A few months ago I had a chance to attend an event called MegaFest in Dallas, celebrating African American professionals in entertainment. One of the special events happening there was the red carpet premiere of WINNIE MANDELA, starring Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson. I had a chance to chat briefly with Hudson on the carpet, followed by the great Robert Townsend and the stunningly beautiful Holly Robinson Peete. You can see the video from that below. But if you’d like to see the movie, you can catch it now on DVD and Blu-ray. It co-stars Terrence Howard, Elias Koteas and Wendy Crewson. This release also comes at a sad time as Nelson Mandela passed away this week, leaving behind an incredible legacy. The film chronicles Winnie’s life leading into her marriage with Nelson Mandela, and his incarceration. I’m happy to see Hudson getting more lead roles, as she’s definitely a force to be reckoned with in front of the camera and deserves more screen time. Check out the new movie and tell us what you think in the comments. My thanks to the lovely Rachel Parker for braving the insanity on the red carpet shooting the video for me below.
Starring Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson (Best Supporting Actress, Dreamgirls, 2006) and Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (Best Actor, Hustle & Flow, 2005), Winnie Mandela is an epic story of love, sacrifice and courage.
Moving from a remote tribal village to the sprawling metropolis of Johannesburg, South Africa, a proud young Winnie (Hudson) soon found love with a rising political star, Nelson Mandela (Howard). When Nelson was imprisoned for protesting the brutal Apartheid government, Winnie worked tirelessly to win his freedom and to carry on his message of peace and equality. Her struggle to keep the Mandela dream alive was rewarded by years of persecution and imprisonment, including 18 months of solitary confinement. Throughout, her resolve to fight for her freedom, her family and her country never wavered. Her leadership and unconquerable spirit caught the attention of the world and earned her the name “the mother of the nation.”