Democrats to be Shown in Harare

Camilla Nielsson, director of ”Democrats” that was shown here in Belgrade (see post above) monday night, told me that the film will have its premiere in Harare Zimbabwe this coming friday. A press release from the Danish embassy goes like this:

The Royal Danish Embassy Office (RDEO) will present the screening of Democrats, a documentary about Zimbabwe’s power struggle for a new constitution, on Friday 6 February 2015. The film which was directed by award-winning Danish filmmaker Camilla Nielsson, will be shown at 6:30 PM to invited guests and the general public at the Book Café in the capital.

Democrats is an exciting, compelling and shocking documentary that presents a rare, vital snapshot of Zimbabwe’s democratization process in its initial planning stages. The film follows the co-chairpersons of the parliamentary select committee COPAC, Munyaridzi Paul Mangwana (central committee member of ZANU-PF) and Douglas Mwonzora (General Secretary for MDC-T) who were charged with creating a new constitution that satisfies the principles of both parties and the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe.

The RDEO brings the film to Zimbabwe for public viewing ahead of its global television premiere which is scheduled for 11 February on BBC, in the interests of transparency, accountability of governance and inclusive democracy.

Filmed over three years with an astonishing level of internal access, the documentary traces the tortuous process of cross-party negotiations behind the country’s 2013 constitution and lays bare calamitous conflicts and fallouts that took place both behind closed doors and in the public space.

Nielsson’s film covers the boardroom back-and-forth between the parties’ respective teams while imparting universal insights into the art and craft of political diplomacy.

It also contains blistering material on a compelling political battle; exposing attempts at political manipulation of the constitution making process while showing the personal war and distinctly gradual meeting of minds between Mangwana and Mwonzora.

Ahead of the screening, Head of Mission at the Royal Danish Embassy Office, Chargé d’Affaires e.p. Erik Brøgger Rasmussen says:  “It is almost two years since the people of Zimbabwe with a large majority voted in favour for the constitution. The Danish government fully backs the aspirations of the population and finds that it is time for the country to fully implement and live the new constitution. It’s strong bill of rights is critical in demonstrating respect for human rights and freedoms.

Since 2008 Denmark has been at the forefront in assisting Zimbabwe’s re-engagement process with the international community. Denmark is now Zimbabwe’s largest bilateral donor in per capita terms.