Videos and Other Media:
Politics and Governance

Africa: In Defiance of Democracy (2003).

"Throughout Africa, democracy has long been touted as the cure for the continent's ongoing unrest. But can such a form of government flourish in countries where extreme poverty is the norm and violence is the chief tool of statecraft? Spanning the continent from Libya to South Africa, this program seeks to understand Africa's complex political situations, addressing the 'Big Man' syndrome and the one-party state, the destabilizing effects of armed conflict, the mismanagement of industry and natural resources, and strained relations with the industrialized world"óContainer

Africa, search for common ground (ten cassettes, 1997)

Filmed in various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, this series profiles a wide variety of formal efforts to resolve contemporary conflicts without resorting to violence.

Africa, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya (1996)

Examines the situation of Liberian refugees welcomed by the residents of Sierra Leone, the effect of the 1993 agreement between cocoa producing and consuming nations on producers in Ghana, and the war between elephant poachers and park rangers in Kenya.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu addresses apartheid (1991)

The Nobel Peace Prize winner addresses his anti-apartheid views during a recent honorary commencement.

Biko: breaking the silence (1987)

The story of Steve Biko was filmed extensively on the set and employs scenes from Cry Freedom to supplement interviews with Biko's colleagues and archival footage. It explorers Biko's intellectual development, why he became such a galvanizing figure, the circumstances of his murder and his impact on the development of the freedom movement in the decade since his death.

Children of apartheid (1987)

This Walter Cronkite documentary introduces us to the youth of South Africa under the State of Emergency. They talk of prison, politics, insurrection and revolution.

City lovers (1982)

Exquisite acting brings to life this tale of interracial love. The protagonist is a middle-aged geologist, exhilarated by South Africa's wondrous landscapes. His lover is a young cashier in a Johannesburg supermarket, impressed by his worldliness and accomplishments. What begins as a casual relationship, develops slowly, shyly and secretly into a tender love affair. However, the fragile intimacy of their bond is destroyed by the forces of opposition.

Come back, Africa (1987)

Documentary-style film which tells the story of Zacariah, an African who, after being forced off his land by the government, must then go to work in the gold mines.

Cry Freedom (1988)

Story of Black activist Stephen Biko (Washington) and a liberal white newspaper editor Donald Woods (Kline) who risks his own life to bring Biko's message to the world.

Cry, the Beloved Country (1995). Director: Darrell James Roodt

A black minister and white land owner are united by a tragedy, with the potential for further hatred or healing.

Bishop Tutu: peacemaker (1984)

This video is an eloquent statement by 1984 Noble Peace Prize winner, Bishop Desmond Tutu from South Africa, made at the Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, on November 10, 1984. Labelling apartheid as "evil, immoral, and un-Christian", Bishop Tutu describes the absurdities of apartheid laws and dehumanizing conditions for Blacks in South Africa, noting the violence of this system to Black family life.

Bopha! (1994)

Micah Mangena, a sergeant in South Africa's police force and an unquestioning supporter of the powers that be, finds his world violently torn appart when his son wakes up to the evils of the apartheid system, of which Micah is a part.

A brother with perfect timing (1987)

When he left South Africa in the 1960s, Abdullah Ibrahim took Cape Town with him. This video reveals him as a casually charismatic storyteller, serious but never pompous. It is an articulate, self-told portrait, echoed in music from Ekaya, his band comprised of saxophones, brass and rhythm section.

Catch a Fire (2007). Director: Phillip Noyce

The true story of a South African hero's journey to freedom. In the country's turbulent and divided times in the 1980s, Patrick Chamusso is an oil refinery foreman and soccer coach who is apolitical. That is, until he and his wife Precious are jailed. Patrick is stunned into action against the country's oppressive reigning system, even as police Colonel Nic Vos further insinuates himself into the Chamussos' lives.

Challenge to Africa (1989)

Africa has the potential for growth limited only by the spirit of its people. The forty-nine nations of Africa must come together to solve their problems. This video contains vignettes of African life and the efforts being undertaken to solve its problems.

End of the Dialogue: Apartheid in South Africa 1970 (2003). Producers: Antonia Caccia, Chris Curling, et al.

The documentary presents the stark contrast between the quality of life of whites and blacks of South Africa under apartheid in 1970, with minimal narration. Made by a small group of South African exiles and film students based in London.

Facing the Truth with Bill Moyers (1999)

Bill Moyers describes the efforts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), providing footage of TRC hearings and interviews with apartheid victims and others

Fighting on Both Sides of the Law: Mandela and His Early Crusade (2003). Director: Dominic Allan

Against the backdrop of another busy day for Nelson Mandela, this program traces his biography up to the point when he was convicted of treason and began serving a life sentence in a South African jail. Among many exclusive interviews are Walter Sisulu, the colleague and African National Congress leader who spotted Mandela's tremendous potential; George Bizos, Mandela's defense lawyer and friend; and Fidel Castro, who supported Mandela and the ANC in their struggle against the apartheid regime.

Girls apart (1987)

This is the story of two 16-year-old schoolgirls - one black, one white - who inhabit separate worlds prescribed by apartheid.

Have You Heard from Johannesburg? Apartheid and the Club of the West (2006). Director: Connie Field

This film looks at the relationship between the United States and South Africa during the 1980s. The film focuses on the anti-apartheid movement, which effected changes of policy in companies, universities, and the U.S. Congress.

In darkest Hollywood: cinema and apartheid (1993)

Includes newsreel footage of violence in South Africa and interviews with producers, directors, screenwriters, authors and actors who expound upon films they have been instrumental in producing which explored the conditions of black South Africans.

In the Name of Liberation (c2003). Director: Jon Blair

This program analyzes terrorism used in the name of national liberation through studies of covert wars for independence in British Palestine, British Malaya, French Algeria, apartheid South Africa, and Northern Ireland. Bruce Hoffman, co-author of Countering the New Terrorism, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu offer their insights, while former Irgun commander Shraga Alis; former Malayan Communist Party leader Chin Peng; former FLN commander Yacef Saadi; Milk Bar Cafe bomber Zohra Drif; retired French military officers Paul Aussaresses and Pierre-Alban Thomas; former ANC bomber Robert McBride; and former IRA member Patrick Magee, the Brighton Bomber, reflect on the parts they played in terror and counter-terror actions.

The Koppel report : a town meeting with Nelson Mandela (1990)

This uncut and unedited videocassette program presents the Ted Koppel interview with Nelson Mandela upon his visit to the United States. Mandela was released from a South African prison on February 11, 1990, after serving more than twenty-seven years in jail.

Last grave at Dimbaza (1974, 16 mm)

Shot illegally in the Republic of South Africa, this documentary originally produced in 1974 exposes the oppression of Blacks and other people designated as colored under apartheid rule in South Africa.

Long Nightís Journey into Day (c2000). Directors: Frances Reid & Deborah Hoffmann

For over forty years, South Africa was governed by the most notorious form of racial domination since Nazi Germany. When it finally collapsed, those who had enforced apartheid's rule wanted amnesty for their crimes. Their victims wanted justice. As a compromise, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed. As it investigated the crimes of apartheid, the Commission brought together victims and perpetrators to relive South Africa's brutal history. By revealing the past instead of burying it, the TRC hoped to pave the way to a peaceful future.

The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela (c1999). Producers: David Fanning and Indra de Lanerolle

In-depth film biography of Nelson Mandela, the revered political leader credited for ending apartheid and bringing about a peaceful transformation to democracy in South Africa. His story is told through interviews with intimates, from his most trusted associates to his jailers on Robben Island, the prison where he was held for 27 years.

Mandela: the man & his country (1990)

Chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela against the backdrop of South African politics, including interviews and coverage of his release in 1990 after 26 years in prison.

Mandela's fight for freedom (1995)

Mandela, the man (1994)

Details the life of Nelson Mandela, his struggle to free black South Africans from Apartheid, and his dramatic rise to power over the government which had imprisoned him.

Mau Mau (1955)

This film presents an account of the havoc wrought by the Mau Mau terrorist organization in Kenya, and of the efforts made to stamp out the movement.

More than an investment (1989)

This video is about the development of the country, South Africa. It is a country with the potential development of a strong business sector.

Nagstappie= A walk in the night (1998)

Recounts a single terrible night when the fragile world of Mikey Adonis, a young coloured steel worker, disintegrates; illustrates how a decent man can be driven to an act of brutality by a racist society which humiliates him at every turn.

Namibia: a new nation's challenge (1991)

Namibia's first president, Dr. Sam Nujoma, speaks of Namibia's future as a free and independent country in his address at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.

A Panther in Africa (2004). Director: Aaron Matthews

Documentary on Pete O'Neal, a Black Panther who fled from the United States in 1969 after he was arrested for transporting a gun across state lines. O'Neal talks about his life in exile in Tanzania and how he has adapted his ideals to his adopted country, and reflects on his revolutionary past.

The people bomb (1994)

CNN's documentary team, Special Reports, travels to thirteen countries for a look at the personal, national and global efforts to diffuse the explosive overpopulation crisis before it's too late.

Prime time South Africa (1996)

The transformation of South Africa television from a mainstay of apartheid to a tool for building a multi-racial democracy is one of today's most under-reported media stories. This video gives Americans a chance to see the first tentative steps in the telecommunications experiment.

Sanctions and South Africa (1986)

It discusses the sanctions that the United States has on South Africa and the effects more would have. These sanctions will not only hurt South Africa, but the entire South African region.

South Africa belongs to us (1980)

This intimate portrait of five black women demonstrates how apartheid impoverishes, dehumanizes and ultimately enslaves. It is the clearest introduction to the system of apartheid, its affect on family life and the singular economic and emotional burdens it inflicts upon black people.

Tanzania : the quiet revolution (1964)

This film portrays the geography and people of Tanzania and depicts their struggle with the problems of extreme poverty, illiteracy and racism. It interviews President Julius K. Nyerere who explains his policy on nonalignment and acceptance of help from both communist and noncommunist countries. The frailty of the bond between the state of Tanganyika and Zanzibar is pointed out.

Triumph over terror (1999)

Three the six parts in this series concern Africa. No. 4 looks at the problem in three different areas of the country, and explores the way denial of inheritance and property rights is forcing growing number of widows to join the ranks of the homeless in the shantytowns of major cities like Lagos. No. 5 is about one of the many terrible cases to come before the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. No. 6 evaluates the success of the Guinean government and the UN High Commission for Refugees in protecting the rights pledged this huge African refugee population under the OAU Convention.

The Wars for Water: The Nile (2007). Producer: Richard Malbequi

"Potential conflicts are brewing between the nations that share the Nile River Basin. The days of the Nile only nourishing Egypt's great demand for water might be rapidly coming to an end. Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda are geographically located in the larger Nile basin and control the sources of the river. In recent years they have been demanding a greater share of the Nile's precious resource...All 13 countries with access will have to come to agreements on how to share the Nile"óContainer

The World Bank: the great experiment (1984)

Focuses on Uganda's attempt to escape its spiral of poverty and the World Bank's efforts to prove that it is the international agency best placed to create a new beginning for Uganda.