Movies and Documentaries you should watch before visiting South Africa
Tsotsi 2006
The winner of the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Set in one of Johannesburg’s slums, the film tells the story of Tsotsi, a teenager and small time criminal who after stealing a car finds there is a baby in the back seat.
Plot for Peace 2013
An intriguing documentary film about a mysterious French businessman Jean-Yves Ollivier whose political efforts apparently helped release Nelson Mandela from prison and end apartheid in South Africa
Miracle Rising South Africa
Directed by Brett Lotriet Best, the documentary shows the crucial moments in South Africa’s Journey to Democracy. The story is told through the narratives of world famous figures such as Desmond Tutu, Bill and Hilary Clinton, Charlize Theron, Oprah Winfrey and others.
Long Night’s Journey Into Day 2000
Documentary tells four stories based on hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was established to investigate human rights abuses committed in South Africa under the apartheid regime.
The Bang Bang Club 2010
A Canadian-South African biographical drama based on true experiences of a group of South African photographers documenting the final days of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Law and Disorder in Johannesburg
Louis Theroux travels to South Africa to investigate the private security industry in Johannesburg.
Cry, the Beloved Country 1995
Based on the novel by Alan Paton by the same title, the film follows a story of a Zulu pastor as he travels from his home village to Johannesburg in search of his missing son.
Cry Freedom 1987
Set in apartheid ruled South Africa and based on actual events, the film tells a story of Stephen Biko, a black activist played by Denzel Washington and a South African journalist Donald Woods.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom 2013
Based on Nelson Mandela’s autobiography by the same name, the films tells the story of his life; from the early childhood in a rural South African village, coming out of age, fighting for freedom and the 27 years of imprisonment through to the president elections.
Invictus 2009
Following the fall of the apartheid regime, newly elected president Nelson Mandela, uses the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite the divided South African nation. Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.