Cradock Four, The

This film commemorates the 25th anniversary of brutal murder of anti-Apartheid activists Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkonto and Sicelo Mhlauli. Uncovering the truth of their murder has been a long and painful process. Similarly, the process of creating the film has been protracted, with Forbes struggling with authorities to access key documents. Here, now, is the full story of the Four, the lives they uplifted and impacted, and the political contexts that shaped them and that they helped to shape. Through the use of artefacts, television archives, personal testimonies and re-enactments, Forbes constructs vivid portraits of the men – most notably of Matthew Goniwe, who is remembered as an exceptional teacher, intellectual, pioneering civic organiser and dedicated father. Impressively, the film is successful on a number of levels: offering personal perspectives into the lives of the Cradock Four, championing Goniwe as a significant catalyst of civic action, and locating their deaths as a crucial moment in the dismantling of Apartheid.