By LeVoyd L. Carter
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Kunjani,
Last night, I was invited to a pre-screening of a new South African movie “Catch A Fire,” staring Derek Luke, Tim Robbins and Bonnie Henna. The movie was riveting and eye-opening. It pulled a level of empathy, compassion and anger from within me that I have not experienced from the big screen in a while.
Derek Luke plays Patrick Chamusso, a South African family man, who by a strange twist of fate is inspired and summons up the courage to become an African National Conference (ANC) freedom fighter in opposition to South African apartheid. During his torture and imprisonment at Robben Island, Patrick under the teachings of Nelson Mandela, adopted the life philosophy of forgiveness. Since his release from prison, he has stood side by side with his former torturers, telling his story of apartheid and how such an insidious social and political philosophy and law was overthrown.
Afterwards, I met Derek Luke, Bonnie Henna and Phillip Noyce, the films director. They were absolutely wonderful and dynamic people in their own ways. However, what made the night special for me was meeting and conversing with Patrick Chamusso. With humilty and sincerity, he expressed his appreciation for the production of the film and the careful effort to portray his story; that of an ordinary man who stood up and fought back.
Patrick expressed to me his concern that “Catch A Fire” may not be accepted by the American audience. As he covered his eyes and clinched his hands, he shared his concern that African Americans, particularly, may not be interested in such a film. With conviction and a strong handshake, I assured him, African Americans will support this film. With earnest expectation, this film can serve as another adhesive in bonding and reuniting the African Diaspora.
Please show your support for this film. It opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 27th. For additional information on Patrick Chamusso, please visit, http://www.twosisters.org.za/.
For information about Catch A Fire, click on the following links:
http://www.catchafiremovie.com/
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/catchafire.html;_ylt=Ap2a73w1xzsCBXer77Awc0VfVXcA
Sala Kahle
3 comments:
Mr. Patrick's concern that African Americans will not be interested in this film is legitimate. African Americans DID NOT support Spike Lee's "Bamboozled" or "Get On The Bus". "Like Catch a Fire" these movies lack sexual content, a rap/r&b baseline and the African American male and female being depicted as everything but a responsible God loving & spiritaully directed people. Now if this was "Get Rich or Die Trying' or Hustle and Flow then there will be no concern about support from African Americans.
That is an excellent point made, but how do we change our expectations for ourselves, how do we change the perception of ourselves, how do we demand respect for our dollars? We've had the leaders, heard the rhetoric, and paid our tithes in church. How are we going to stop selling out our souls, dignity, and respect? Any suggestions?
Thank you for sending this to me. I share the same sentiments as the writer. The movie was an excellent portrayal of the common man's trials in enduring and pressing through the oppression that was placed on his family and his people in Africa. In response to the writer we as African Americans have lost a sense of fight and as such allow whatever to be to be just that. I think that this film really mimicked the similarities in the struggles that many Black people worldwide have experienced, but we too often do not recognize that we are all fighting the same battles just in different places with different experiences but with the same devil. Unfortunately I do believe that what has happened with many of the African American children today may also happen with many African children over time. They lack the education and apathy for our ancestors.
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