Freedom Square and Back of the Moon

Screening Details

Running Time: 53 min. (Colour) / Copyright Date: 1987 / Language: English / Genre: Documentary

Synopsis

In the 1940s and 1950s, Sophiatown, a black freehold suburb on the outskirts of Johannesburg, was the centre of a vibrant cultural and political world. For various reasons, including its proximity to white areas, it was singled out as a target of the newly elected government's apartheid policies. Consequently, its inhabitants were moved out and their houses were bulldozed. On its ruins arose the new all-white suburb of Triomf. This film tells the story of these early forced removals and, in the process, sketches a picture of daily life in Sophiatown. Using interviews with former inhabitants, from journalists to ex-gangsters, it builds up a composite portrait, intercutting their observations with archival footage, still photographs and excerpts from The Magic Garden and Come Back, Africa, as well as extracts from the Junction Theatre Company's play, Sophiatown. Amongst those who comment are Arthur Maimane, Anthony Sampson, Don Mattera, Trevor Huddleston, Nadine Gordimer, Fikile Bam and Joe Mogotsi.

Memories of the documentary were revived in 2019 when it was shown to acclaim at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.