Goodbye Bafana (2007)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Bille August

Writers:

Bille August (writer)
Bob Graham (book)

Release Date:

11 April 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

Based on the memoirs of Nelson Mandela's prison guard

Plot:

GOODBYE BAFANA is the true story of a white South African racist whose life was profoundly altered by the black prisoner he guarded for twenty years. The prisoner's name was Nelson Mandela.

Plot Keywords:

Nelson Mandela | Prison Guard | Apartheid | 1980s | Prison Cell

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 11

6:10 AM

SHOW

Cast

Joseph Fiennes	...	James Gregory
Dennis Haysbert	...	Nelson Mandela
Diane Kruger	...	Gloria Gregory
Patrick Lyster	...	Major Pieter Jordaan
Shiloh Henderson	...	Brent Gregory
Tyrone Keogh	...	Brent Gregory
Megan Smith	...	Natasha Gregory
Jessica Manuel	...	Natasha Gregory
Faith Ndukwana	...	Winnie Mandela
Terry Pheto	...	Zindzi Mandela
Leslie Mongezi	...	Walter Sisulu
Zingizile Mtuzula	...	Raymond Mhlaba (as Zingi Mtuzula)
Mehboob Bawa	...	Ahmed Kathrada
Shakes Myeko	...	Andrew Mlangeni
Sizwe Msutu	...	Cyril Ramaphosa

Also Known As:

Detenuto 46664 (Italy)
Goodbye Bafana (Germany)
Il colore della liberta' (Italy)
The Color of Freedom (USA) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language including some sexual references.

Runtime:

140 min | France:118 min

Country:

Germany | France | Belgium | South Africa | Italy | UK | Luxembourg

Language:

English | Xhosa

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Ireland:15A | Germany:6 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 (TV rating) | USA:R | Taiwan:PG-12 | Denmark:11 | Norway:10 (TV rating) | Singapore:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Banana Films

Soundtrack:

Wrapped Around Your Finger

Note re Raj Doctor's comment

I'd just like to make the point that Raj Doctor of Amsterdam's comment above is more than a little misleading, as well as giving a rather simplified version of the long and complex history of what became the Republic of South Africa.

He refers to 'the ruling British', a group apparently wholly responsible for the racism and violence which have beset the country. South Africa achieved sovereignty in 1934, and became a republic in 1961. The government of the country was dominated until 1994 by the Afrikaner community (a majority amongst white South Africans) who, as most people would presumably know, were certainly not of 'British' origin. One might expect someone from the Netherlands to know that they are comprised chiefly of Dutch settlers...

Britain may be the former colonial power in SA, but was not the initiator of the post-war apartheid policy, still less the force which actually brought it about. Britain gave up its African colonies in the 1960s, so has not "ruled" anywhere on the continent in a direct sense since then, and has not ruled SA since considerably earlier than that. The particular nature of the problems which South Africa has faced are based primarily on the relatively significant size of its white population and their attendant rule (dominated as it has been by Afrikaners) not on 'British rule'.

I enjoyed the film, by the way. A thoughtful and satisfying treatment of the subject on the whole, I thought.