Nelson Mandela Movies

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

Fidel Castro is one of the world's best known and most recognizable political leaders, but he is also among the most mysterious. While Castro became a household name after overthrowing the rule of Fulgenico Batista and became the head of Cuba's new socialist government, little is known of his private life or the man behind the façade of his shaggy beard and omnipresent cigar. Fidel is a documentary by filmmaker Estela Bravo, who combines vintage newsreel footage with exclusive recent interviews which offer an insight into both Castro the leader, struggling to face the political and economic realities of the post-Soviet global environment, and Castro the man, as he tours his childhood home, goes swimming, and visits with his friends. Fidel also includes interviews with people who know or have met Castro, including Nelson Mandela, Muhammed Ali, Harry Belafonte, Alice Walker, Ted Turner, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This video presents a look at twentieth century freedom fighter and hero, Nelson Mandela and his inspirational anti-apartheid speeches. Mandela spent 30 years of a life imprisonment sentence for sabotage and conspiracy against the white minority government of South Africa, before being released by F.W. Klerk's government in 1990. Mandela's moving speech upon his release is featured, in which he gives thanks for his freedom, and vows his continuing commitment to work against all forms of discrimination and an end to apartheid practices. In an amazing reversal of fortune, Nelson Mandela went from political prisoner to President of South Africa in 1994. The unifying message of his inaugural address is included. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

Writer-director Spike Lee's epic portrayal of the life and times of the slain civil rights leader Malcolm X begins with the cross-cut imagery of the police beating of black motorist Rodney King juxtaposed with an American flag burning into the shape of the letter X. When the film's narrative begins moments later, it jumps back to World War II-era Boston, where Malcolm Little (Denzel Washington) is making his living as a hustler. The son of a Baptist preacher who was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan, Little was raised by foster parents after his mother was deemed clinically insane; as an adult, he turned to a life of crime, which leads to his imprisonment on burglary charges. In jail, Little receives epiphany in the form of an introduction to Islam; he is especially taken with the lessons of Elijah Mohammed, who comes to him in a vision. Adopting the name 'Malcolm X' as a rejection of the 'Little' surname (given his family by white slave owners), he meets the real Elijah Mohammed (Al Freeman, Jr.) upon exiting prison, and begins work as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Marriage to a Muslim nurse named Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett) follows, after which X spearheads a well-attended march on a Harlem hospital housing a Muslim recovering from an episode of police brutality. The march's success helps elevate X to the position of Islam's national spokesperson. There is dissension in the ranks, however, and soon X is targeted for assassination by other Nation leaders; even Elijah Mohammed fears Malcolm's growing influence. After getting wind of the murder plot, X leaves the Nation of Islam, embarking on a pilgrimage to Mecca that proves revelatory; renouncing his separatist beliefs, his oratories begin embracing all races and cultures. During a 1965 speech, Malcolm X is shot and killed, reportedly by Nation of Islam members. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide