‘FOCUS ON SOUTH AFRICA’

As part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, BOZAR is focusing on South African cinema with three films which look back over the political and social history of the country in the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighting some hidden aspects of South African society that people might be unfamiliar with.

The action takes place in Johannesburg, Cape Town and the mountains of the Eastern Cape and focuses on three individuals: Winnie Mandela, controversial figure central to the fight against apartheid (Winnie by Pascale Lamche), Ashley Kriel, young activist assassinated at just 20 years of age (Action Kommandant by Nadine Angel Cloete), and Xolani, a young famer who carries in him the secret of a homosexuality that is highly controversial within traditional society (The Wound by John Trengove). These three films provide fascinating insight into this part of the world which formed the backdrop for a major struggle for freedom and equality.