Directed by Lionel Rogosin • 1959 • United States
Starring Miriam Makeba, Vinah Makeba, Zachria Makeba
One of the bravest and most powerful political films ever made, Lionel Rogosin’s urgent indictment of racial injustice—filmed in secret in 1950s Johannesburg, South Africa—follows a young Zulu man’s struggles to provide for his family under the crushing burden of apartheid. As in his previous docufiction landmark ON THE BOWERY, Rogosin immersed himself in the world of his subjects, in this case in the Black cultural hub of Sophiatown, a vibrant center of music, art, literature, and politics that was soon to be razed by the government to make way for a whites-only suburb. Largely improvised by a nonprofessional cast that includes legendary singer and activist Miriam Makeba, Come Back, Africa reveals both the cruelty of apartheid and the vitality of a community struggling for equality.
Up Next in Lionel Rogosin's Dangerous Docufictions
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Good Times, Wonderful Times
Directed by Lionel Rogosin • 1965 • United States
GOOD TIMES, WONDERFUL TIMES is director Lionel Rogosin’s urgent plea for humanity and his searing condemnation of war and fascism. For two years, Rogosin traveled to twelve countries to collect footage of war atrocities from their archives. To le...
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Oysters Are in Season
Directed by Lionel Rogosin • 1966 • United States
Something of an outlier (along with the companion piece HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM BANANAS?) in director Lionel Rogosin’s filmography, this comedic short features a series of satirical sketches performed by friends of the filmmaker.
