Cry Freedom (1987)

Director:

Richard Attenborough

Writers:

John Briley (screenplay) and
Donald Woods (books)

Release Date:

6 November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

The true story of the friendship that shook South Africa and awakened the world

Plot:

South African journalist Donald Woods is forced to flee the country after attempting to investigate the death in custody of his friend the black activist Steve Biko.

Plot Keywords:

South Africa | Journalist | Newspaper | Editor | Activist

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Josette Simon	...	Dr. Ramphele
Wabei Siyolwe	...	Tenjy
John Matshikiza	...	Mapetla
Juanita Waterman	...	Ntsiki Biko
Evelyn Sithole	...	Nurse at clinic
Xoliswa Sithole	...	Nurse at clinic
James Coine	...	Young boy
Kevin Kline	...	Donald Woods
Kevin McNally	...	Ken
Albert Ndinda	...	Alec
Andrew Whaley	...	Sub-Editor
Shelley Borkum	...	Woods' receptionist
Denzel Washington	...	Steve Biko
Penelope Wilton	...	Wendy Woods
Kate Hardie	...	Jane Woods
Graeme Taylor	...	Dillon Woods
Adam Stuart Walker	...	Duncan Woods
Hamish Stuart Walker	...	Gavin Woods
Spring Stuart Walker	...	Mary Woods
Sophie Mgcina	...	Evalina
Jim Findley	...	Peter Jones
Patricia Gumede	...	Shebeen Queen
Angela Gavaza	...	Shebeen Queen's niece
Nocebo Mlambo	...	Aunt
Walter Matemavi	...	Nephew
Clement Muchachi	...	Father
Ruth Chinamando	...	Mother
Basil Chidyamathamba	...	Brother-in-law
Marcy Mushore	...	Niece
Alton Kumalo	...	Speaker
Lawrence Simbarashe	...	Informer
Timothy West	...	Captain De Wet
Carl Chase	...	Policeman
William Morgan Sheppard	...	Policeman (as Morgan Sheppard)
Tichatonga Mazhindu	...	Dilima
Zakes Mokae	...	Father Kani
John Thaw	...	Kruger
Miles Anderson	...	Lemick
Neil McPherson	...	Lemick's assistant
Hepburn Graham	...	Soga
Claude Maredza	...	1st Rugby player
Carlton Chance	...	2nd Rugby player
Glen Murphy	...	1st Secuity guard
Russell Keith Grant	...	2nd Security guard
Munyaradzi Kanaventi	...	Samora Biko
George Lovell	...	Nkosinathi Biko
Andrew McCulloch	...	Policeman Nel
Graham Fletcher-Cook	...	Nel's partner (as Graham Fletcher Cook)
Karen Drury	...	Young secretary
Niven Boyd	...	1st Roadblock policeman
Tony Vogel	...	2nd Roadblock policeman
Christopher Hurst	...	3rd Roadblock policeman
Gerald Sim	...	Police doctor
Peter Cartwright	...	Senior police officer
Gary Whelan	...	Police sergeant
Dudley Dickin	...	Nationalist Party delegate
David Trevena	...	Mortician
Badi Uzzaman	...	Mortician's assistant
Robert Phillips	...	Speaker at funeral
Fishoo Tembo	...	Biko's brother
Peggy Marsh	...	Helen Suzman
Gwyneth Strong	...	Girl at funeral
Julian Glover	...	Don Card
John Hargreaves	...	Bruce
Philip Bretherton	...	Major Boshoff
Paul Herzberg	...	Beukes
Robert MacNamara	...	Security policeman
Hans Sittig	...	Security policeman
Kimpton Mativenga	...	Black security policeman
David Henry	...	Afrikaner farmer
Michael Turner	...	Judge Boshoff
Ian Richardson	...	State Prosecutor
Mawa Makondo	...	Jason
Kalie Hanekom	...	Magistrate Prins
Paul Jerrico	...	Sergeant Louw (as Paul Jerricho)
Star Ncube	...	1st Prisoner
David Guwaza	...	2nd Prisoner
Tommy Buson	...	Tami
Joseph Marcell	...	Moses
Hilary Minster	...	1st Passport Control officer
James Aubrey	...	2nd Passport Control officer
Peter Cary	...	White frontier policeman
Dominic Kanaventi	...	Black frontier policeman
Sam Mathambo	...	Lesotho passport officer
Walter Muparutsa	...	Lesotho businessman
Judy Cornwell	...	Receptionist
Alec McCowen	...	Acting High Commissioner
Gwen Watford	...	Wendy's mother
John Paul	...	Wendy's stepfather
Louis Mahoney	...	Lesotho government official
Michael Graham Cox	...	3rd Passport Control officer
John Hartley	...	4th Passport Control officer
Simon Shumba	...	Young Lesotho official
Garrick Hagon	...	McElrea
Nick Tate	...	Richie
Marilyn Poole	...	Acting High Commissioner's wife
William Marlowe	...	Police captain at Soweto
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leonard Boucher	...	(uncredited)
Ian McNeice	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Attenborough

Writing credits
John Briley		(screenplay)
Donald Woods		books "Biko" and "Asking for Trouble"

Produced by
Richard Attenborough	....	producer
John Briley	....	co-producer
Terence A. Clegg	....	executive producer in charge of production (as Terence Clegg)
Norman Spencer	....	co-producer

Original Music by
George Fenton
Jonas Gwangwa

Cinematography by
Ronnie Taylor		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lesley Walker

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Stuart Craig

Art Direction by
Norman Dorme		(supervising art director)
John King
George Richardson		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Michael Seirton

Costume Design by
John Mollo

Makeup Department
Daniel Galvin Senior	....	hair colour consultant: Mr. Kline (as Daniel Galvin)
Paula Gillespie	....	hair stylist
Susan Haines	....	makeup assistant
Beryl Lerman	....	makeup artist
Vera Mitchell	....	hair stylist
Wally Schneiderman	....	makeup supervisor
Nick Dudman	....	prosthetic supply (uncredited)

Production Management
Allan James	....	production manager
Gerry Levy	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edwin Angless	....	assistant director: second unit
Roy Button	....	assistant director
Stephen Chigorimbo	....	co-first assistant director (as Steve Chigorimbo)
Steve Fillis	....	assistant director
Steve Harding	....	assistant director: second unit
Patrick Kinney	....	assistant director
Nikolas Korda	....	assistant director: second unit
Peter MacDonald	....	second unit director
Sue Sheldon	....	third assistant director
Clive Stafford	....	third assistant director
David Tomblin	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michael Bacon	....	chargehand stand-by props
Terence Benson	....	foreman
Gavin Bocquet	....	assistant art director
Jonathan Croesier	....	construction buyer
Ian Giladjian	....	buyer
Ron Higgins	....	props: second unit
Brian Humphrey	....	dressing prop
Roz Knight	....	draper
Derek Knowler	....	storeman
Bert Long	....	assistant construction manager
Ian Mulder	....	assistant construction manager
John Palmer	....	dressing prop
Michael Philips	....	draughtsman (as Mike Phillips)
Reg Richards	....	construction manager
Lloyd Searle	....	buyer
Bill Welch	....	construction manager
Terry Wells Jr.	....	stand-by prop
Terry Wells	....	prop master
Tony Wright	....	sketch artist
Dave Midson	....	stand-by props (uncredited)
Adrian Start	....	supervising painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jonathan Bates	....	sound
Michael Crouch	....	dialogue editor (as Mike Crouch)
John Frankel	....	assistant dubbing mixer (as Jonathan Frankel)
Taffy Haines	....	sound maintenance
Dean Humphreys	....	dubbing mixer
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound
Simon Kaye	....	sound
Chris Kelly	....	footsteps editor
Steve Maguire	....	assistant sound editor
Brian Mann	....	dialogue editor
Tommy Staples	....	boom operator
Len Tremble	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Martin Gant	....	senior special effects technician
David Harris	....	special effects supervisor
Paul Knowles	....	special effects technician
Gift Nyamandi	....	special effects technician
Alan Poole	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Peter Brace	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jody Boulting	....	special photographer: second unit
Tony Buckthorpe	....	electrician
Steve Burgess	....	clapper loader
John Campbell	....	camera operator: second unit
David Chiganze	....	grip
Eddie Collins	....	camera operator
Frank Connor	....	still photographer
Adam Cooper	....	clapper loader: second unit
Mathew Kausasa	....	electrician
Steve Kitchen	....	gaffer: second unit
Jason Lehel	....	focus puller
Peter MacDonald	....	camera operator: second unit
Peter Malunga	....	grip
Alan Martin	....	gaffer
Cephas Mathimba	....	electrician
Dave McWhinney	....	electrician (as Dave McWhinnie)
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Ricky Miller	....	electrician
Dave Moore	....	best boy
Luke Quigley	....	grip: second unit
David Rattenbury	....	camera focus: second unit
Richard Tindall	....	camera trainee
Jimmy Waters	....	chief grip
Nigel Seal	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Stephen Williams	....	camera operator: rostrum camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Liz James	....	crowd casting
Andrew Whaley	....	casting: Zimbabwe
Abi Cohen	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ken Crouch	....	wardrobe master (as Kenny Crouch)
Elaine Dawson	....	wardrobe assistant
Lisa Johnson	....	wardrobe mistress
Virginia Mkiza	....	wardrobe assistant
Andres Fernandez Sotillos	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Jeremy Hume	....	first assistant editor
Kevin Lane	....	second assistant editor
Andrew Melhuish	....	editorial trainee
Mark Harris	....	trainee assistant editor (uncredited)
Steve Maguire	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
George Fenton	....	conductor
George Fenton	....	music arranger: score
Ken Freeman	....	musician: synthesizers
Keith Grant	....	music recordist
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestral contractor
Peter Whitehouse	....	additional orchestrator

Transportation Department
Lazarus Chingore	....	unit driver
Arthur Dunne	....	transportation manager
Paul Fisher	....	transportation captain
Vic Floyd	....	unit driver
Moncton Mutswairo	....	transportation coordinator: second unit

Other crew
Craig Barwick	....	accounts: second unit
Nandi Bowe	....	assistant location manager
Nikki Clapp	....	script supervisor
Gillian Dobias	....	publicity specialist
Eliah Fero	....	cashier
Diana Hawkins	....	marketing director
Clare Howard	....	assistant: Richard Attenborough
Marianne Jacobs	....	production secretary
Marj Joscelyne	....	production secretary
Hamilton Zoule Keke	....	additional consultant
Rory Kilalea	....	location manager
Leila Kirkpatrick	....	production assistant
Majakathata Mokoena	....	additional consultant
Christopher J. O'Hare	....	film school attachment
Annie Penn	....	continuity: second unit (as Anne Wotton)
Christine Samways	....	deputy accountant
Matthew Scudamore	....	floor runner
Kim Shaw	....	location nurse
Kim Shaw	....	location secretary
Mick Snell	....	production runner
Keith Stack	....	unit doctor (as Dr. Keith Stack)
Dalindlela Tambo	....	special advisor to director
Judy Thornton	....	production coordinator
John Trehy	....	financial controller
Alison Webb	....	publicity secretary
Zuzanne Whitehead	....	publicity secretary
Mike Widd	....	location accountant (as Michael Widd)
Betty Williams	....	studio accountant
Donald Woods	....	principal consultant
Wendy Woods	....	principal consultant

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (present)
• Marble Arch Productions (producer)

Distributors

• United International Pictures (UIP) (1988) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Encore Avenue (2009) (Canada) (TV)
• Krause & Schneider Multimedia (KSM) (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Geoff Axtell Associates Ltd.  titles and optical effects
• The Goverment of Zimbabwe  thanks

Also Known As:

Runtime:

157 min | Canada:147 min (Ontario)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) (TV rating) | USA:PG (certificate #28716) | South Africa:PG (re-rating) | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | South Africa:(Seized) (29 July 1988) | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Denzel Washington was cast for the role of Biko after Richard Attenborough saw him in an episode of "St. Elsewhere" (1982).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Woods family are on the beach planning their getaway (supposedly the beach close to East London, South Africa) the "sea" has vegetation growing out of it (trees, branches etc.). No filming could take place in South Africa at the time, so this scene was filmed at Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.

Quotes:

Steve Biko:When I was a student, trying to qualify for the jobs you people will let us have, I suddenly realized that i wasn't just good jobs that were white. The only history we read was made by the white man, written by the white man. Television, cars, medicines - all invented by the white man...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Classified X (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

I cried! Recommend you rent this movie...

Cry Freedom was such a touching, unforgettable film. The acting was amazing, and they picked the perfect cast. I watched this at my school last year for the first time, and the first scene made me want to cry! Cry Freedom made me laugh, cry, confused, and made me just want to scream at those people who treated blacks cruelly! I recommend you rent this movie. 10/10