Newspaper Article

THE LIES ABOUT WINNIE AND ME

Attenborough, Richard

2008

نظرة عامة

The white anchorman gave a rundown of my film credentials over a shot of me and [Winnie] entering her house. A little of my uninformative interview followed. Then he asked rhetorically: what was Mr [Richard Attenborough] really doing in South Africa? He proceeded to answer this with a whole series of preposterous and inflammatory accusations. I'd come as a communist agitator, he said, financed by Moscow to bring about armed insurrection. I'd even informed Mrs [Nelson Mandela], the banned wife of a terrorist, now serving life imprisonment, when the revolution was due to begin. My voice could be heard saying: 'If all goes according to plan, shooting will start in October.' They then showed me and Winnie leaving her hut, hand in hand. The anchorman ranted on, demanding that the authorities take immediate action against me. I must be thrown out of the country and never allowed to return. He opened his window; I opened mine. 'Richard!' he exclaimed. 'You do not know me, but I know you. We shall talk at the party.' And then it hit me: it was [Oliver Tambo]'s guest of honour, Nelson Mandela. This was the man who had strode out of prison just 15 months ago after 27 years of incarceration. This was the man who turned his prison into a university and his jailer into a friend. This was the man who ended apartheid. Our cars arrived at the Tambos' house. On the pavement, I hugged Nelson; he hugged me. 'I want to thank you, Richard,' he said. 'Your film had more impact on the white population than any speech I ever made in my life.' I was completely overwhelmed by his generosity. Was it true? Of course not. But I like to think Cry Freedom did help the struggle.

• الناشر: Solo Syndication, a division of Associated Newspapers Ltd
• موضوع: Attenborough, Richard / Biko, Stephen / Hawkins, Diana / Mandela, Nelson / Woods, Donald