Mugabe & the White African

Can you be a white man and an American? Can you be a white man and an Australian? Of course, yes. But, can you be a white man and an African? Mugabe’s answer is no.

The issue of racial and national identity is just one of the themes tackled by Mugabe and the White African, a documentary that tells the story of a man who defies Mugabe and his tyrannical regime in Zimbabwe.

Set against the controversial elections of 2008, the film revolves around Mike Campbell, a 75-yea-old farmer who in 2000 became victim of the land seizure programme launched by the Zimbabwean government at the expenses of white people. Determined to defend his property, which he legitimately bought after the Independence was achieved in the country in 1980, Mike and his son-in-law Ben Freeth press charge against Mugabe before the SADC (South African Development Community) International Court based in Namibia, accusing him of racial discrimination and violation of human rights.

The fight against the brutal regime proves tiring and dangerous for Mike, his family and his 500 farm workers, but he relentlessy stand for his right, knowing that if he wins he will set a precedent that would delegitimise Mugabe’s policies altogether. Frustration dots the hearings, as Mugabe’s team of attorneys continuously try to postpone the proceeding, showing at one point an extraordinary derespect towards justice institutions by leaving the court.

The documentary does not spare the viewer blood-spurted images as well, such as those of Mike, Angela and Ben at the hospital after being beaten up by Mugabe’s thugs just days before appearing before the International Court for the final hearing.

Mike Campbell, Ben Freeth and their farm workers.
Photo credit: Robin Hammond.

Shooting the entire film covertly was risky, all the more since the directors Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson used large cameras and a cumbersome equipment, forcing them to plan the logistics very carefully. The result is, however, compelling: vivid shots, picturesque landscapes and an engrossing score add empathy to the already engaging story. Even when shot with a Sony A1 handy camera by Ben when the directors were not there, with shaky takes and noisy background sounds, the documentary is powerful.

Criticism revolves around the lack of contextualization and perspective on the plight and hardships of other Zimbabweans. Even the voices of the farm workers are sonorously missing. Bailey, who held a Q&A session after the screening on 22 January at the Tricycle Theatre, explained that the main focus of the film is the court case and the emotional side of Mike’s story, rather then the political one. By delivering real life drama, says Bailey, the film reaches out to everyone.

The situation in Zimbabwe has not changed. In July 2009 Mike’s farm was burnt to the ground, and he himself is now bound to a wheelechair. He says he has turned an old man overnight. Two of the people who appeared in the movie are now dead -not as a result of the shooting of the film, Bailey says.

However, according to Bailey, who has worked extensively in Africa throughout her career, the film can play a significant role in terms of bringing hope to the cause and raising awareness. As Mike put it: publicity is the soul of justice. This documentary has become time-consuming for the director, who is currently promoting it over the UK and South Africa, where a lot of Zimbabweans seek relief and where Bailey first came across Campbell’s story.

Produced by David Pearson and Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock, who were brave enough to soldier on such a challenging project despite continuous delays and difficulties in raising fundings, Mugabe & the White African has won the 2009 British Indepent Award for Best Documentary and the Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Silverdocs Documentary Festival. On Thursday it was nominated at the 2010 Bafta awards as Outstanding Debut Film and is hotly tipped as possible nominee for this year’s Oscars.


More information available on: http://www.mugabeandthewhiteafrican.com/