Shaker of Trees

"He was born Rolihlahla, 'shaker of trees.' He became Nelson Mandela, and shook the world."

 

I watched this film last night.  As a child a I remember seeing clips of the evening news, and first hearing the word 'apartheid.'  Didn't know what it meant, of course.  The images on the news were of huge crowds of blacks running to and fro, hurling bottles, being hosed and shot at, marching in protest.  The name Nelson Mandela didn't come into my consciousness until he was released from prison - early '90s.

 

I did find out from my brother last night that on his trip to South Africa with his oldest kids several years ago, they intended to go to Robben Island to tour the prison (now museum) where Mandela was locked up for twenty-seven years.  He said, though, that the water off the coast was too choppy and tours for that day were canceled.  However, they could see the island-prison from the mainland.

 

And a movie I am looking forward to seeing:

 

A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.