The Giant is Falling

Director Rehad Desai (Miners Shot Down, SFF 2014) looks back at South Africa's recent past, questioning why the optimism following Mandela's 1994 election win has floundered. 　　What has happened to Nelson Mandela's dream of a South Africa free of racism and poverty? In 2016, the African National Congress suffered its worst election result since coming to power in South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994. President Jacob Zuma was widely blamed for his party's poor performance, as poverty and inequality had worsened under his leadership and accusations of corruption and scandals proliferated. This probing documentary includes interviews with politicians, historians and journalists, and explosive archive footage. As Desai reveals, the 2016 election outcome demonstrated the people's frustration and desire for change, and a new generation of activists is on the rise.