from the “edited by gary” set of films …
Have You Heard From Johannesburg is an Emmy Award winning documentary series featuring seven films, produced and directed by Academy Award nominee Connie Field, chronicling the history of the global anti-apartheid movement that took on South Africa’s entrenched apartheid regime and its international supporters who considered South Africa an ally in the Cold War.
More info:
clarityfilms.org/haveyouheardfromjohannesburg/
The complete DVD set of all seven films, with extra scenes, can be purchased at
“Connie Field is the director of some of the most exciting, politically potent documentaries of our time: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ROSIE THE RIVETER and FREEDOM ON MY MIND. Her new film is nothing less than the definitive cinematic history of the worldwide effort to destroy South African apartheid, a story that has never been told before in any medium. Working over 10 years, filming throughout the world, interviewing dozens of the major players — Field constructs an epic 7-film history that will stand as the final word on how a violent, racist, intractable government was destroyed by the concerted efforts of men and women working on multiple fronts inside and outside South Africa for more than three decades. This formidable accomplishment is anything but dry and academic: It’s a lively, tension-filled, heart-rending and ultimately thrilling journey.” – Film Forum
Faced with governments reluctant to take meaningful action against the apartheid regime, athletes and activists around the world hit white South Africa where it hurts: on the playing field.
International boycotts against apartheid sports teams help bring the human rights crisis in South Africa to the forefront of global attention and sever white South Africans’ cultural ties to the West. Knowing that fellow blacks in South Africa were denied even the most basic human rights – let alone the right to participate in international sports competitions – African nations refuse to compete with all-white South African teams, boycotting the Olympics and creating a worldwide media spectacle that forces the International Olympic Committee to ban apartheid teams from future games. The Africa-led coalition leads the fight to exclude South Africa from soccer, boxing, track, cycling, judo, fencing, gymnastics, volleyball and numerous other competitions, barring South African teams from nearly all sports events by the 1970s.
Finally, only South Africa’s world champion rugby team remained, and citizens in key western countries where rugby is played take to the fields to close the last door on apartheid sports.
The sports campaign becomes the anti-apartheid movement’s first victory and succeeds in culturally isolating the white minority in an arena of passionate importance.