Winnie

Pascale Lamche's documentary doesn't just present a portrait of a political figure, it also offers a chance for Winnie Madikizela Mandela to set the record straight. Lamche builds her film around archival footage and interviews with Winnie and her daughter Zindzi, bolstered by comments from journalists and biographers. When Winnie met Nelson Mandela, they bonded over their desire to bring about racial justice in South Africa. The couple wed in 1958, but their time together came to an end in 1964 when Nelson was sentenced to life in prison. As Winnie puts it, "We were the cannon fodder, we were the foot soldiers." She continued her work with the African National Congress, but the spies in her midst made it hard to trust anyone. In 1976, authorities exiled her to an Afrikaner town outside of Johannesburg, and instructed villagers not to speak to her (Stratcom commander Vic McPherson here fully admits to bugging Winnie's home and planting unfavorable news stories). When Nelson was released from prison in 1990, things for Winnie only got worse. Although Nelson stood by her when Winnie's bodyguard faced a murder conviction, the pair would eventually separate. Nelson became President and shared the Nobel Peace Prize with F.W. de Klerk, while the press continued to demonize Winnie. Even Bishop Desmond Tutu took her to task during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. While Lamche clearly favors Winnie's side of the story, the filmmaker also makes a good case that her subject is telling the truth, and it's valuable to hear Winnie's views on events that were usually presented from Nelson's point of view. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)