Film and Videos

In the mid-1970s, an appeal by IDAF to the exiled community in the United Kingdom led to the gradual retrieval of outstanding amateur film footage – largely unedited 8mm and 16mm material of key events of South African political history.

The UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives offers among its resources a unique film-video library and archive of more than 10 000 documentary recordings, several hundred hours of news footage, stock footage from more than 200 film and video production projects and a comprehensive catalogue and shot list to facilitate access. It also includes recording, viewing and dubbing equipment appropriate to all the video formats.

The core of the collection came from IDAF in London, where it grew in response to the needs of international solidarity with the struggle against apartheid. It became a valuable research resource and many of the productions were networked internationally to raise awareness about the situation in South Africa. Most of these films and videos were banned in South Africa before 1990.

• Videos on the Frontline States, including the struggle for independence in Zimbabwe; the liberation war in Mozambique; Angola and the post-independence struggles against South Africa and its surrogates; and the struggle for independence in Namibia.
• Feature films on South Africa viewable on video.
• ‘Anti-fascist’ documentaries and feature films (viewable on video).
• Non-Southern African documentaries including Vietnam, US civil rights, Nicaragua and international culture.
• News programmes: SABCTV, BBC, ITV and Dutch TV.
• Production rushes including interviews with struggle leaders; footage of solidarity events including major demonstrations, rallies and meetings; footage of the successive visits to London of Mandela; footage of important conference and cultural festivals.

In 2000 the UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives acquired the Afravision Video Archive, a unique documentary record consisting of approximately 5 000 beta recordings of the mass struggles of the 1980s and the tension-filled prelude to democracy in the early 1990s.

1. South Africa: the white laager (1977)
2. Six days in Soweto (1977)
3. Sandra Laing (1977)
4. Working for Britain (1977)
5. Voices from purgatory (1978)
6. Apartheid inside, outside (1978)
7. Battle for South Africa (1978)
8. Generations of resistance (1980)
9. Abaphuciwe: the dispossessed (1980)
10. Isitwalandwe: the story of the Freedom Charter (1980)
11. You have struck a rock (1981)
12. Forward to a people’s republic (1981)
13. The sun will rise (1982)
14. The death of Neil Aggett (1982)
15. The anvil and the hammer (1985)
16. Spear of the nation (1986)
17. Fight Mabhida fight (1986)
18. Killing a dream (1986)
19. Song of the spear (1986)
20. Mazimbu: behind the lines of a liberation movement (1986)
21. Freedom beat (1986)
22. Cosatu: a giant has arisen (1986)
23. Marching orders (1986)
24. Amakomanisi: the SACP 1921-1986 (1986)
25. The ribbon (1986)
26. Growing up under apartheid’s feet (1987)
27. Compelling freedom (1987)
28. Bopha! (1987)
29. Before dawn (1987)
30. Simon Ngubane still on strike (1987)
31. Any child is my child (1988)
32. Certain unknown persons (1988)
33. Changing this country (1988)
34. Free Mandela! (1988)
35. No apartheid war: stand by Ivan Toms (1988)
36. Mzwakhe Mbuli: the people’s poet (1989)
37. David Webster: lived for democracy, killed by apartheid (1989)
38. Just an inch away (1989) - Four British teenagers experience life under apartheid
39. Makhalipile: the dauntless one (1989) - the life and work of Archbishop Trevor Huddleston
40. The Kafala brothers (1989)
41. Voices for Namibia (1989)
42. Egoli (1989)
43. To be against apartheid is normal (1990)
44. Themba Harry Gwala: South African revolutionary (1990)
45. Images in struggle: South African photographers speak (1990)
46. Blowing home (1990) Musicians in exile prepare for the Mandela Wembley concert
47. Mandela freed and organisations unbanned (1990)
48. Mandela tribute (Wembley) (1990).
49. Mandela tribute (Wembley) (1990).
50. Mandela tribute (Wembley) (1990).