Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me

Nelson Mandela: a name that rings out with incomparable power across all four corners of the world, a unique figure in the history of modern society, both martyr and hero of Apartheid. For South Africa, this name has also long been synonymous with a solution to all problems. In his film, Khalo Matabane writes an open letter to the great South African icon: it includes not only the filmmaker’s childhood memories, his expectations and his dreams, but also the considerations of many historic personalities, journalists, artists, politicians and ordinary people. Through a remarkable use of video and sound archive material, we retrace the most significant moments linked to Mandela’s struggle, notably the unforgettable day of his release in February 1990. But the film goes well beyond the portrait of a myth: the questions of the director are above all those of the entire post-apartheid generation facing up to and reflecting on the heritage left to a country in which profound inequalities still reign.

Jasmin Basic

Trailer