Cape Town - Nelson Mandela was an activist, lawyer, and president – but he also had a disarming sense of humour that won over adversaries.
Mandela’s ability to tell a good joke, complete with perfect timing as he sets up the punch line, is captured in the short film LOL With Mandela.
The film’s Joburg producers, Moments Entertainment, have been invited to show their film at the fourth edition of the African Film Week in Athens, Greece, from Thursday to February 25.
LOL producer Firdoze Bulbulia said they filmed the scenes at ANC parties held to celebrate Mandela’s birthday.
“It is a compilation of funny anecdotes Mandela told at parties hosted to thank the (ANC) veterans for their role in fighting apartheid. We have also produced a TV documentary and a black-and-white coffee table book,” said Bulbulia.
“Veterans were bused in from other provinces and Madiba hosted all the parties. It was phenomenal because the attendees were unknown and emotional and thankful for the recognition.
“We were so humbled to be part of the events, we met people who had very little, but who had given so much for our freedom.
“It made us realise that so many had made sacrifices and that we should never underestimate their contribution.”
Bulbulia said the film “provides an insight into the lighter side of our beloved Madiba and it is heart-warming and funny”.
“His sense of humour and comedic timing were particular and he told a funny story in his unique way,” said Bulbulia.
Faith Isiakpere, who directed the film, said the anecdotes show that Mandela “had an exceptional ability to touch people from all walks of life”.
The film is divided into chapters and sees Mandela sharing stories about his interaction with children, foreigners while travelling abroad, and other prisoners while he was serving time on Robben Island for opposing apartheid.
In the film, he tells of how a child asked him, “Why did you go to jail?” He told her “People who didn’t like me” sent him there.
The story goes that the child asked him how long he was jailed. He said he did not remember, but it was a “long, long time”.
The child also asked him when he was born, and he replied that he did not remember, but knew it was “a long, long time ago”.
The child, eventually resigned, told him: “You’re a stupid old man.”
Mandela’s self-effacing humour continues when he recalls how one of his nephews told him he was a “disgrace” for wearing his signature “Madiba” shirts because presidents “should wear a shirt, suit and hat”.
LOL With Mandela has been screened on TV channels SABC and M-Net. It is available from Clarke’s Bookshop on Long Street in central Cape Town.
Moments Entertainment’s other film credits include the award-winning Of Good Report, which was banned from being screened as the opening night film at the Durban International Film Festival in 2013. The film is about a teacher’s affair with a pupil.
Bulbulia said they were working on Mandela’s Africa, a documentary about the ANC leader’s “clandestine trip to 16 African countries to present the armed struggle. It was on his return to South Africa that he was arrested and then sent to Robben Island.”
Independent Media