The Suit Magazine

The 2009 New York Film Festival slipped out of town in May and left an indelible impression, a journey through Africa, from the past to the future, through the lenses of filmmakers to make the present tangible. One film in particular, "Behind the Rainbow," was centerpiece to the festival. The documentary, by award-winning writer/director and producer Jihan El-Tahri, probes into high and low points of South Africa's Anti-Apartheid African National Congress Party (ANC) and the bitter, yet deadly duel between former President Thabo Mbeki and current President Jacob Zuma, among other issues and events. This investigative documentary pulls no punches; interviewed are former and present members of the ANC, as "Behind the Rainbow" explores the transitional journey that the party crossed from a liberation organization into South Africa's ruling party – and the evolution and history of two of its most prominent members, former President Mbeki and current President Zuma.

Both brothers-in-arms during the anti-Apartheid struggle, Mbeki and Zuma were antagonistic and combative in their quest for power. El-Tahri brilliantly depicts the internal struggles and challenges of the ANC and the relationship of these two life-long friends and comrades-in-arms. A former news correspondent for Reuters, U.S. News and World Report, the filmmaker utilizes her keen skills to shape and form this convoluted saga into a clear and concise tale. What makes this film work – even for Western-minded thinkers who do not have an inkling of South Africa's politics – is the salaciousness of the events covered.

"There is no cloud above my head – there is not even a mist," President Zuma said regarding the corruption charges waged against him just before the April 2009 election, which he ironically won.

After nearly 60 years of an officially sanctioned Apartheid system, and 15 years since the release of Nelson Mandela, South Africa had its first democratic elections. A generation of leaders has taken over the helm to steer the state towards adopting a series of socio-economic programs that would decrease unemployment and poverty. While holding to the principles of the ANC, this generation seeks to find a system by which the wealth of the country can be more equitably shared. What drives this documentary are the different personalities and leaders, and what they mean to the people of South Africa.

Nelson Mandela, the head of one of the most inspiring and liberating movements in history, retired in 1998, and Thabo Mbeki succeeded him. Mbeki's parents were among South Africa’s teachers and activists. Mbeki, however, left the country under orders by the ANC and moved to Britain where he earned a Master's degree in economics at Sussex University. The recipient of a number of honorary degrees, former President Mbeki has a long track record of achievements during his tenure. However, his opposition to power came from an unlikely source and in the person of Jacob Zuma.

Zuma was born into poverty in Inklanda, South Africa. His father worked as a police officer and died when he was three years old. His mother worked as a domestic to support the family, but that was not enough. Zuma had to work and do whatever he could to bring money into the household. At the age of 17, with no formal education, he joined the ANC. Soon after South Africa cracked down on the anti-apartheid movement, Zuma was arrested and sentenced to ten years on Robben Island, the same prison in South Africa that had contained Mandela, where it was reported that Zuma kept his cellmates’ spirits high with songs and animated stories. His personality and talent depicted in the documentary supersede any notion of an uneducated freedom fighter that made it out of poverty.

It clearly shows his connection with the people of South Africa, whether singing the Zulu anthem, "Bring Me My Machine Gun," at political rallies or walking with ordinary South Africans on the streets – one doesn't have to wonder why is he so popular.

Besieged by charges of corruption and rape, along with other gaffes that portrayed him as both homophobic and misogynistic, Zuma, a Zulu traditionalist and a polygamist, nevertheless became President of South Africa. Obviously, there was much political intrigue behind the accusations. "The rape trial was the second or third major incident, where people thought that he was being victimized," said El-Tahri, during a recent interview. "Rightly or wrongly, whether he did it or not, that wasn't the issue. The issue is the perception of the people of South Africa – that Mbeki wanted to run him out of the political race” so that he wouldn’t win the Presidency.

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