and the lightbulb finally goes on
The first time I saw Cry Freedom was in my Lost Year. Otherwise known as The Junior Year That Wasn't, or My Last Year At Mac, or whatever. It was either 1999 or 2000 and AFRIKA! (the African Student Group that I was a part of despite being Not African) was sponsoring a visit by Steve Biko's son on, well, I can't remember (see note about it being a Lost Year - diagnosis of a mental illness will do that to a brain). Either growing up in the death throes of Apartheid or with a famous dad or the Truth and Reconciliation or a combination of everything . . . we had a whole bunch of events leading up to his visit, including a viewing of Cry Freedom, which is where I saw it the first time.
I saw it again today and was struck by something new. Wondering where they filmed it, I noticed a note in the credits thanking the people and government of Zimbabwe. Even when I first saw this film, 13 years after it was being made, the tables had turned on these countries. And now, now it seems hard to believe that South Africa was the land of secrecy and torture and lies to the media and Zimbabwe was supporting the making of a film discrediting a neighboring government and uncovering corruption and tyranny.
And so now it's another 10 years later, and where's Zim's film? Where's the public outcry, the mainstream film exposing the despotism? I want them to have that day, that moment, that revelation that they aren't alone and that we haven't forgotten them.
But I've done absolutely nothing about it myself. In fact, this is just a reawakening of a rage I haven't felt in years. The radiant rage that comes from a well of passion that's been dry in me for quite some time now.
And I seem to have had a Eureka! moment. Um, and now I have nothing to say. Huh. I guess that's it for the moment. Any thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?
I saw it again today and was struck by something new. Wondering where they filmed it, I noticed a note in the credits thanking the people and government of Zimbabwe. Even when I first saw this film, 13 years after it was being made, the tables had turned on these countries. And now, now it seems hard to believe that South Africa was the land of secrecy and torture and lies to the media and Zimbabwe was supporting the making of a film discrediting a neighboring government and uncovering corruption and tyranny.
And so now it's another 10 years later, and where's Zim's film? Where's the public outcry, the mainstream film exposing the despotism? I want them to have that day, that moment, that revelation that they aren't alone and that we haven't forgotten them.
But I've done absolutely nothing about it myself. In fact, this is just a reawakening of a rage I haven't felt in years. The radiant rage that comes from a well of passion that's been dry in me for quite some time now.
And I seem to have had a Eureka! moment. Um, and now I have nothing to say. Huh. I guess that's it for the moment. Any thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?