EXCLUSIVE: Nearly 35 years on from his release, Channel 4 has made a definitive documentary series charting Nelson Mandela‘s journey.
In Free Nelson Mandela [w/t], the man who was arguably the most famous political prisoner of all time will have his story told by Rogan Productions, the indie behind Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation and ABBA: Against All Odds, along with GroupM Motion Entertainment.
The South African politician and freedom fighter, who died in 2013, was imprisoned for 27 years during the apartheid era and the campaign for his release was one of the biggest in history. He was let out of prison in February 1990 and the image of him walking free immediately became iconic. Channel 4’s doc will explore how a fierce political struggle and cultural battle was waged to bring about his freedom, as it charts Mandela’s journey from activist to revolutionary to prisoner to negotiator. With access to those who fought for his freedom and the people at the heart of the anti-apartheid movement, including some of the world’s biggest music stars, along with hours of previously unseen material, the three-part series will cover some serious ground.
Channel 4 and Rogan have previously teamed on the likes of Defiance: Fighting The Far Right, which was produced by Riz Ahmed. Internationally, BBC Studios will sell Free Nelson Mandela as both a three-parter and single feature via its first look deal with the prolific Rogan.
Channel 4 specialist factual boss Shaminder Nahal said the series will bring “the extraordinary story of Nelson Mandela, and the campaign to free him, to a new audience,” adding: “It’s hard to think of a more significant and deeply resonant story for today.”
Rogan Productions boss James Rogan, who is directing Free Nelson Mandela, said making the show has been “a highlight of my career.” “This is a story we all think we know, but through weaving together personal stories, the historic events and the cultural outcry, a whole different dimension emerges that is often overlooked,” he added. “It’s an epic story for our time about sacrifice, hope and humanity.”
Free Nelson Mandela is funded by Channel 4 and GroupM Motion Entertainment’s Diverse Indies Fund, which was set up to support small and medium-sized ethnically diverse-led independent production companies to produce new projects. The fund is overseen by Vivienne Molokwu, Senior Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 and Deep Sehgal, Head of Creative Diversity at GroupM Motion Entertainment. Free Nelson Mandela was commissioned by Nahal, directed by Rogan and EP’d by Soleta Rogan and Sehgal. The Producers are Samora Tikly and Xinlan Rose.