mandela
This February BET is honoring the legacy of the iconic civil rights leader Nelson Mandela with an epic three-part miniseries titled Madiba. Nelson Mandela was also known by his clan name Madiba. The term is referred to as a sign of respect and affection. Madiba will be the cornerstone of BET’s Black History Month programming. The highly anticipated television event will run over the course of three weeks in two-hour installments on February 1st, 8th and 15 at 8 PM ET/PT.
Emmy award-winning and Oscar-nominated actor, playwright, director, and producer Laurence Fishburne (Black-ish, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Matrix Trilogy) stars as Nelson Mandela. Orlando Jones (Sleepy Hollow, Drumline,The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea), David Harewood (Homeland, The Night Manager, Supergirl), Michael Nyqvist (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), and Terry Pheto (Catch a Fire, Tsotsi) are co-starring. Orlando Jones plays Oliver Tambo and David Harewood plays Walter Sisulu, two of Mandela’s closest friends. Michael Nyqvist plays Dr. H.F. Verwoerd, the prime minister of Apartheid-era South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966. Terry Pheto plays Nelson’s second wife, Winnie Mandela.
Madiba is a Blue Ice Pictures and Out of Africa Entertainment Production in Association with Cinema Gypsy Productions. Madiba is directed by Kevin Hooks (Prison Break, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D). Hooks will be the first African-American director to helm a story about Mandela’s life and legacy. Madiba is co-written by Paul Webb (Selma), Jane Maggs (The Offering, To the Teeth), Janine Eser, Avie Luthra (Lucky) and Kathleen McGhee-Anderson (The Fosters, Lincoln Heights, Touched by an Angel).
Madiba, based on two Mandela autobiographies, Conversations with Myself and Nelson Mandela by Himself, tells the most personal and comprehensive story of Mandela’s life, focusing on the man, and his innermost thoughts and fears as he fought and sacrificed for freedom to become an international icon. While many recognize Mandela as the face of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, this mini-series also pays homage to the many lesser known men and women who sacrificed and suffered alongside of him in South Africa’s quest for freedom. Madiba reveals the behind-the-scenes strategizing and bold organizing tactics he and his collaborators used to bring attention to their movement both domestically and internationally. The beautifully shot series was filmed exclusively in South Africa (Mandela’s birthplace) and on Robben Island (location of prison where Mandela served 18 years of his 27 year prison term). Madiba is relevant in these times of racial unrest and serves as a reminder of the trials of political injustice, and giving us a roadmap of the hope and possibilities that come with being on the right side of history.
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