Sarafina! 32 years old
She was their teacher. They were her hope.
The plot centers on students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to the implementation of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in schools. The stage version presents a school uprising similar to the Soweto uprising on June 16, 1976. A narrator introduces several characters among them the school girl activist Sarafina. Things get out of control when a policeman shoots several pupils in a classroom. Nevertheless, the musical ends with a cheerful farewell show of pupils leaving school, which takes most of act two. In the movie version Sarafina feels shame at her mother's (played by Miriam Makeba in the film) acceptance of her role as domestic servant in a white household in apartheid South Africa, and inspires her peers to rise up in protest, especially after her inspirational teacher, Mary Masombuka (played by Whoopi Goldberg in the film version) is imprisoned.
Credits
Sarafina! Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Whoopi Goldberg She was 36, now 69 years old | as Mary Masembuko |
| John Kani He was 49, now 81 years old | as School Principal |
| Greg Latter He was 37, now 69 years old | as Policeman |
| Robert Whitehead He was 169, 82 years old when he died | as Interrogator |
| Miriam Makeba She was 60, 76 years old when she died | as Angelina |
| Mary Twala She was 53, now 85 years old | as Sarafina's Grandmother |
| James Whyle | as Soldier |
| Tertius Meintjes | as Lieutenant Bloem |
| Leleti Khumalo She was 22, now 54 years old | as Sarafina |
| Michelle Bestbier | as Mrs. Hendricks |
| Dumisani Dlamini | as Crocodile |
Sarafina! Crew
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| David M. Thompson as Producer. He was 42 (now 74) years old | Production |
| William Nicholson as Screenplay. He was 120 (77) years old when He died | Writing |
| Megan Gill as First Assistant Editor. | Editing |
| Emilia Roux as Set Decoration. | Art |
| Darrell James Roodt as Director. He was 30 (now 62) years old | Directing |
| Anant Singh as Producer. He was 36 (now 68) years old | Production |
| Helena Spring as Executive Producer. | Production |
| Debra-Lee Davidson as Makeup Artist. | Costume & Make-Up |
| Stanley Myers as Music. He was 61 (63) years old when He died | Sound |
| Kirk D'Amico as Executive Producer. | Production |
| Mark Vicente as Cinematography. He was 27 (now 59) years old | Crew |
| Peter Hollywood as Editor. | Editing |
| David Heitner as Editor. | Editing |
| David Barkham as Production Design. | Art |
| Sudhir Pragjee as Executive Producer. | Production |
| Sanjeev Singh as Executive Producer. | Production |
Sarafina! (32 years)
She was their teacher. They were her hope.
- Release day: Friday, September 18, 1992
- Runtime: 117 minutes