Story of the 1995 Win Retold
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The Good Weekend, SUNDAY Behind the scenes June 13, 2010 3 Story of the 1995 win retold Clifford Bestall’s documentary on the Springboks’ rugby World Cup victory is part of TV channel ESPN’s 30 For 30 series KIM NOWACKI Swart, Chester Williams, the only black member of the team, and Joel Stransky, tgwsunday whose drop goal won the final against New Zealand in extra time. Of course, all their statements and ONGTIME Springbok fans know that sentimentality are said in hindsight, notes contrary to his surname, James Small Bestall, but the 1995 Springboks, most young was a beefy footballer in the mid-1990s. men at the time, ultimately did embrace the LBut poke him the right way today, says new “rainbow nation”. documentary film-maker Clifford Bestall, and “It did change my life,” Swart says. you’ll get the waterworks. As the film points out, the athletes weren’t “He’s like this giant plastic bag full of just rugby players any more, but political water,” says Bestall, the director behind The players, and Bestall is skilled at interweaving 16th Man, a touching 52-minute television into the sports narrative the fear and vitriol documentary on the 1995 rugby World Cup in from both black and white South Africans at post-apartheid South Africa. the end of apartheid. He does this through Produced for sports cable network ESPN interviews with black activist Justice and geared to an American audience – Bestall Bekebeke, who adamantly refused to accept was asked to include an explanation of the the Springboks as his nation’s team, and mentality behind apartheid – the film uses former conservative leader Koos Botha, who archival footage and contemporary called for Mandela’s head. interviews with members of the 1995 The two men illustrate the inner struggle Springbok team to tell the dramatic story of to find their way in the new South Africa. how sport had “the power to change the There are also comments by Housing world”, as Nelson Mandela famously said VICTORY: Nelson Mandela in a still from the film The 16th Man. Minister Tokyo Sexwale and Archbishop following the Springboks’ taking the Webb Desmond Tutu. Ellis Cup. “Who would imagine people dancing in the In the documentary, Small is often holding Slowly, the phrase “one team, one country” Bestall. “I always thought it was happening in streets in Soweto for a Springbok rugby back tears and says of Mandela: “He was our became a unifying slogan during the Cup. To the background, but there it was.” victory?” Tutu says in the film. 16th man.” get there, though, took hard work. While both films cover the same topic, It took Bestall about 10 months to put the The piece has aired on American Bestall was surprised to find archival Invictus can be criticised for its superficial piece together as part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 television to much acclaim but won’t come to footage of Mandela at a political rally strongly treatment of this time of transformation in series documenting the top 30 sports events in South African TVs until August, so as to not urging blacks to back the Springboks. “They South Africa. Bestall notes it “kind of made the past 30 years. Bestall’s contribution get lost in the soccer World Cup hoopla. are your pride,” Mandela says in the footage. cardboard cut-outs of the main players”. “brings the series to a memorable peak”, the “I think the film is really important (for Loud “boos” can be heard from the crowd. Where The 16th Man really shines then, is New York Times noted in May. South Africans to see), especially right now… “I was surprised to see how overt he was in in Bestall’s interviews with the Springbok ● The 16th Man will be screened at 7pm on where we are politically,” says Bestall, adding asking black people to support rugby,” says teammates including Pienaar,Small, Balie Tuesday at the CTICC for invited guests only. that it’s often easy to invoke Madiba’s name without really understanding him as a politician. “He is inspirational, but I hope he’s also aspirational,” says Bestall, 62, a born-and- bred Capetonian whose documentary career spans three decades. This is his fifth documentary about Mandela. Bestall will attend the local screening and aims to bring along his friend John Carlin, author of the nonfiction book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation. Carlin’s book was the basis Original South African ART for the US film Invictus starring Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as The gallery with the largest selection of SA paintings & sculpture Springbok captain Francois Pienaar. Gallery hours: Weekdays: 9am-6pm, Saturdays: 9am – 2pm Bestall’s film is similar to Invictus. Freeman is the narrator and executive Address: 31 Kommandeur Rd, Welgemoed, producer. It hits the same high notes as the Bellville (opposite Bellville Golf Course) Solly Smook movie, especially when it comes to Mandela’s Just 20 minutes from Cape Town calculated plan to unite his country through a Zerk de Villiers sport regarded by South Africa’s oppressed Enquiries: T. +27 21 913 7204/5 • F. +27 21 913 7206 black majority as a white person’s game. • Email. [email protected] • www.artpro.co.za OM\04\7653558.