Coming up on Carte Blanche on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 28 April 2024 at 19:00
30 Years of Democracy – A Carte Blanche Documentary
“Some weeks ago, I was sent a photo of an exhausted but smiling crew outside an airfield in the Northern Cape. Laden with gear, they were about to board the final flight of an exhausting production schedule incorporating five provinces, close to 30 interviews, and several sleep-deprived nights. And yet, despite the tiredness and the heat, they looked at peace… satisfied, somehow. Ordinarily, I’d put that down to the joy of going home, of having finished a tough assignment. But, on this production, knowing the conversations they’d had – with the interviewees and each other – I think they’d come to understand a little more about the country they call home. And fallen a little more in love with it, despite how horribly it sometimes treats them.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
M-Net celebrates Freedom Day with the broadcast of a 90-minute Carte Blanche special, looking back at three decades of democracy in South Africa. 30 Years of Democracy tells the story of South Africa and her people, from the moment democracy was attained, reflecting on the journey so far and imagining what the perfect destination looks like.
Thirty years after the country’s first free, fair, democratic election in 1994, the Carte Blanche team travels across South Africa to meet people from all walks of life, sharing their realities, hearing their dreams and listening intently to their hopes for the future. Rather than being a history of post-apartheid South Africa or a political assessment of South Africa’s destiny, 30 Years of Democracy seeks to gain an understanding of how South Africans have experienced the last 30 years living in this country – how it has shaped their identity and whether they believe their hopes, wants and needs will be realised in the future.
Waldimar Pelser, Channel Director: Premium Channels at MultiChoice, says:
“The Carte Blanche team takes to the highways, streets and back roads to speak to South Africans from all walks of life in their homes: from a Sandton chef to a rural chief, a Durban street artist to a medical student, and a lawyer to a taxi boss. We think we know South Africa because we live the everyday realities – but how often do we consider the lived experience of a wider cross-section of the country and seek to understand what people’s hopes for their country are?”
The history of SA is one of migration, displacement, belonging, exile and leaving home to seek new opportunities elsewhere. It’s also one of resilience and solidarity. 30 Years of Democracy focuses on the landscape and the different challenges experienced by people in their day-to-day lives in five of our main provinces. Theirs are stories of laughter, loss, community, hope and fear – of a country often divided, but sometimes unexpectedly and joyfully united. Amplified by commentary which creates historical context, these are the stories of South Africa three decades into freedom.
Watch the 90-minute Carte Blanche Special, 30 Years of Democracy on Sunday, 28 April at 7pm on M-Net (DStv Channel 101). Because of the extended duration, the Sunday night movie will start at 21:30 on the 28th.
You can also live-stream it on DStv Stream, and watch on DStv Catch Up after the broadcast.
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