Desmond Tutu Movies
In the African nation of Malawi, disease, poverty and famine have taken a horrible toll, especially on young people -- in a country of twelve million people, one million are orphaned children. In 2006, pop singer Madonna began studying the crisis in Malawi, and decided to use her wealth and celebrity to help; she helped finance the construction of a home for orphans, founded a relief organization called the Raising Malawi Orphan Care Initiative, and as a personal example she and her husband adopted a boy from Malawi, David Banda Mwale, whose mother had died. Now Madonna has written and produced I Am Because We Are, a documentary about Malawi that attempts to demonstrate at the need for action by profiling eight children growing up without parents; these youngsters long for a better life and strive to remain optimistic about the future despite the long odds fate has set against them. I Am Because We Are also features interviews with a number of people working to alleviate the ongoing tragedy in Malawi, including Bill Clinton, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, and leaders of a number of leading relief and charitable organizations. I Am Because We Are received its North American premiere at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Immediately taken by South African political satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys after witnessing a performance by the polarizing entertainer in Sydney, Australia, then-fifteen year old aspiring filmmaker Julian Shaw approached the outspoken opponent of apartheid and AIDS activist requesting his permission to become the subject of a documentary. The resulting film paints an intimate portrait of a performer who always kept his personal life private as he strived to raise public awareness about some pretty important issues. In addition to criticizing the white minority South African government by means of his wildly popular character Evita Bezuidenhout, Uys has also rallied to raise AIDS awareness in schoolchildren though what he calls "AIDS Awareness Entertainment," and continues to speak out against what he refers to as the "new apartheid." Passionate performance footage contrasts deeply personal autobiographical segments in order to give audiences a well-rounded impression of both the man and his mission. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pieter-Dirk Uys, Nelson Mandela, (more)
Filmmaker Turk Pipkin sets out on a global journey to probe the minds of nine Nobel Laureates in this documentary that seeks to find answers to some of the most pressing issues currently facing mankind. Everyone wants the world to be a better place for our children and the future generations that will follow, but how do we work to improve a world where famine, warfare, and strife seem to be more widespread than ever before? Follow Pipkin to the far corners of the globe as he poses this question, and many others concerning the future of our troubled planet to such great minds as Rick Smalley, Steven Weinberg, Dr. Harold Varmus, Desmond Tutu, Sir Joseph Rotblat, Jody Williams, Amartya Sen, and Ahmed Zewail. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A pair of pacifist-minded documentarians reach out to dozens of their generation's greatest thinkers in a bid to ensure a peaceful future for all in this documentary that encourages viewers to take an active role in the peace process. From September 2002 to May 2003, filmmakers Gabriele Zamparini and Lorenzo Meccoli conducted interviews with such internationally recognized thinkers as Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Gore Vidal, Jesse Jackson, Ossie Davis, and Desmond Tutu to explore peaceful solutions to global conflict. In addition to exploring various alternatives to war and weapons of mass destruction as a means of solving conflict, these interviews provide fascinating insight into the modern era while simultaneously offering a look inside the minds of some of the planets greatest tinkers, activists, and leaders. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Belafonte, Noam Chomsky, (more)
Culled from an array of archival footage, on-location shooting, dramatic narration, and interviews with family, friends, and historians, the documentary Bonhoeffer strives to recreate the life of the theologian who openly railed against Hitler's growing stronghold on Germany and beyond in the years leading up to World War II. A devout Christian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer organized the Confessing Church in the early '30s, urging his following to join forces with the Jews in fighting the Third Reich. Bonhoeffer's efforts reached their zenith when he and others mounted assassination attempts on the Führer. Klaus Maria Brandauer gives voice to many of Bonhoeffer's writings, and Desmond Tutu and John de Gruchy are among the film's interviewees. After being rejected from the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, Bonhoeffer was screened at local churches in and around Park City, attracting attention from distributors, and eventually, a limited U.S. release in the summer of 2003. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Doblmeier, Klaus Maria Brandauer, (more)
- 1999
This video features award-winning journalist Bill Moyers in a conversation with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Archbishop Tutu, whose work as a spiritual leader in South Africa has spanned decades, talks about his country's turbulent race relations history. The two men discuss the system of apartheid and its ultimate demise, and the role the Archbishop played in those times, as well as his current efforts in healing racial differences. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
A young man learns that love hurts (or at least it does if you're doing it right) in this saucy comedy from England. Henry Harding (Tom Bell) is a member of British Parliament and a self-styled moral crusader who is deeply disturbed by reports that Tanya Cheex (Guinevere Turner), a dominatrix from the U.S., has opened a night club for S&M enthusiasts in England. Harding is determined to put Cheex out of business, but first he needs to collect evidence of her activities, so Harding persuades Peter Emery (Christian Anholt) -- a young man with political ambitions, Christian principles, and his virginity intact -- to attend the club incognito and videotape the proceedings. To Peter's great surprise, he discovers that he rather likes a bit of spanking and leather fetishism, and he soon becomes quite infatuated with Tanya, making him all the less inclined to help shut down her club. Preaching to the Perverted presented Guinevere Turner in her first starring role after her breakthrough in the acclaimed independent feature Go Fish. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guinevere Turner, Christien Anholt, (more)
