Beetz Brothers & Storyscope Team for Apartheid Series

Germany’s Beetz Brothers Film Production and South Africa’s Storyscope have partnered to co-produce Free at Last, a three-part docuseries covering the history of apartheid.

Commissioned to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s inauguration, the series marks the pivotal moments of the apartheid era. European broadcasters ZDF/ARTE and VPRO are on board, along with South Africa’s SABC, to bring light to unknown stories from the brutal apartheid regime through exclusive interviews and firsthand accounts from victims, perpetrators and politicians.

Free at Last covers moments from the establishment of the apartheid state, its segregation laws and violent tactics to the birth of the African National Congress (ANC), Mandela’s fight for freedom and the Truth Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to the current day attempts of the victims’ families to finally get the truth out.

The series will also be available as a feature-length film. It is being produced by Reinhardt Beetz (beetz brothers) and Neil Brandt (Storyscope), with award-winning journalists and filmmakers Misha Wessel, Thomas Blom and Xoliswa Sithole directing.

“The backbone of the series is the unfolding of the infamous COSAS 4 case, in which four youths who wanted to join the armed struggle got caught in a trap,” said Neil Brandt, CEO of Storyscope. “The trial, currently in court, is the first where a case against humanity and murder perpetrated during apartheid will be heard in a South African court.”

Reinhardt Beetz, co-CEO of Beetz Brothers, said, “The team behind this series has done an exceptional job, having spent years researching these events, establishing an extensive network of sources and securing exclusive access to key figures and eyewitnesses who are coming forth for the first time to reveal the truth and share their experiences.”

“As the SABC, we are honored to partner on this important story,” added Tshilidzi Davhana, head of factual of SABC. “Free at Last will assist us in delivering on our 30 Years of Democracy slate with the view of promoting continued dialogue and reigniting the nation in a period where many have lost hope. The documentary will also serve as a vehicle to carry the story of democracy forward and remind us how far we have come and how much further we can go.”