CapeTownMagazine.com was given a sneak preview of the promo of the upcoming South African soccer movie “More than Just a game”, only two weeks after the film production finished shooting in Cape Town.

The Robben Island based movie is produced by Anant Singh who has been involved with films that include Sarafina, Cry the Beloved Country, Red Dust, I Capture the Castle and the Oscar-nominated Yesterday and starring Presley Chweneyeagae (from Oscar-winning Tsotsi film).

The South African movie which depicts political prisoners on Robben Island who were able to escape their awful conditions, by playing soccer, is due to be released by the end of the year.

The film tells the story of five imprisoned political activists who formed the Makana Football Association (which was formed in 1966 by the prisoners) and how soccer helped them rise above their incarceration.

Even though they had to endure the most severe forms of hardship the prisoners played out all games adhering strictly to FIFA rules of the day.

The ‘goose bumb facilitating’ press briefing which featured short speeches from Danny Jordaan (Coordinator of the local 2010 LOC), Anant Singh (Producer) Presley Chweneyeagae (playing ex prisoner Mark Sinners) and Junaid Ahmed (Director).

The most inspiring speakers were obviously the ex-prisoners themselves, who all fully captured the ethos of triumph in the face of adversity with compelling stories.

The Robben Island prisoners never doubted their beliefs in their cause and they knew that one day they would be free and were able rise above a situation that tried to dehumanise them.

Ex Robben Island Prisoner Anthony Suze: “We believed, we would prevail, our cause was just and we persevered in a situation that sought to undermine us, it gave us hope. It is amazing to think a game that people take for granted all around the world, was the very same game that gave a group of prisoners’ sanity and in a way glorified us,” said Mr Suze.

And, not above blowing their own Vuvezelas though, the players added they could give today’s youngsters a run for their money!

Former prisoner Sam Tshabalala said: “You should have seen how we played soccer!” “With only mielies (corn) in our stomachs, we played matches that would put the Kaiser Chiefs and Pirates (Famous South African Soccer Teams from Soweto) to shame!”

On the 89th birthday of South Africa's first democratic president Nelson Mandela, his dream came true when Makana FA was granted honorary membership of FIFA in a ceremony on Robben Island.

On leaving the island in 1970, SamThsabalala said to his comrades on the island: “One day the greatest in soccer will play with us / will play here. Could he imagine 30 years later his words would come true, and with the World Cup in 2010 as a bonus?

These soccer greats played in a special World XI versus Africa XI football match – 90 Minutes for Mandela to mark Madiba’s 89th birthday.

Molo Says: The movie “More than just a Game” is scheduled for release in November 2007 and CapeTownMagazine.com will showcase a unique trailer shortly.

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Read our special selection of news on Nelson Mandela.