Mugabe and the White African is a 2009 documentary film by Lucy Bailey & Andrew Thompson, produced by David Pearson & Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock. It has won many awards including the Grierson 2010 and been BAFTA and Emmy Nominated. The film documents the lives of a white Zimbabwean family who run a farm in Chegutu, as they challenge the Fast Track land redistribution programme that redistributed white-owned estates, a legacy of colonialism and UDI, beginning in 2000. The documentary garnered considerable critical acclaim.
Robert Mugabe
Synopsis
The film follows Michael Campbell, a 75-year-old white farmer who has lived in Zimbabwe since 1974. Campbell challenges President Robert Mugabe in an International Court, accusing him and his government of racial discrimination and violations of basic human rights. Set against the tumultuous 2008 Presidential elections, Mugabe and the White African follows Mike and son-in-law Ben Freeth’s harrowing attempt to save their farm and with it the homes and livelihoods of 500 black workers and their families.
Filmed over 12 months, a gripping courtroom drama unfolds whilst all the time Mike, his family and the farm workers face the all too real threats of Mugabe’s wrath on the farm. The movie begins in 2007, when Campbell and Freeth are pressing their case to the Namibia-based human-rights tribunal of a regional body, the Southern African Development Community. The film is also part courtroom drama as Campbell attempts to sue Mugabe before the South African Development Community international court, charging him and his government with human rights violations and racial discrimination.
After months of frightening threats and a horrific attack the Court’s judges finally rule unanimously in Mike’s and Ben’s favour. They return to the farm. But will Mugabe and his henchmen abide the Courts decision?
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The film shows the farmers’ fight to keep their farms all the while Mugabe’s government tries to evict them, harass them and ultimately beats them up and successfully seizes their land.
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Key Themes and Issues
The film explores several key themes:
- Land Reform: The film challenges the Fast Track land redistribution programme that redistributed white-owned estates, a legacy of colonialism and UDI, beginning in 2000.
- Racial Discrimination: The film documents the experiences of a white Zimbabwean farmer who files an international lawsuit against Robert Mugabe's violent land-reform program.
- Human Rights: The film highlights the human rights violations under Mugabe's regime, including threats, assaults, and intimidation.
- Courage and Conviction: The film serves as a testament to the power of conviction, of standing up for what’s right in the face of many enemies.
Critical Analysis
The documentary garnered considerable critical acclaim. It was a refreshing change to see such an accurate and vivid portrayal of life under Robert Mugabe. A truly touching documentary providing a first-hand look into the ongoing land issues across southern Africa.
Some critics argue that the film is one-sided and lacks historical and cultural context. It should be pointed out, though, that Ms. Bailey and Mr. Thompson achieve their results largely through the narrowness of their focus. Almost the only voices we hear are those of the farmers, their families and their lawyers.
Even the lead character talks to and about his black workers in a sort of condescending 'see how well I treat them?' sort of way. But these platitudes ring hollow, these are merely the paternalistic, colonial phrases heard elsewhere and which Mike Campbell himself echoes in the previously mentioned Youtube video, where he explicitly states that, before the White people came to Africa, the Blacks couldn’t feed or take care of themselves and if they were to ever come to their senses, they would choose to let White farmers stay in Zimbabwe so that they could eat instead of starve. I kid you not.
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The Aftermath
The court eventually ruled in Campbell's favor, but, in August 2009, Mugabe's men burned his farm to the ground.
Cast and Crew
- Directors: Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson
- Producers: David Pearson and Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock
- Starring: Michael Campbell, Ben Freeth
Awards and Nominations
The film has won several awards, including the Grierson 2010, and has been nominated for a BAFTA and an Emmy.
Impact
The film is a testament to the power of conviction, of standing up for what’s right in the face of many enemies. The film serves as a testimony on behalf of all of Mugabe’s victims.
Even if he wins in Namibia, there's no guarantee that men with axes and iron pipes won't thrash him and his family.
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The film is completely 1 sided. It opens with the president giving a speech comparing himself to Hitler. A speech that was taken out of context in order to immediately allowed your brain to associate the president with evil. They twist statistics and misconstrued facts.
