Viewers are in for a treat as a new biography following the true story of the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu is set to be unveiled this weekend.
Titled The Arch, the four-part biography by an emerging production company, Attuned You in collaboration with Arena Holdings and the SABC, tells the story of a devout man who comes to political activism late in adulthood and takes on a conservative and racist opposition, against his rise to leadership within the Anglican church. It’s a tale of fearlessness and sacrifice that also brims with laughter and Archbishop Tutu’s exuberant sense of humour.
“The Arch will make you laugh, and it will make you cry, particularly because the interviewees provide such emotional testimony of their experience with the late Archbishop Tutu in the struggle against apartheid,”
— Series producer, Eddie Mbalo
The documentary will feature in-depth interviews with the late icon’s family members, including his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe and son, Trevor Tutu. Fellow activists and colleagues such as Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Dr Brigalia Bam, Dr Alan Boesak, Cheryl Carolus, Mathata Tsedu, Yasmin Sooka and many other veterans of the struggle.
Series producer, Eddie Mbalo said that viewers would experience a whirlwind of emotions while watching.
“The Arch will make you laugh, and it will make you cry, particularly because the interviewees provide such emotional testimony of their experience with the late Archbishop Tutu in the struggle against apartheid,” he said.
Group CEO at Arena Holdings, Pule Molebeledi, said it was important for this story to be told.
“We are so excited to deliver this historic piece about a timeless man of substance to the South African public and rest of the world. The series traces Archbishop Tutu’s selfless and life-threatening pursuit of democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. It reflects on the tumultuous era stretching from the late 1960s while at the University of Fort Hare leading to his rebellious years as a resident of Soweto,
“The Arch, as he was fondly known by all of us, is one of those compelling and authentic stories about servant leadership and extraordinary temperament. This story demanded to be told. Arena Holdings’ partners Attuned You and the SABC, together with our publication, the Sunday Times [Sowetan’s sister publication], spared no effort to research and curate this majestic story about this giant of history so sensitively and authentically,” he said.
Echoing his sentiments, executive producer, Naniwe Maqetuka, said that the documentary is the first of many which will tell the stories of great people from SA and the continent.
“We’re so excited that The Arch is the first television documentary Attuned You has produced to mark its entry into the South African film landscape , with a signature quality and depth of story-telling that we intend to bring into all our work.”
The Arch debuts on SABC 2 at 9:30 pm on Sunday, October 20 2024.
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