Short-listed as one of the 15 best documentaries of the year, Mugabe And The White African is the story of one family's astonishing bravery as they fight to protect their property, their livelihood and their country. Mike Campbell is one of the few white farmers left in Zimbabwe since its leader, Robert Mugabe, enacted his disastrous land redistribution program. Once the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe has since spiraled into chaos, the economy decimated as farms given to Mugabe cronies are run into ruin. After enduring years of intimidation and threats, Campbell decides to take action. Unable to call upon help from his country's authorities, he challenges Mugabe before an international court.
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Reviews
Wonderful character development!
Slow pace in the most part of the movie.
Save your money for something good and enjoyable
It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
This is a critique of the documentary "Mugabe and the White African", not a critique of the political situation of Zimbabwe. This film is far too narrow and does not attempt to capture any larger picture of what the situation in Zimbabwe is. Regardless of whether the filmmakers felt that Mugabe's land redistribution policy was destroying the country or whether they thought it was raising thousands out of poverty, they needed to show the political history behind and surrounding the current events they are documenting. I may be wrong, but I don't think there was a single mention of Ian Smith's name. They certainly did not point out that when Mike Campbell bought his land from the government "long after independence" he was buying it from Smith's apartheid government (which was not recognized by any other country in the world) and not from the current government he is embattled with in court. The violence inflicted upon Campbell and his family is heinous and inexcusable. It is also very powerful footage and could have been used as part of a very informative documentary. But the viewer walks away from this film with no more knowledge of the situation than they did coming into it. These events did not take place in an historic vacuum. There is a very complex history that the filmmakers should have at least tried to explain. The filmmakers needed to present the historic context and let the viewers decide how they felt about it.
Excellent Documentary - Pity that some of the previous reviewers could not see through their collective PC, liberal and socialist blinkers. What has Mugabe done for his people? ZIP. Apart from the so called "War Veterans" and other family, Generals,and political cronies, all of Zimbabwe is in desolation, fear, hunger and despair, while his majesty mister Bob Mugabe lives in a palace. With servants and bodyguards. All you out there - take note - see and realize. That's it. The whites made a difference, a small minority, overstepped the line, we all know that, but is that a reason for millions of honest black folk to starve while his majesty zests in luxury? Good show, glad to have seen it and most recommendable,
I can't believe the high level of insincerity in this documentary. whole documentaries was from the view point of the white community.view point of black peoples were never concerned or given any space in this documentary of 90 minutes.There was never mentioned the whole situation before the independence of Zimbabwe. The suppression of black people under colonial rule .And the facts like white peoples just make 1% of population but controlled 75% of land. black people were shown as angry for no reason and are being just racist.In many parts of documentary author gives the reason that we have been targeted cause we are white(implying that black people just angry cause they are racist). At about 33 minutes , there was a dialog between black person and white person:black person: ....we don't want to have anything with white people.....white person: is that cause we are white?. (implying that black person is just racist and there is no valid for him to be angry)the correct question should have been "is that because we exploited you for years and own most of your land because of long history of colonial rule?".whole documentary was filled with animated emotions by various white characters showing how sad they are. while black people were shown as racist and violent.
I always hold dear the memories of visiting my grandparents as a child and taking early morning walks through the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, it was majestic to say the least. To see the state Zimbabwe is in today is so sad considering it used to be such a great country.This documentary did a fantastic job of creating awareness, the real truths behind the (m)ugabe regime. You cannot help feel a deep sadness for the individuals' involved, especially noting that children are the also the victims of this outrageous regime.A realisation that a brain washed/racist state is the order of the day, every day in Zimbabwe. The White Farmers are providing for 100's of workers livelihoods and they're the bad guys. The whole concept on which Mugabe bases his Dictatorship is one big Contradiction. As they say, every dog has its day.