Dear Mandela on national tour

Dear Mandela, the multi award-winning documentary film, directed by Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza, will be screened in informal settlement communities on a national tour, to help highlight human rights issues and inform and educate people about their rights.

The film, which premiered at the Durban International Film Festival in 2011, follows the journey of three friends living in Durbans vast shantytowns who refuse to be moved from their shacks after the South African government begins to evict of shack dwellers in an endeavour to eradicate the slums. From their humble homes, the three take their pleas to the highest court in the land as they invoke Nelson Mandelas example and become leaders in a growing social movement, known as Abahlali baseMjondolo. The film is at once inspiring, devastating and funny, offering a new perspective on the role that young people can play in political change and is a fascinating portrait of South Africa coming of age.

Winner of multiple awards, including Best South African Documentary at the Durban International Film Festival and a nomination for Best Documentary at the African Academy Awards, Dear Mandela has screened in 35 countries and been translated into 10 languages.

The national tour, was launched at the Constitutional Court on Thursday, 30 April, with remarks made by Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Dikgang Moseneke and a post-screening panel discussion and Q&A session with Justice Zak Yacoob, Abahlali baseMjondolo Founding President, S'bu Zikode and Youth Leader, Mazwi Nzimande. Thereafter the film will be screened in communities in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg facing similar challenges as those faced by the members of the Abahlali movement. Each screening of the tour will be followed by a Q&A and debate with AbM Founding President, Sbu Zikode and Youth Leader, Mazwi Nzimande. For the audience, the campaign presents an opportunity for these communities to engage with, and learn from, the issues raised and struggles depicted in the film.

The tour will also include accompanying workshops for community leaders, run by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI). Funded by the Ford Foundation, the project hopes to build a platform to connect the struggles of grassroots social movements and community based organizations, to equip these organizations with the necessary knowledge about their legal rights, and encourage them to partake in bringing about social change in their immediate environment.

Ensuring that marginalised communities are trained and versed in their legal rights would mean that illegal evictions would be substantially curbed. Legal training and knowledge transfer would also result in pro-active community-driven claims to socio-economic entitlements, thereby enabling these communities to participate in the discourses of delivery from a legally secure position. says Dara Kell. The screening tour brings together community members and activists from all over South Africa to discuss forced evictions here, and around the world, connecting those at risk of forced eviction around the globe, and strengthening social movements working toward the right to adequate housing and dignity for all.

Screenings are as follows:

Saturday, May 9: Screening - Hindu Surat Foundation, 137 Dr Goonham Street, Durban CBD

Sunday, May 10: Screening - Silver City Community Hall, Umlazi Township, Durban

Wednesday, May 13 - Grahamstown - Venue and time TBC

Saturday, May 16: Workshop 9am - 1pm and Screening - 2pm - Green Point Hall, Khayelitsha, Cape Town

Sunday, May 17: 9am - 1pm and Screening - 2pm - Community Hall, Sweet Home Farm, Phillipi, Cape Town

For more information and times, follow the tour on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. (@dearmandela)

All screening information at: http://dearmandelastories.tumblr.com

This project is supported by the Sundance Institute, the Ford Foundation and Chicken & Egg Pictures. Sleeping Giant is a documentary and new media production company based in New York.

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