Try Revolution @ Cinema

Try Revolution tells the story of how the protests surrounding the 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand impacted on South Africa. In this one hour documentary South Africans from Archbishop Desmond Tutu through to ordinary rugby fans talk about how the games, the images, the reports and the conversations that surrounded "The Tour" affected them personally and helped to change the apartheid system.

The 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand had been greatly anticipated by the rugby mad white community of South Africa. New Zealand was their most cherished rival and this tour was going to be live on television…a first for South Africa. So when they tuned into the first broadcast, the Hamilton match, and saw hundreds of protesters standing on the field they went into a kind of collective shock.

Try Revolution explores what happened over the ensuing months and indeed years as the impact of the "The Tour" was fully realised. From a prison mate of Nelson Mandela to the Captain of the '81 Springboks, the documentary uncovers how the actions of the New Zealand protesters were perceived, understood, and used to help in the struggle against the apartheid regime.

"To see strife between families in New Zealand and how it really ripped the country apart, well I think that's quite bad and then realising this isn't the way it should be… that was a big eye opener." - Wynand Claasen, Springbok Captain 1981

"You really can't even compute it's value, it said the world has not forgotten us, we are not alone" - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Produced and directed by Leanne Pooley

This is a must see for anyone who was involved in or aware of the struggles by ordinary New Zealanders who could not stand by and accept the Apartheid regime. If you thought it was a wasted effort, watch this film and you will think again. We will have a dialogue circle after this film to share stories and feelings about this event and about protest or civil disobedience as a method of effecting change.

Screening at the morning session time of 10:00am and the evening session time of 7:00pm on Tuesday the 4th of September at the Waiheke Community Cinema in Artworks.