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“Catch a Fire”: New Film Depicts Life of South
African Freedom Fighter Patrick Chamusso
On the Day of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Week of His 75th
Birthday, An Interview With South African Archbishop Desmond
Tutu
“Catch a Fire”: New Film Depicts Life
of South African Freedom Fighter Patrick Chamusso
Academy Award-winning actor Tim Robbins joins us to talk
about his new film, “Catch a Fire.” The movie
tells the story of black South African freedom-fighter Patrick
Chamusso. It depicts life under apartheid rule – a regime
where torture and indefinite detention were commonplace for
most of the population and the label terrorist was applied
to those seeking to end apartheid and bring democracy to the
country. We’re also joined by the film’s producer,
Robyn Slovo, the the daughter of anti-apartheid activists
Ruth First and Joe Slovo. [includes rush
transcript]
Torture... Terrorism... Indefinite detention... These are
phrases that have become common post 9-11. Well, today we
take a look at a new film about South Africa under apartheid
rule – a regime where torture and indefinite detention
were commonplace for most of the population and the label
terrorist was applied to those seeking to end apartheid and
bring democracy to the country. The film is called “Catch
a Fire”, and it tells the story of black South African
freedom-fighter - Patrick Chamusso.
Patrick was a foreman at the Secunda oil refinery, which
was a symbol of South Africa’s economic might at a time
when the world was protesting the country’s apartheid
system. Patrick leaves his job and family to join up with
the African National Congress and becomes a rebel fighter
and political operative. Patrick eventually plans a crucial
strike against Secunda.
“Catch a Fire” is written by Shawn Slovo who
is the daughter of the legendary anti-apartheid activists
- Joe Slovo and Ruth First. Joe Slovo was one of the founders
of Umkhonto we Sizwe - or MK - which was the armed wing of
the African National Congress. He was general secretary of
the South African Communist Party during the 1980s.
- Tim Robbins. Academy Award winning actor, writer and
prodcuer. He won an oscar for his performance in Mystic
River.
- Robyn Slovo. She is the producer of "Catch a Fire"
and the daughter of anti-apartheid activists Ruth First
and Joe Slovo.
On the Day of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Week
of His 75th Birthday, An Interview With South African Archbishop
Desmond Tutu
On the day of announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize, we
play an interview with another Nobel Peace Prize winner --
Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Earlier this week he turned 75 years
old. [includes rush
transcript]
We end today’s show with the words of South African
Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In 1984 Tutu won the Nobel Peace
Prize. At the time he was at the forefront of the anti-apartheid
campaign. Earlier this week he turned 75 years old. Over one
thousandspeople, including Nelson Mandela, gathered in Johannesburg
to pay tribute to the man.
A new biography on Desmond Tutu has just been published.
It is titled "Rabble Rouser for Peace." I had the
opportunity to interview Desmond Tutu two years ago. He was
visiting New York for a reading of the play Guantanamo at
the Culture Project. I began by asking him for his response
to what is happening at Guantanamo.
- South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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