Nelson Mandela and his prison guard – Goodbye Bafana

NDTV Lumiere | Movies | April 22, 2009 at 11:34 pm

Based on the relationship between Nelson Mandela and his prison guard, Goodbye Bafana evoked varied reactions regarding the authenticity of the account shown between Mandela and James Gregory in the film. Nonetheless, it still remains a gripping work of cinema with some amazing performances especially from Joseph Fiennes – who plays the prison guard.

Below is an interview with the director, Bille August.

Click here to check show-timings of Goodbye Bafana and other movies playing in India

Click here to check the latest DVD releases !

Q. What does ‘Bafana’ mean?
‘Bafana’ means ‘boy’ in Xhosa, and since James Gregory grew up on a farm as a very lonely child, the only friend he had was a black boy. So the title refers to that relationship, which eventually leads him to have contact with Mandela.

Q. The whole world knows about Nelson Mandela, but who is James Gregory?
James Gregory arrives on Robben Island in the late sixties. He’s a simple man with no education; all he wants is to be the perfect warder. He’s been trained by some of the most brutal forces in the regime, is an ardent supporter of the Apartheid system, and believes that blacks are second-class citizens. He gets a job in the censorship office because he speaks Xhosa, (the native language) and subsequently comes into daily contact with Mandela (who’s already been on Robben Island for a couple of years). He sees Mandela as the worst terrorist in the world, just as we see Osama Bin Laden today. But because Mandela is so bright and charismatic, James slowly starts to develop some interest in him and his ideas of a free and democratic South Africa.

Q. How did Mandela’s ideas influence James Gregory’s change?
Because of James’ sympathy for the prisoners, the authorities decide to send him away from Robben Island and onto Cape Town. Shortly after, they decide to move Mandela away from the island, as they fear he may be assassinated, so James Gregory and Mandela are brought back together again. Our story ends in 1990, when Mandela is released. By then they have spent more than two decades together, so it turns out to be a very unique and special relationship.

Q. Why does this story still touch us today?
What’s so beautiful about the story is that because of his relationship with Mandela, James changes his fundamental beliefs. You can say he becomes living proof of all Mandela’s ideas about human beings’ ability to reform themselves. That’s the premise of the story. It’s an important story to tell, not only for South Africa, but, for the rest of the world, as it demonstrates the importance of reconciliation and especially in a world today where there’s even more conflict than ever. Reconciliation is the only way we can survive.

Q. How do you see the development of the main characters, James, Gloria, and Mandela?
James is a simple, family man. And yet, he’s also very ambitious, and is determined to be a good warder. We witness over the course of his meetings with Mandela, how he gradually starts to doubt his ideas about the Apartheid system and begins to change. This creates conflict in the family because it means he could lose his job, everything. Should he follow Mandela’s ideas of a free and democratic South Africa, or should he stay faithful to the old ideas that his family hold dear? He becomes torn between these two worlds. Those who were his enemies become his friends, and those who were his friends become his enemies.

Q. And Gloria?
Gloria is perhaps even more ambitious about James getting a promotion in the prison system, so when she realizes that James is growing closer to Mandela, she is put under a lot of pressure whether to stay faithful to her husband, or to her ideas about a segregated South Africa. Eventually, she stays faithful to her husband and undergoes a transformation herself.

Q. Mandela?
Mandela is Mandela! What can you say about Mandela? His ideas are so beautiful and powerful. One of the biggest challenges in doing the film was to get the portrait of Mandela right, because every human being on earth has a picture of him. Everyone knows something about Mandela, everyone has seen an image of him, they know how he talks, his body language, his ideas. So to get that right was an enormous challenge.

Q. How much did you know about South Africa beforehand; how did you do your research?
Doing research on the story meant we had to see all possible footage of South Africa, and especially Nelson Mandela. What was crucial to me was authenticity to make it real. I spent almost half a year in South Africa, just studying the people and trying to understand how it was during Apartheid. I interviewed a whole host of people including ex-prisoners, ex-warders, etc… and surrounded myself with books about the country. All in all, I felt very prepared.

Q. What has it been like to shoot in the actual locations where these events took place, and work with actors and extras who actually lived under Apartheid?
In order for the film to be as authentic as possible, I felt it was essential for us to shoot in the real locations. I must say it has been a fantastic experience to be in South Africa and work with the South African crew. They are very experienced because so many international films are shot there, due to its climate and opposite seasons. Also, given the subject matter of the film, and the fact that it didn’t happen long ago, the topic is still a bit of an open wound. And so, making this film meant a lot to the actors and the crew.

blogged by Shamath Mazumdar, NDTV Lumiere