A World Apart (1987)

A White enclave in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the 1960s. Molly Roth, 13 years old, is the daughter of leftist parents, and she must piece together what's happening around her when her ... See full summary »

Director:

Chris Menges

Writer:

Shawn Slovo

Stars:

Jodhi May, Jeroen Krabbé, Barbara Hershey

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 12 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jodhi May	...	Molly Roth
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Gus Roth
Barbara Hershey	...	Diana Roth
Nadine Chalmers	...	Yvonne Abelson
Maria Pilar	...	Spanish Dance Teacher
Kate Fitzpatrick	...	June Abelson
Tim Roth	...	Harold
Phyllis Naidoo	...	Sareda
Linda Mvusi	...	Elsie
Carolyn Clayton-Cragg	...	Miriam Roth
Yvonne Bryceland	...	Bertha
Mackay Tickey	...	Milius
Merav Gruer	...	Jude Roth
Albee Lesotho	...	Solomon
Clement Muchachi	...	Sipho

Storyline

A White enclave in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the 1960s. Molly Roth, 13 years old, is the daughter of leftist parents, and she must piece together what's happening around her when her father disappears one night, barely evading arrest, and, not long after, her mother is detained by the authorities. Some of Molly's White friends turn against her, and her family's friendships with Blacks take on new meaning. Relationships are fragile in the world of apartheid. How will she manage?

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Plot Keywords:

apartheid | friend | arrest | 1960s | 13 year old | 

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Taglines:

South Africa, 1963. A mother's love. A family's courage.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK Zimbabwe

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 June 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Um Mundo à Parte

Filming Locations:

Zimbabwe

Box Office

Gross:

$2,326,900 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlantic Entertainment Group, British Screen Productions, Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film of Jude Akuwudike.

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Soundtracks

"Sway"
(uncredited)
Written by Pablo Beltrán Ruiz and Norman Gimbel

User Reviews

A fine fine film

This is a very good film with outstanding performances, particularly from Jodhi May and Barbara Hershey. The story of the Slovo-First family is very compelling and deserving of this fine treatment. As someone who has spent time in South Africa, both during and after Apartheid, I can attest to its authenticity.

The film works best, however, as a portrait of a troubled family. It carefully and truthfully depicts the agony of an adolescent girl who knows that her parents are trying to change her world for the better but at the expense of a normal life for her and her siblings. As Gillian Slovo so accurately stated, 'Here we were going off to Girl Guides while our parents were advocating the violent overthrow of our country's government.'

This film makes a powerful and moving, yet personal statement.