Fight Lunchbox Bullies and Discover Who Killed Maggie at Encounters 2009

2009 Discover what copyright law, Margaret Thatcher, and Mike Tyson have in Common

Encounters Documentary Festival is South Africa’s premier film festival – each year the festival brings you world premiers, award winning films, and once-off screenings you can’t afford to miss. So grab a program, make your picks and head down to the Fest today!

For a complete outline of the Encounters events taking place in Cape Town, read our overview of the 2009 Encounters Documentary Film Festival.

18:30 - RIP - a remix manifesto
Canada 2009 85min
Dir: Brett Gaylor

In what is essentially the bizarre story of recent copyright law, director Gaylor examines music, medicine and other copyrights to make an impassioned plea for the reintroduction of free speech and ‘fair use’ in all areas of culture.

18:45 – Lunchbox Bullies
South Africa 2009 48min
Dirs: Nhlanhla Mthethwa & Nadiva Schraibman

Despite comprehensive guidelines (Section 28 of the Bill of Rights), children in South Africa face more challenges to their health and well-being today than ever before.

Through frank and often heartbreaking interviews with children, Lunchbox Bullies highlights the difficulties that often lead to children bullying each other.

Yet despite the socialist leaning, the film commendably tackles the breadth of reasons behind why a child may go bad, asking startling questions about inherent psychology as well as society’s role.

Co-Director Mthethwa is a guest of the Festival and will attend the screening of his film on 10 July.

20:30 – Tyson
USA 2008 90min
Dir: James Toback

A man rising from nothing to unlimited heights, destroyed by his own pride.

Tyson is acclaimed indie director Toback’s stylistically inventive portrait of the mesmerizing baddest boy of boxing and undisputed heavyweight champion of all time, Mike Tyson.

In its depiction of a man rising from the most debased circumstances to unlimited heights, destroyed by his own hubris, Tyson emerges as a modern day version of classic Greek tragedy.

20:30 – Who Killed Maggie?
France 2009 52min
Dir: William Karel

In 1990, after 11 years as one of Britain’s most influential and controversial leaders, Margaret Thatcher was ousted by her own party in a ‘Grecian tragedy of matricide.’

Now, nearly 20 years later, Karel tells the brutal story of the extraordinary events of her last few weeks, through commentary from all the major players – the executioners Geoffrey Howe, Nigel Lawson, Kenneth Clarke as well as cabinet and inside commentators.

Karel’s film brilliantly captures the tension and tumult of the time and pulls no punches as it goes beneath the surface of a democracy, inelegantly, fascinatingly and frantically at work.

Karel is a guest of the Festival and travels courtesy of the French Embassy.

*Tickets can be purchased online on the Encounters website or at the V&A Waterfront box office

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