Project Detail

London Recruits

London Recruits Film Ltd

Synopsis

1967. A militant white supremacist government dominates South Africa. Apartheid laws are ruthlessly enforced. Organised opposition is destroyed. Mandela is in prison. Underground networks smashed.
In exile, ANC leader Oliver Tambo has a plan to re-organise a new underground. That will take time. Right now, he needs to get a message of hope to the oppressed millions inside South Africa.
Using apartheid’s prejudices against itself, he recruits white sympathisers from London to run underground missions into the heart of the racist state. He tasks Ronnie Kasrils, a charismatic young ANC fighter, with leading the London operation.
Ronnie’s recruits smuggle leaflets into the country to put in the mail. Through Joyce, a black journalist and ANC activist, we see leaflets reach individuals, but attempts to inspire a wider audience result in torture and imprisonment. No message of hope to millions.
In response, a secret propaganda weapon is invented – the leaflet bucket bomb. Despite dangers, Sean, Steve, Kathy and other young Londoners, volunteer to deploy them in South Africa. Spectacular explosions. Thousands of leaflets. No one is hurt and the message gets through. Success. Under pressure, Ronnie selects Sean for another mission. It’s a trap. Sean is now on death row.

Eye-witness testimony. Archive. Reconstruction.

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Details

Year: 2022
Type of project: Features
Running time: 100 min
Format: 4k, 2k
Director: Gordon Main
Producer: Gordon Main, Colin Charles, James Barratt, Jacintha de Nobrega, Felix Gill
Co-Producer: Jacintha de Nobrega
Executive Producer: Robyn Slovo, Geoff Arbourne
Editor: Collin Games, Justine Wright
Screenwriter: Gordon Main
Director of Photography: Gordon Main, Richard Lynch
Production Designer: Keith Maxwell, Tertius Swanepoel. Hamish Macleod
Sound: Nicholas Davies
Composer: Sion Trefor
Principal cast: Ronnie Kasrils, Sean Hosey, Steve Marsling, Joyce Sikkikane, Tumelo Nkwanca, Sechaba Rampele, Tom Evans, Mitchell Baggott, Alex Gwyther, Sam Medupe,
Costume design: Caroline Llewellyn, Zimasa Ndamase
Hair Make up: Jess Clarke