--
Euzhan Palcy s A Dry White Season has SA premiere at DIFF on Mandela Day --
Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:11
--
SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: To commemorate the internationally celebrated Mandela Day, which falls on the global hero s birthday on 18 July, the Durban International Film Festival, in conjunction with major Hollywood studio MGM, held the South African premiere of the previously banned anti-apartheid film A Dry White Season (1989).
The screening was held in the presence of legendary female director, screenwriter and producer, Euzhan Palcy. On the day of the screening, an elated Palcy tweeted from her personal Twitter account, #MandelaDay is today! Countdown before tonight s historical screening of my restored film ADryWhiteSeason @DIFFest Tribute to #AndreBrinkPalcy.
A native of the French Caribbean Island of Martinique, Palcy was the first black woman director to produce a film with a major Hollywood studio (MGM) in the eighties. Adapted from the novel of the same name by South African writer Andr Brink, who died in February this year, A Dry White Season, which stars big name Hollywood talents Marlon Brando, Donald Sutherland and Susan Sarandon, as well as South African actors Zakes Mokae, John Kani, Winston Ntshona and Janet Suzman, was banned in South Africa until 1990.
A Dry White Season, at the time that it was made, was a narrative expos like no other, shedding light on the injustices and prejudices of the South African apartheid system. The film follows teacher Ben du Toit (Donald Sutherland) who turns a blind eye to the brutalities of apartheid until he discovers that the son of a gardener (Winston Ntshona) at his school has been killed by corrupt policeman Stolz (J rgen Prochnow). Du Toit convinces human rights lawyer Ian McKenzie (Marlon Brando) to take on the case against Stolz. Du Toit s involvement in the trial turns him into an advocate for justice, alienating him from his white friends and even his own family.
Palcy spent some time in South Africa undercover, during the apartheid era, to research the project. However, the government would never allow such a film to be produced in the country, so it was shot in Zimbabwe instead. In an interview with Indiewire film blog Shadow and Act which focuses on cinema from the African Diaspora in May this year, Palcy spoke candidly about the resistance she encountered from Hollywood as she set out to tell the story the way she knew it had to be told. I developed it first with Warner Brothers and for them the book is about a white man, so what they wanted to do is make a movie about a white man, Palcy explained.
I told them, I brought the book to you not as a story of a white man but a story of two families, one black and one white, the story of the white man inside of his family system to show what happens to a white person when he sees the light of the truth and cannot turn a blind eye to it and pretend he doesn t know. They are confronted with the truth, look what is happening, apartheid is destroying families, she said.
Palcy finally approached MGM, who were able to see her vision for the film and agreed to produce A Dry White Season, making her the only black director male or female to successfully have a feature about apartheid produced during Nelson Mandela s 27 year imprisonment.
We are pleased to be able to present an important work created by a black woman, which highlights and even represents the lost voices of the people of this continent; the unspoken narratives and the untold stories, commented DIFF Director, Pedro Pimenta. Her courage to create a work which could stand out and give three dimensional life to Brink s book, and by association the voiceless at the time, required an enormous amount of bravery. We are proud to be able to salute her at the DIFF this year.
Also in attendance at the screening which took place at the SunCoast CineCentre in Durban on Mandela Day, were Brink s wife Karina Brink and some of the original cast, including Janet Suzman and Thoko Ntshinga.
The 36th Durban International Film Festival runs from 16 to 26 July 2015, in Durban, South Africa.
Related Articles
DIFF project aims to inspire and engage with community The #Stars4Change Project brings together African and international acting talent to collaborate in empowering communities...
Read more...
International director Jean-Jacques Annaud leads French delegation at DIFFAcademy Award Winner and internationally renowned French filmmaker, Jean-Jacques Annaud will DIFF 2015...
Read more...
21 Icons documentary reflects Madiba s legacyThe Promise of Freedom is an hour-long documentary made up of short films from Season 2 of the 21 Icons series...
Read more...
-- --
-- --
-- Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
-- 
