Watch the trailer:
First Run Features
(January 6, 2015) It could have been a bloodbath of historic
proportions. But instead, one man made the end of apartheid possible: in
February 1990, President F.W. de Klerk lifted the ban on the African
National Congress and ordered the release of Nelson Mandela. As the
world celebrated, Mandela would go on to become South Africa's first
democratically elected president -- with de Klerk as his Vice President.
Many films have been made about Nelson Mandela and the history of
apartheid; few have taken on the challenge of bringing his predecessor –
F.W. de Klerk to the screen, keeping him in the shadow of his
exploits.
But de Klerk's history is complicated. Before becoming
president, he headed several ministries during the policy of "Total
Onslaught, Total Strategy" against African National Congress activists.
De Klerk had been a virulent defender of white Africans and their
privileges, and his own term as president was marred by political
violence -- often at the hands of his own security forces. What pushed
this man to reverse his beliefs and jumpstart the process of making
South Africa a more equal and just nation?
Featuring in-depth interviews with F.W. de Klerk,
former South African president Thabo Mbeki (1999-2008), anti-apartheid
activists Father Michael Lapsley and Mathews Phosa, Yasmin Sooka of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Richard Goldstone (who headed the
Goldstone Commission investigations into political violence) and many
others, filmmaker Nic Rossier explores the fascinating political journey
and legacy of this complex figure. Nations mired in conflict and
recovering from civil war will benefit from better understanding this
flawed, yet ultimately successful political leader that managed to
bridge two opposing worlds. Ultimately, The Other Man explores
the trajectory of this unique nation and reflects on how the end of
apartheid will CONTINUE to shape South Africans and the world for years
to come.
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