Film producer Anant Singh announced today that a digitally re-mastered Director’s Cut of the hit film, Sarafina! will be released countrywide on 15 June 2006 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Soweto Uprising of 16 June 1976. The film is directed by Darrell James Roodt and stars Leleti Khumalo, Mbongeni Ngema, John Kani, Robert Whitehead and Miriam Makeba with Oscar winner, Whoopi Goldberg.
The release of Sarafina! commemorates the watershed event of 16 June 1976 in our history and honours all the heroes and victims of the struggle, and celebrates their courage. The most important reason for the release of the Directors’ Cut of Sarafina! is to ensure that the youth of today are able to experience, through the film, the hardship and subjugation that South Africans endured during the apartheid years. The film will sensitize the youth to the struggle and give them an opportunity to appreciate our freedom and how it was achieved, especially the impact of 16 June 1976 on the path to freedom and democracy.
Producer, Anant Singh commented, “The young people of South Africa were the inspiration to tell this story which has resonated around the world. It is through them that we have achieved our freedom and it is has been an amazing 30 years. We pay tribute to them with Sarafina!. The film has received acclaim around the world and we believe that it is going to be fascinating for the young audiences of today to experience this motion picture in cinemas.”
Director, Darrell James Roodt said, “I salute all the activists whose sacrifices gave Sarafina! meaning. The true worth of a film is if it stands out to the test of time, proudly I must say that Sarafina! has passed this test.”
Creator of Sarafina! Mbongeni Ngema and the Committed Artists Company stated, “We are proud to have collaborated with Anant Singh and Videovision Entertainment in the creation of a film of international significance. Sarafina!, inspired by the events of 1976, celebrates and expresses the indomitable spirit and the life and times of the people of that day. We are proud to have a film that continues to bring attention to the heroic acts of the people of South Africa, thus the significance of Sarafina! the movie, is to re-inforce that indomitable spirit that characterises our country.”
Sarafina! was the first South African film to be featured in the Official Selection of the Cannes International Film Festival and was also acquired for distribution in the United States by the Walt Disney Company.
Singh also made a call to all the cast and crew of Sarafina! to make contact with Videovision Entertainment so that they can participate in the forthcoming release events associated with the film. They should send their contact details by e-mail to noxolo@videovision.co.za This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by fax to 011 440 2207.
Sarafina! is a Videovision Entertainment release through United International Pictures (South Africa) with the support of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
