Democrats provides unprecedented, exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to one of modern Africa’s most gripping – and previously hidden – dramas of political survival at the highest level. On-screen intimidation and violence and off-screen political plotting threaten the safety, liberty and lives of the two protagonists. They increasingly cling together despite their initial animosity as tensions mount.
The filmmakers accompany MDC-T statesman Douglas Mwonzora and his opponent Mangwana as they criss-cross the country in their SUVs, leading a nationwide bipartisan outreach programme. The documentary records the stated views of ordinary citizens on what their new constitution should say.
But the heart of
Democrats, culminating in the adoption of the new constitution by popular vote, is the running on-the-hoof interviews with Mwonzora and Mangwana. The audience watches as their relationship is slowly deepened by the complex game of political chess in which they are both players and pieces.
The film is presented by the African Screen Network, which seeks to provide a platform for the coordination and promotion of contemporary African cinema across the continent. Through the creation of a sustainable screen network, the body acts as a vehicle for the expansion of audience access to, knowledge of, and demand for African film.
The network has partners in over 15 African countries. The release of
Democrats is presented in cooperation with Heinrich Böll Stiftung Southern Africa.
You can watch the trailer
here.
For more information, connect with African Screen Network on
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