Automatische concepten

English summary

After the abolition of Apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela became the country’s first democratically elected president in 1994. In this position he ensured that the transition process came about peacefully. His message of freedom, forgiveness and reconciliation has inspired people across the world. The film Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me won the Special Jury Award at IDFA 2013. Movie W is showing the movie in collaboration with Wageningen UR as part of One-World Week. Entry for WUR students and staff is only 5 euros.

After two decades of democracy, South Africa is still not the country that Nelson Mandela had hoped it would become. Economic inequality remains rife and the country remains divided by various forms of separation, including along racial lines. Opportunities are not equally available. In response to a fictitious letter, director Khalo Matabane undertakes a journey involving discussions talks with writers, politicians, artists and philosophers, amongst them the Dalai Lama. The meaning of freedom, reconciliation and forgiveness in a world of conflict and inequality are key themes. The interviews are interspersed with historic footage and portraits of Mandela. As well as South African history, the film addresses other situations, such as Germany’s reunification and the war in Iraq. The intensity is relaxed with contemplative landscape images and exceptional close-ups.