SYNOPSICS
Sarafina! (1992) is a English,Zulu movie. Darrell Roodt has directed this movie. Whoopi Goldberg,Leleti Khumalo,Miriam Makeba,John Kani are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1992. Sarafina! (1992) is considered one of the best Drama,Musical movie in India and around the world.
As tensions of apartheid spread across South Africa, many students revolts to massive stone throw, a demonstration that comes in a wake of the introduction of Afrikaans language as a means of teaching. This sparks riots among school age young people who have resolved to do what it takes for freedom to come tomorrow. In a township of Soweto, a group of students, led by a beautiful and intelligent young girl, Sarafina, mastermind a plot to rise against the apartheid regime by vehemently rejecting the proposal to have Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. This angers the white people and results in a massive unrest of the students and those others supporting them. Meanwhile, Sarafina's mother accepts a job of a housekeeper in a white household and it angers Sarafina. Following the unrest of students and their possible torture and trial, Sarafina is released from prison, reunites with some of the colleagues and composes a "Freedom is Coming Tomorrow" song.
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Sarafina! (1992) Reviews
Sarafina
I saw this movie, and the play, and I have to add that this was the most touching story that I had ever seen. Until I saw this movie I was unaware of how awful life was and probably still is for the South African children and adults that were and are living in that era. It brought tears to my eyes and much sadness to my heart that any human being should have to struggle like that just to stay alive, And to bring the children right out of that area and teach them to act and preform and turn them loose to tell their own story is simply amazing. This simply surpass a five star, I rate it a ten. Thank You Mr. Mbongeni Ngema for such a astonishing story. Although it has been 12 years since this story has been told, it is still one that lays heavy in my heart.If there is a VHS, or DVD out there on the play, Please notify me ASAP.Thank You. PS There was nothing wrong with the kids wanting to bring awareness of their problems and conditions to the attention of other countries in hopes that some one would have a heart and offer assistance.
Fantastic Stage show - good movie
I saw Sarafina as a stage show/musical when I was only a teenager and it drove home for me the hardships of young people in Africa. I saw this movie AFTER Nelson Mandela was released and yet it still is an overwhelmingly powerful movie. I enjoyed it and personally don't think that the musical aspects spoil the message and it does the original cast proud!!! Bravo! Whoopi Goldberg lends her brilliant compassion to the role and helps to endear the school teacher who supports the kids to the audience. Unlike the traditional song and dance musicals which were all sweetness and light this movie manages to tackle hard and unpleasant issues whilst still being uplifting at times and glorious musically!
Good Movie Filled with a Message of Hope
A DAMN GOOD MOVIE! One that is seriously underrated. The songs that the children sing in the movie gave me a sense of their pain, but also their hope for the future. Whoopi Goldberg puts in a good performance here, but the best performance throughout the whole movie is that of the actress who plays the title character. I wish she was in more movies. This movie should have a higher rating. I give it a 10/10.
Genuine and resourceful
Sarafina! is all about strength, about people lacking it and people overflowing with it. Sarafina herself is a Soweto girl with great hopes for the future, despite her family's poverty and her mother's (Miriam Makeba) work away from home, forcing Sarafina to take care of her younger siblings. This is South Africa, Johannesburg, during the Apartheid regime, Mandela is in prison and the black children are forbidden to speak their own language, Xosa (you know, the click language... :)). Yet, Sarafina dreams. Her world brightens up when her class get a new teacher (Whoopi Goldberg), who teaches them about their worth and to be proud of their heritage. I fully recommend this movie, the actors, young and practically unheard of, are fantastic, the script is sharp, and the music! See this movie for the music alone. No Makeba, but lots of powerful political Soweto tunes. Go Sarafina!
A must see movie
I believe Sarafina is a tremendous effort of Whoopi Goldberg. Besides her, there are no other stars in the film and her role is smaller than the title character, Sarafina. Since I work in a high school with urban children, I think this is an important film to show South African history of apartheid. Sarafina is a movie about education and a teacher's relationship with her student, Sarafina. I bought the video for practically nothing at a videostore. I watched it and fast forwarded through the musical numbers. But I strongly recommend this film to educators and their students to understand. Now while I don't know the other actors and actresses in the film, I assume that they are very popular in South Africa and I am glad that they filmed with a South African cast and crew with the exception of Goldberg in a small role but if it gets people to see this movie, than Whoopi reaches worldwide appeal.