Mandela: long walk to freedom

Mandela the fighter. Mandela the activist. Mandela the politician, the idealist and the symbol of a new South Africa, the symbol of peace.

Nelson Mandela was nothing if not a fascinating, multifaceted figure who will continue to be remembered not only in biographies and historical texts, but also on the big screen. The past few years have seen filmmaker after filmmaker step up to tackle the monumental task of capturing the late South African hero and telling his story. If you’re looking for another side of Mandela, check out these films about the greatest son of South Africa.

1. “Mandela” (1987, d. Philip Saville): TV movies don’t always get a good rep, but this biographical film sports skilled veterans Danny Glover and Alfre Woodard as Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela, respectively.
2. “Nelson Mandela: Free at Last!” (1990, d. Rory O’Connor): First nationally broadcast on PBS, this 80-minute documentary is certainly dated, but with rare footage, interviews and the first speech Mandela gave after his release from prison, it still provides a wealth of information for
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   Biographical films

   In the Time of Nelson Mandela is a celebration of former president on SABC2. The programme which screens Friday 18 July, and Saturday 20 July, to celebrate the year of his 90th birthday, Nelson Mandela remains a man at the centre of attention, not only in South Africa, but around the world as well.

   Behind the headlines and away from the public eye, he is a loyal friend, a dependable comrade, a trusted confidant and a respected mentor, and a man who touched and transformed countless lives. For the first time this story is being told, as a life of struggle, destiny and greatness is recalled and celebrated by those who knew him best and who worked with him in the quest to break the chains of oppression, taking us beyond the political and into the personal.

   In the Time of Nelson Mandelais the story of a rich life, a record of comradeship, and a new glimpse into historical and personal facets of this great man's rise from an anonymous child to a world icon, restoring our faith in the power of change, and celebrating the man who shaped the destiny of a nation.

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   Nelson Mandela

   President of South Africa (1994–1999)

   "Mandela" redirects here. Not to be confused with Mandala. For other uses, see Mandela (disambiguation) and Nelson Mandela (disambiguation).

   Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (man-DEL-ə,^[1]Xhosa:[xolíɬaɬamandɛ̂ːla]; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.

   A Xhosa, Mandela was born into the Thembu royal family in Mvezo, South Africa. He studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand before working as a lawyer in Johannesburg. There he became involved in anti-colonial and African