''Red Dust'' is a 2004 British drama film starring

Hilary Swank Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (199 ...

and

Chiwetel Ejiofor Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor ( ; born 10 July 1977) is a British actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, an NAACP Image Award, and nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...

and directed by Tom Hooper. The story, written by

Troy Kennedy Martin Troy Kennedy Martin (15 February 1932 – 15 September 2009) was a Scottish-born film and television screenwriter. He created the long-running BBC TV police series ''Z-Cars'' (1962–1978), and the award-winning 1985 anti-nuclear drama '' Edge o ...

, is based on the novel ''Red Dust'' by Gillian Slovo. The film was predominantly shot on location in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

, specifically in the town of Graaff Reinet.

Plot

Sarah Barcant (

), a white lawyer in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

who grew up in

, returns to her childhood home to represent Alex Mpondo (

), a Black South African politician who was tortured during

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

. Under the post apartheid

Truth and Reconciliation A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...

terms, the whole truth must come out. As it is, under duress Mpodo had identified one of his underground comrades, Steve Sizela, to the apartheid authorities. But he also confirms that he kept a much more important secret – a list of new recruits. This is still where he left it buried. The full truth now emerges. Dirk Hendricks (

Jamie Bartlett James Bartlett (9 July 1966 – 23 May 2022) was a British-born South African actor best known for his role as the wicked puppet master, David Genaro, in '' Rhythm City'' and his theatre work. Career Television Bartlett was a well-known South ...

), the local policeman, admits Sizela was killed by his boss, Piet Muller ( Ian Roberts) and that much of the torture was carried out at a ranch rather than at the police station – thus confirming Alex's apparently false memories of a 'dirt floor' and a water tap in the corridor. Visiting the ranch, Alex puts details together. Dirk admits where he buried Steve Sizela. The bones are found and dug from the ground; Mpondo decides to allow amnesty as the whole truth has been said. Muller, who denied the charges and pleaded not guilty, ironically applies for amnesty himself, infuriating members of the Black South African community. Parallel with this story is Barcant's confrontation with her own past. She was arrested as a teenager for having a black boyfriend, which was breaking the apartheid laws. She got out of custody after one night, thanks to Ben Hoffman, a white lawyer who has worked all of his life against apartheid and is a strong believer in 'Truth and Reconciliation'. Sarah Barcant is there because she owes him a debt, and he is now too weak to take the case himself. He sees the outcome as positive.

Cast

as Sarah Barcant *

as Alex Mpondo *

as Dirk Hendricks * Ian Roberts as Piet Müller * Nomhle Nkonyeni as Mrs. Sizela * Marius Weyers as Ben Hoffman

References

External links

* * 2000s English-language films 2004 directorial debut films 2004 drama films 2004 films Apartheid films BBC Film films British drama films English-language South African films Films based on South African novels Films directed by Tom Hooper Films set in South Africa Films shot in the Eastern Cape Films with screenplays by Troy Kennedy Martin South African drama films Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa) 2000s British films {{2000s-drama-film-stub