Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua is set to direct a feature documentary on former South African President Nelson Mandela. The documentary is tentatively titled Troublemaker: The Story Behind the Mandela Tapes.
According to a press statement, The documentary will feature the newly discovered audio interviews of Mandela - fondly called Madiba - in order to bring an “honest, accurate and definitive depiction” about the late leader.
Executive producer Mac Maharaj, a close friend of Mandela’s who was once his cellmate, has teamed up with the director on the film. Before eventually getting Mandela’s autobiography out of jail, Maharaj spent 12 years writing it while living with Mandela in a small cell on Robben Island. Later on, he rose to the position of minister in Mandela’s administration.
Fuqua started filming in South Africa, where he spoke with several of Mandela’s erstwhile allies and other significant people who had previously interacted with the man who was lovingly referred to as “Madiba.”
“It’s an honor to bring to the screen the untold story of Mandela, a man I’ve revered my entire life,” Fuqua said. “For decades, Mandela and his comrades were put through the most inhumane conditions imaginable. Yet they came out of jail with love and forgiveness in their hearts, and rather than seeking vengeance, they sought to unite the country. His compassion and inner strength enabled Mandela to make meaningful change. This film will investigate how Mandela came through his ordeals with his humanity intact, and reveal the tough and shrewd politician behind his iconic ‘nice guy’ persona.”
Maharaj said, “I have longed to see the story of Nelson Mandela, and his decades-long fight and sacrifice for freedom, equality and justice told in an authentic, complex and revelatory way. It is a story that is more relevant to humanity today, than ever. I am thrilled that a director of Antoine Fuqua’s skill, creativity, and integrity has agreed to take on this challenging task.”