Miners Shot Down, a compelling documentary by Rehad Desai which tells
the tragic story of the 2012 Marikana massacre, has been acquired by seven
international broadcasters and has screened to large audiences at film festivals
in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and Australasia.
In the four months since its release, the film has won four awards: the Vaclav
Havel Award at One World Film Festival in Prague, the Camera Justitia Award at
the Movies That Matter festival in Le Hague, the Aung San Suu Kyi Award at the
Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival in Myanmar and the
Special Choice Award at the Encounters Film Festival in South Africa.
A number of impact screenings have also featured in South Africa and abroad. In
the UK this resulted in the Islington branch of the National Union of Teachers
passing a union resolution in support of the Marikana Justice Campaign. In
South Africa the 140 impact screenings which were presented at universities,
schools, community halls, mining towns, unions meetings and churches, were
attended by Desai or a representative of the Marikana Justice Campaign.
Despite the film being described as one which every South African should see,
there has been no uptake by local free-to-air broadcasters.
Miners Shot Down will screen at the Durban International Film festival,
which takes place from 17 to 27 July at a number of venues in KwaZulu Natal
and in Berlin and New York in celebration of 20 Years of Democracy. The movie
can also be purchased from Exclusive Books, independent bookshops and
Kalahari.net.
Visit the Miners Shot Down
website for more information.
