Winner of a Best International Documentary from the One World Broadcasting Trust Awards, this program from the 6-part series Triumph Over Terror (which includes stand alone documentaries on human rights issues in Bangladesh, Guinea, Nepal, Nigeria, Thailand and South Africa) focuses on the case of Siphiwo Mtimkulu, a 22-year-old South African activist who was tortured, shot and burned in 1982 by members of the Security Police under the apartheid government. The case came before the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995, when the Security Police officers unsuccessfully sought to block testimony from the Mtimkulu family and then requested amnesty. Mark J. Kaplan's film attempts to reconstruct Mtimkulu's nightmarishly tragic odyssey, from his earlier imprisonment (where he was likely poisoned with thallium) and release to his eventual abduction and murder. Interviews with family members are interspersed with interviews of Gideon Nieuwoudt, a Security Police officer who either actually committed or aided in the murders. Although the film itself is a mostly depressing, if unremarkably made, litany of human rights horrors that never moves beyond its singular focus on the details of one particular case, Where Truth Lies does take a powerful turn towards the end when Nieuwoudt meets the Mtimkulu family to ask for forgiveness. As this painfully awkward, though incredibly restrained, face-off winds down, Nieuwoudt is suddenly attacked by Siphiwo's son, who smashes a vase against the side of the officer's face, catching the filmmaker and the audience completely unawares. It's a terribly shocking moment that--I feel--backfires the way it's presented, not because of its sad commentary on violence begetting violence, but rather because the filmmaker opted for making the audience jump out of their seats as if they were watching a cheap thriller. Optional. The other titles in the series (series price: $595) are: Going Home, Till Death Do Us Part, In the Name of Safety, Smiles and Discipline with Dignity. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)
Triumph Over Terror: Where Truth Lies
(1999) 31 min. $150. Bullfrog Films. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-56029-801-4. Vol. 16, Issue 1
Triumph Over Terror: Where Truth Lies
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: