Rhode Island International Film Festival 2009

From the dusty roads of the Soweto township to the manicured lawns of Johannesburg's suburbs, Comrades follows six ordinary South Africans- who represent a cross-section of South African society - as they train for and compete one of the world's toughest marathons - the historic 90 kilometre (56 mile) Comrades Marathon, run annually by more than 13,000 amateurs between the cities of Durban and Peitermaritzburg. Over the course of the film we discover these runners' individual personalities, beliefs, aspirations and stories of hardship and success. But we also gain an insight into South Africa itself - past and present - for Comrades' history (explored through archive footage) is interwoven with that of the country's.Started in the heydey of colonial power, Comrades was established as a living memorial to the fallen soldiers of WWI. The first starter's gun was fired on Empire Day in 1921 with a field of 34 runners and, since then, the race has grown from into South Africa's most popular sporting event and the only one that is truly multi-racial. But it was not always so; during South Africa's political and sporting isolation, the republican government used the race to bolster its nationalist message - denying black South African's the chance to run the race and even holding the marathon as part of the 'repbulic day' celebrations. This political aspect to the race ensure that Comrades was used by those who opposed the apartheid regime as a public platform for opposition and, in 1975, nearly 20 years before Nelson Mandela was freed from imprisonment, black South Africans and women were granted the right to compete - the result of public pressure and the government's desire to improve the country's international standing.Today Comrades has emerged as a powerful symbol of unity and is run on 'Youth Day', the commemoration of Hector Pieterson's death during the Soweto riots of 1976.This complex history is explored throughout the film - not only through archive footage but also the stories and reflections of the characters we follow who, united in their belief in the race's social importance, see Comrades as an important emblem of the 'new' South Africa.CHARACTERS:Father Lecheko seems out of place in Soweto in his florescent running shorts and his small garage room, bursting with teddy bears. His dream is to work as a wedding planner but he is stuck as a hospital security guard. He's penniless after a fraudster stole his life savings and believes that running his 10th Comrades is proof of his strength the face of adversity. The trip to Durban is also a chance to meet his son who he has not seen in a year.Johnny Demas was blinded in a gang fight in 1978 but this has not stopped him running Comrades 18 times. Running was a way out of the anger that consumed him in the years after his 'accident'. He is piloted by Moses, his factory co-worker and a local priest. Though a much faster runner, Moses says you can't beat the feeling of crossing the finish line with Johnny."Running is my life" declares Riana van Niekerk a young Afrikaans professional runner from Pretoria. She's coached by her anxious husband Allie, 45, and spends her days training and watching sport on television. Last time she ran Comrades, Riana overtrained and collapsed at 60k. This year she is going for gold. Peter Lepobo hasn't the same time to train, working long shifts as a miner in Randfontein. A fast runner, Peter's convinced Comrades is his golden ticket to a new life. But he needs to shave 40 mins off his last running time if he's to make the top ten. Andrew Kehele was the first black man to win Comrades after apartheid - an honour that earned him a telephone call from Nelson Mandela. Andrew, a quiet man who works as a police officer in Mafeking, attributes his win to his late daughter, who died that same year. This year he's out to win as he'd like to retire in style and make history as the first runner to win 10 consecutive gold medals.Nico Pretorius Jnr is only 21 but he's running his second Comrades. He began running to lose weight and his immaculate room is full of gym equipment and bodybuilding manuals. At Potchesfostroom university, one of the few remaining bastions of Afrikaans culture, Nico is a popular student. However, his attachment to his mother and his Bob the Builder duvet cover has not earned him much luck with the girls. The entire Pretorius family (in matching outfits) will be there on race day to watch Nico run.STRUCTURE: Using a mixture of observation and interview the first 50 minutes of the film introduces our various characters - at work, at home, with family and friends - interwoven with sequences that explore the race's history. This leads into race day itself, where, for a dramatic (and intermittently comic) 30 minutes, each of our runners battles to meet their own expectations - with varying degrees of success! After the chaos of race day, our characters return to their normal lives. Does Comrades live up to the status it holds in the South African psyche? Each runner might have changed, but South Africa remains the same.