Forgotten Freedom Fighters
A one-hour documentary for Al Jazeera English
In 1991, the ANC suspended their armed struggle against the South African government. In 2009, the majority of former combatants are unemployed and still waiting for compensation promised to them.
Forgotten Freedom Fighters looks into the lives of a group of former combatants living in the Johannesburg township of Alexandra who have given up waiting and have decided to do something for themselves. It also documents the unconventional use of “ecotherapy” to help former combatants deal with past trauma and move forward with their lives.
As South Africa gears up for general elections on the 22 April 2009, Forgotten Freedom Fighters asks whether Jacob Zuma, a former freedom fighter himself, and widely believed to be the country’s next president, will address the issue of the forgotten men and women who helped bring democracy to the country.
To see the documentary, please visit Al Jazeera English. A Left Hand Films and Fort Greene Filmworks co-production.
Crew
- Directors/Producers - Shareen Anderson and Lisa Henry
- Director of Photography - Ian Miller
- Sound - Zeblon Ngobese and Sam Masemene
- Offline Editor - Taku Kaskela
- Camera Operators - Ian Miller and Shareen Anderson
- Assistant Editor - Matthew Vince
- Post Production Assistants - Ivy Sithole, Mishumo Mathivha, and Essi
- Aittamaa
- Music Supervisor - Taku Kaskela
- Online Editor - Warwick Allan, Mushroom Media
- Audio Final Mix - Tim Pringle, On Key Sound Studios
- Music - Music Box and Mama Dance!
- Executive Producer for Al Jazeera English - Mike Dillon
Forgotten Freedom Fighters was screened at the We The Peoples Film Festival in London, United Kingdom on 24 November 2009. For information please visit http://www.wethepeoples.org.uk/whats-on/films