Namibia and USA / 2007 / 161mins / Biopic, Historical Drama / Oshi Ovambo, Oshi Herero, Damara/nama, Afrikaans, German, Russian, Chinese, and English

Charles Burnett’s feature tells the story of Sam Nujoma, the first president of Namibia. Charting the future leader’s political awakening and his part in the country’s fight for freedom from occupation by South Africa. Rather than a documentary of the long and brutal conflict for Namibia’s independence from South Africa, the film mixes real and composite characters to explore the spirit and sacrifices of that battle. Covering more than 60 years of history, the film was financed by the Namibian government and includes more than 150 speaking roles in multiple languages and dialects.

Charles Burnett

Charles Burnett is a writer-director whose work has received extensive honors. Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1944, his family soon moved to the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Burnett studied creative writing at UCLA before entering the University’s graduate film program. His thesis project, Killer of Sheep (1977), won accolades at film festivals and a critical devotion; in 1990, it was among the first titles named to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. European financing allowed Burnett to shoot his second feature, My Brother’s Wedding (1983), but a rushed debut prevented the filmmaker from completing his final cut until 2007. In 1988, Burnett was awarded the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur (“genius grant”) Fellowship. His first widely released film, To Sleep with Anger (1990), was also chosen for the National Film Registry, and Burnett became the first African American recipient of the National Society of Film Critics’ best screenplay award. Burnett made the highly acclaimed Nightjohn in 1996 for the Disney Channel; his subsequent television works include The Wedding (1998), Selma, Lord, Selma (1999), an episode of the seven-part series The Blues: Warming by the Devil's Fire (2003) and Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property (2003), which was shown on the PBS series Independent Lens. Burnett has been awarded grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the J. P. Getty Foundation. In 2011, the Museum of Modern Art showcased his work with a month-long retrospective. Learn More