
A good film for younger audiences. The Book is better: The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, Ballantine Books. Set in a world torn apart, where man enslaves his fellow man and freedom remains elusive, this is the moving story of one young white man growing up in South Africa during World War II, Peekay turns to two older men, one black and one white, to show him how to find the courage to fight against injustice. The Power of One is an intriguing story of a young English boy named P.K. and his passion for changing the world. Growing up he suffered as the only English boy in an Afrikaans school. Soon orphaned, he was placed in the care of a German national named Professor von Vollensteen (a.k.a. "Doc"), a friend of his grandfather. Doc develops P.K.'s piano talent and P.K. becomes "assistant gardener" in Doc's cactus garden. It is not long after WWII begins that Doc is placed in prison for failure to register with the English government as a foreigner. P.K. makes frequent visits and meets Geel Piet, an inmate, who teaches him to box. Geel Piet spreads the myth of the Rainmaker, the one who brings peace to all of the tribes. P.K. is cast in the light of this myth. After the war P.K. attends an English private school where he continues to box. He meets a young girl, Maria, with whom he falls in love. Her father, Professor Daniel Marais, is a leader of the Nationalist Party of South Africa. The two fight to teach the natives English as P.K.'s popularity grows via the myth. Maria is killed. P.K. looses focus until he sees the success of his language school among the tribes. He and Guideon Duma continue the work in hopes of building a better future for Africa.
Rhythm of Resistance - Black South African Music (2000)
Rhythm of Resistance crosses the forbidden boundaries of apartheid and looks at the sorrow and joy of Black South African music. Music that had been ignored, censored or suppressed comes alive in unforgettable moments, often filmed clandestinely. From Zululand roots to Soweto street singing, from the defiant dancing of workers on their day off to all night singing contests, Rhythm of Resistance captures the panorama of Black South African music during the years of apartheid. Features performances and intimate moments with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Philip Tabane and Malombo, the Mahotella Queens, Abafana and more.
Sarafina!
Starring:
A musical about the school children of Soweto who fueled the June 1976 Uprising and their resilient spirit in the face of death and repression. Academy Award(R)-winning star Whoopi Goldberg lights up the screen -- the exhilarating and entertaining SARAFINA! In a world where truth is forbidden, an inspiring teacher (Whoopi Goldberg) dares to instill in her students lessons not found in schoolbooks. In doing so, she challenges their freedom and hers. Applauded by critics and audiences everywhere, this upbeat and powerful story promises to stir your emotions and make your spirits soar!
Skin (2008)
Despite being born to Afrikaner parents, Sandra faces prejudice from her community due to her dark skin and African features. Torn between her family and the man she loves, Sandra must overcome the racial intolerance of her society in this uplifting true story. Starring Sophie Okonedo and Sam Neill. Based on the best-selling book "When She was White" by Judith Stone
Despite being born to Afrikaner parents, Sandra faces prejudice from her community due to her dark skin and African features. Torn between her family and the man she loves, Sandra must overcome the racial intolerance of her society in this uplifting true story. Starring Sophie Okonedo and Sam Neill. Based on the best-selling book "When She was White" by Judith Stone
Slave Trade Munity (PBS 11/7/10) Buried off the waters of Africa’s southernmost coast is the slave ship Meermin, whose fatal voyage tells a lost chapter in the history of the salve trade and one of South Africa’s first freedom fighters: Massavana. The story began nearly 250 years ago in late January 1766, when the Meermin set sail from Madagascar carrying slaves to South Africa. Chained and crammed so tightly below deck they almost could not move was a human cargo bound for the Cape Town colony of Dutch East India Company (VOC). But in a dramatic twist of fate, the ship never made it to its final destination. Instead, one man, who refused to become a slave, led his fellow prisoners in a mutiny and took over the ship. They then ordered the Dutch crew to sail them back home to freedom. But the experienced Dutch sailors deceived the slaves and steered the boat towards Cape Town anyway. When the slaves realized what had happened, a bloody battle with militia on shore left the surviving slaves captives again and the Meermin a sinking wreck. The final chapter of this affair took place in the Dutch court in Cape Town and it is the record of that trial that allows us to tell this story today. The extraordinary outcome saw 26 year-old mutiny leader Massavana spared execution for lack of evidence although he was effectively imprisoned for life. The two top officers were order dismissed for incompetence. The story on PBS Secrets of the Dead’s premiere of Slave Ship Mutiny, aired nationally November 10, 2010 at 8 p.m. Narrated by actor Liev Schreiber, the film tracks the efforts of marine archaeologist Jaco Boshoff, historian Nigel Worden and slave descendent Lucy Campbell to discover the full story of this historic event. With the help of detailed VOC archives and court transcripts, they learn what happened on the Meermin, how the slaves were able to overpower their captors, and why the ship ended up wrecked on a wild, windswept beach 200 miles east of Cape Town. An additional interview with South Africa’s leading human rights advocate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu adds context to the story.
South Africa Freedom Day: Concert on the Square (2001)Marking the seventh anniversary of South Africa's free elections, the 2001 South Africa Freedom Day Concert was celebrated in London's famed Trafalgar Square. More than 20,000 people joined Dr. Nelson Mandela and British Prime Minister Tony Blair for an incredible day of music and solidarity. Songs: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Mbawula featuring The Manhattan Brothers), What Can I Do to Make You Love Me?, So Young, Breathless (The Corrs), Got No Flow (Lisa Roxanne), Fanta (Baaba Maal), That's the Way It Goes (Commonwealth), Lord (Lebo Mathosa), When the Going Gets Tough (Billy Ocean featuring SA/UK Youth Choir), One Love (Dave Stewart featuring Gary "Mudbone" Cooper), Whole Again (Atomic Kitten), Feels So Good (Mel B), Thanayi (Hugh Masekela), Greatest Day (Beverley Knight), Congratulations South Africa (Ladysmith Black Mambazo), Imitation of Life, Losing My Religion, Man on the Moon (R.E.M.), Something Inside So Strong (Labi Siffre featuring SA/UK Youth Choir).
South Africa: Globe Trekker (2005)South Africa is said to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Its ever-changing and breathtaking scenery takes you from the awe inspiring Drakensberg Mountains to the grasslands of Kruger National Park and of course the fantastic beaches. The dark cloud of Apartaid held back tourism for understandable reason, but since its breakdown in 1994, travelers have returned to experience the magic of this remarkable land. Travelers Sami Sabiti and Justine Shapiro return to South Africa to see how much the rainbow nation has changed in the decade since Apartaid. Starting in the beautiful Cape Town they then travel to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. After a stop in Kimberley, it's on to the tribal lands of Lompopo for Sami whilst Justine heads east to Afrikaner Oudtshoorn and on to Durban, before meeting the wildlife of Kruger National Park. They end their journey in Johannesburg. Along the way... · Sample the wines of the Stellenbosch region. · Experience the extreme Hindu festival of Kavadi in Durban. · Paint with the Venda people, renowned as the country's most skillful artists. · Descend into the diamond mines of Kimberley. · Take a safari through the world famous Kruger National Park.
Testing Hope: Grade 12 in the New South Africa (2005) Molly BlankSince the end of Apartheid in April 1994, the new South African government has been struggling to remedy years of inequity, particularly regarding substandard education. Testing Hope: Grade 12 in the new South Africa chronicles the lives of young people facing their future in the evolving democracy of South Africa. The film follows four students – Babalwa, Noluyanda, Mongamo and Sipho – at Oscar Mpetha High School in Nyanga township, just outside of Cape Town, as they work towards their crucial Matric exams which one student calls “the decider." Every grade 12 student in South Africa is required to take a series of Matric exams based on the subjects they study. These exams determine access to higher education, jobs, and future success. High results can help students gain entry to university, but most students in Nyanga, if they pass, simply receive a school-leaving certificate, the equivalent of a high school diploma. While this is the Nyanga of a new South Africa, many vestiges of apartheid remain – poverty is entrenched, many students live in shacks, and family structures are dramatically changed by the impact of HIV-AIDS. Despite a promise of opportunity, 52 percent of people aged 16 to 25 are unemployed. Testing Hope follows the students as they prepare for the exams, which they believe will determine their future.
Tsotsi (2005)The dark underbelly of the golden city, Johannesburg, is revealed in the life of a teenage township tsotsi (thug) in the ghetto alter-ego of Johannesburg that is Soweto. During a six-day rampage we witness robbery, violence, car theft and murder – finally that of a women who has a baby in the back seat of her car. Tsotsi takes the baby back to his slum shack where it begins to arouse deep emotions in him we hope will lead to redemption ... but it is too little too late for this victim of his own birth.
Viva Nelson Mandela (1990. 120 minutes)Canon Collins Educational Trust for South Africa. Produced by Robert Lemkin, Paul Snell, Shaun Fenton and Jane Stylianou SYNOPSIS The history of apartheid from 1918 to February 11, 1990, when Mandela was released. Narration is by President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. The video uses documentary footage backgrounded by music and appearances by over thirty musical artists. In contrast to other films/videos featuring mostly international musicians, this one features the following South African groups: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Hugh Masekela, Johnny Clegg and Savuka, Malapoets, the SWAPO Cultural group, amongst others. Bob Marley, Latin Quarter and Black Uhuru are some of the non-South African groups featured. The video contains scenes of important events: volunteers during the Defiance Campaign of 1952, and the indelible image of a youth and a girl running with the lifeless body of a young child shot by police bullets. This image recurs with the equally tragic news photograph of Hector Peterson on June 16, 1976.
Where Do I Stand (2010) Molly BlankWhen xenophobic attacks broke out across South Africa in May 2008, many found themselves caught off guard, shocked by violence that felt like a violation of the principles of their newly democratic nation. In the midst of this violence, many young people, clad in the bright greens and maroons of their school uniforms, looted neighborhood shops while some of their classmates, refugees themselves, fled to safer ground. Some youth tried to find a way to help, but still more stood by, watching from their windows or on television. Where Do I Stand? captures the optimistic voices of youth trying to make sense of what they experienced and the choices they made during the violence, as they carve out their own places in this complex and divided nation.
Wooden Camera, TheTwo thirteen year old boys play along the railway line in Kayelitsha, a township close to Capetown. A dead man is tossed from a passing train, clutching an attach case. Inside, the boys discover a gun and a video camera. Sipho takes the gun, Madiba takes the camera. Madiba hides the camera within a makeshift wooden box to avoid losing his new toy. Through the lens, his everyday surroundings take on a strange new beauty. Sipho becomes a gang leader, operating out of Capetown, accompanied by Madiba who is more interested in filming luxurious city life than crime. Madiba films a young white girl, Estelle, stealing a book from a bookstore, which she gives him as she leaves.
World Apart, A (1988)Based on a true story, this "haunting, deeply moving film" (Los Angeles Times) earned the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. With a "strikingly forceful performance" (New York) by Barbara Hershey, this potent account of personal and political turmoil brims with "emotion and radiant intelligence" (The New Yorker)! South Africa, 1963. Communist Gus Roth (Jeroen Krabbe) is forced to flee Johannesburg to escape arrest, leaving his activist wife Diana (Hershey) to continue their crusade against apartheid. But when Diana is wrenched from her three daughters and jailed under the notorious 90-day Detention Act, she and her family face the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for freedom.
Yesterday (2004)As beautiful as it is heartbreaking, the Oscar®-nominated drama Yesterday brings an intimate human perspective to the AIDS crisis in Africa. On the surface, it's a harsh and devastating story about bad things happening to good people, but such a limited description robs the film of its warmth and tender compassion. Best known for his 1995 drama Cry the Beloved Country, director Darrell James Roodt returns to his native South Africa for this moving and heartfelt portrait of a young, devoted mother named Yesterday (played by Leleti Khumalo, from Hotel Rwanda) who learns that she is HIV positive, and remains determined to stay alive until her young daughter Beauty (Lihle Mvelase) is old enough to go off to school. Her husband (Kenneth Khambula) is also stricken with AIDS, and Yesterday cares for him even as they are ostracized by fearful neighbors in their tiny Zulu village. One might expect a film about AIDS to be terribly depressing, and Roodt pulls no punches when conveying the emotional anguish of Yesterday's dilemma. But Yesterday is so visually beautiful in terms of its physical and spiritual landscape (it was filmed in the expansive KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa) that it's universally appealing, and the score by Madale Kunene adds just the right emotional seasoning to the film's ethnic roots. Anyone with a beating heart can relate to Yesterday's plight as a caring wife and mother, and Khumalo's performance is so lovely that she lights up the screen, even (and perhaps especially) during Yesterday's darkest hours. Without pounding on its point, Yesterday puts a human face on a global crisis that's too often viewed on impersonal term.
