P R E S S
R E L E A S E S 2004
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September 7, 2004
Moving Story of Nelson Mandela Told in Documentary at MASS MoCA
(North Adams, Mass.) -- Mandela: Song of Africa, Father of a Nation is a moving documentary of the life of Nelson Mandela, the civil rights activist who would become president of his nation. This Academy Award-nominated film from director Angus Gibson will screen at MASS MoCA's Club B-10 as part of the museum's Cinema Lounge series on Thursday, October 7, at 8 pm. Gibson, creator of the groundbreaking South African television series Yizo Yizo will be on hand after the screening for an informal discussion about his film and how art can be a catalyst for change.
Mandela: Song of Africa, Father of a Nation follows Nelson Mandela's story from his birth to his current status as a respected politial leader. The film features interviews with many of those involved in his life and in the political movement as well as with Mandela himself. It also includes newsreel footage documenting the turbulent times of both the leader and his country. Born in Qunu, a remote South African village, Nelson Mandela was an excellent student early on. He continued his education, becoming a lawyer before becoming a political activist with the African National Congress. He and his contemporaries worked to bring down South Africa's Apartheid regime, a political system dominated by the minority white population which denied basic political and civil rights to the nation's black citizens. Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years doing hard labor for both his vocal opposition to the government and his refusal to denounce violence as a response to brutality inflicted on blacks. Still inspired by their imprisoned leader, members of the movement continued to fight until the African National Congress was legitimately recognized, Mandela was released and eventually elected as South Africa's first black President. Yizo Yizo, the South African Television series that Gibson directs has garnered critical acclaim throughout the world, winning awards such as the Cinema Tout Ecran in Switzerland for best international TV series and the Japanese Governor of Tokyo Prize. The series is regularly invited to international festivals and has been studied at Cambridge and Harvard Universities. The series was also invited to the prestigious Venice International Film Festival as part of the Cinema Digitale showcase. For a televised series to receive such recognition at a festival designed strictly to celebrate the unique art form of feature films is no small feat. Tickets for Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation are $6. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount. Tickets are available in advance through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams from 11 A.M. until 5 P.M. (closed Tuesdays). Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111.MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located off Marshall St. in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org
MASS MoCA 87 Marshall Street North Adams, Mass. 01247 413.MOCA.111