Cry Freedom
- Denzel Washington: Steve Biko
- Kevin Kline: Donald Woods
- Penelope Wilton: Wendy Woods
- John Hargreaves: Bruce Haigh
- Ian Richardson: prosecutor
- Josette Simon: Dr. Mamphela Ramphele
- Juanita Waterman: Ntsiki Biko
- Kevin McNally: Ken
- Timothy West: Captain De Wet
- Julian Glover: Don Card
Cry Freedom is a film about Steve Biko, Donald Woods and apartheid in South Africa.
The film is based on a non-fiction book by journalist Donald Woods and describes the story of Steve Biko, the founder of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM ), which pays for his commitment to the rights of his black fellow with life, and the related history of nonfiction author himself. the film shows a large public consequences of the policy of apartheid.
At the beginning of the names of the entire crew are shown, as in usually provided credits follows a list of people who have died while in detention in South Africa.
Action
The film depicts how two South African who is under a spell Black Steve Biko and the white newspaper editor, Donald Woods, get to know and appreciate.
Biko is arrested on the way to a meeting of the police. He gets nothing to eat and is brutally tortured. Despite his life-threatening health condition, he is transported to a distant police hospital where he died from his injuries. Of very concerned wants Woods to make a lecture tour in the United States, but is held before the departure of the police and he is likewise imposed the ban, which among other things means that he in the next five years, not more than one person in a room may be a particular area and not allowed to leave.
Upon reflection, he realizes that he has to try his luck in the run, and continues in the New Year's Eve when Father covered with the help of friends to Lesotho from. His family followed him before the police can stop them. To fly out from Lesotho, the plane but have to cross South African territory. The press will be informed about the escape and the South African government threatens with interceptors, but since Woods and his family have received UN passports and a Lesotho government official is on board, they dare and flee.
Reviews
" The friendship of a liberal South African journalists with a Bantu leaders forms the basis for a strong indictment of the excesses of the apartheid policy. Because of its humanitarian trends worth watching. "
Awards (selection)
1988 was the film for the Oscars in the categories of Best Supporting Actor ( Denzel Washington), Best Music - Original Score and Best Music - nominated Best Song.
In the same year the film won a British Academy Film Award in the category Best Sound. In six other categories such as Best Picture, among other things, there were nominations.
Others
In South Africa Vlakplaas bomb attacks on cinemas were carried out by the secret police unit, which screened the film.