Shawn Slovo (born 1950) is a South African

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, best known for the film '' A World Apart'', based on her childhood under

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

. She is the daughter of

South African Communist Party The South African Communist Party (SACP) is a communist party in South Africa. It was founded on 12 February 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), and tactically dissolved itself in 1950 in the face of being declared illegal by t ...

leaders

Joe Slovo Yossel Mashel "Joe" Slovo (23 May 1926 – 6 January 1995) was a South African politician and Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist. A Marxist-Leninist, he was a long-time leader and theorist in the South African Com ...

and

Ruth First Heloise Ruth First OLG (4 May 1925 – 17 August 1982) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and scholar. She was assassinated in Mozambique, where she was working in exile, by a parcel bomb built by South African police. Family and ...

. She wrote the screenplay for the 2006 film ''

Catch a Fire ''Catch a Fire'' is the fifth studio album by the reggae band The Wailers (aka Bob Marley and the Wailers), released in April 1973. It was their first album released by Island Records. After finishing a UK tour with Johnny Nash, they had sta ...

'' (also a historical film about apartheid), and for the 2001 film '' Captain Corelli's Mandolin''. In the late 1970s, she served as

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

's personal assistant while he made the films ''

Raging Bull ''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Theresa Saldana, Frank Vincent and Nicholas Colasanto (in his final film role). The film ...

'' and '' The King of Comedy''. She also wrote the screenplay for ''

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight ''Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight'' is a 2013 American television film, television drama film about boxer Muhammad Ali's refusal to report for Conscription in the United States, induction into the United States military during the Vietnam War, focu ...

''. Slovo lives in London and often works for

Working Title Films Working Title Films Limited, formerly Visionensure Limited and Working Title Limited, is a British film and television production company that is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, which is itself a division of Comcast. The company was founded by ...

. Her sister

Gillian Slovo Gillian Slovo (born 15 March 1952) is a South African-born writer who lives in the UK. She was a recipient of the Golden PEN Award. Early life and education Gillian Slovo was born on 15 March 1952 in Johannesburg, South Africa, a daughter of Jo ...

is also a writer and her sister

Robyn Slovo Robyn Slovo is a South African film producer, based in the UK. Her work includes the 2000 film '' Morvern Callar'', the 2006 film ''Catch a Fire'', and the 2011 film '' Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''. Biography Slovo started her career in theatr ...

is a producer. Slovo's family is

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

References

External links

* 1950 births Living people South African anti-apartheid activists Best Original Screenplay BAFTA Award winners Slovo family South African activists South African Jews South African screenwriters White South African people Writers Guild of America Award winners {{SouthAfrica-bio-stub