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Tuesday, 14 October
Black History Month UK
Big Picture Festival
Inclusivity
Towards the end of this summer, we hosted a Q&A screening of Comrade Tambo’s London Recruits as part of the sixth Big Picture Film Festival.
In honour of Black History Month, we want to reflect on this event and draw out some of the film’s key themes and messages.
Comrade Tambo’s London Recruits is an award-winning documentary which chronicles the secret missions by ordinary British people, who risked their lives to fight apartheid in South Africa. It's a story about the fight for civil rights, a key pillar of Black History.
Adapted from a book by Ken Keable called London Recruits: The Secret War Against Apartheid, director Gordon Main interviewed many of the recruits as well as former officials who enforced the racist regime. Main’s documentary consists of these dynamic testimonies, mixed with archive footage and photography and suspenseful cinematic reactions.
Following the screening, Main was joined by former London Recruit Sean Hosey for an engaging Q&A with festival team member, Brian Harley. Gordon shared insights into his filmmaking, interview process and the moral complexity of telling this story while Sean’s reflections of his lived experiences added further gravity to the evening, as he detailed the perilous geopolitics of the time and the impulse and courage that fuelled him to get involved.
Who was Oliver Tambo?
Oliver Tambo was the President of the African National Congress (ANC) leading the movement during its most difficult years in exile. He built international alliances, secured support from some governments and civil society and kept the ANC unified and focused despite intense pressure.
Apartheid (an Afrikaans word meaning “apartness”) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid laws dictated where individuals could live, work and go to school based on their racial classification. South Africans were classed into racial groups and laws were passed to determine how these groups could or could not access resources, rights and services, leading to significant inequalities for non-white people.
“Be Anti-Racist”
One of the key messages from director Gordon Main during the Q&A was for people in society to do more. “It’s not enough to just be against racism. We need to be anti-racist” he says. This doesn’t mean putting yourself in harm’s way like the London Recruits did. Rather, it simply encourages a greater level of engagement, such as speaking out against injustice, reflecting on personal biases and working toward a more inclusive and equitable society.
Key aspects of anti-racism include awareness, action, advocacy and education.
Awareness is about recognising how racism operates at individual, institutional and societal levels.
Action is about taking deliberate steps to dismantle racist policies, practices and attitudes.
Advocacy is about supporting policies and movements that promote racial equity and justice.
Education is about studying the history and impact of racism and amplifying marginalised voices.
Meet Sean Hosey
Sean Hosey was a member of the Young Communist League in London during the early 1970s. Recruited by Ronnie Kasrils, Sean volunteered for covert missions to support the ANC in its fight against apartheid. As the documentary reveals, these missions involved smuggling ANC propaganda materials which included leaflets, banners and audio recordings into South Africa to inspire resistance and raise awareness among oppressed communities.
On his second mission in 1972, Sean was arrested in Durban, South Africa. He was tortured, held in solitary confinement and sentenced to five years in prison, which he served in full. During his incarceration, he endured harrowing conditions, including time on death row where he witnessed the haunting songs of black inmates accompanying fellow prisoners to their execution, which is powerfully recreated in the documentary.
During the Q&A, Sean spoke about his experiences in greater detail, what he thought of his captors then - and today - was particularly powerful. Understandably, there is no love lost - yet Sean agrees their appearance in the documentary was useful as it helps to expose their accountability.
Though many decades have since passed, Sean still possesses the moral clarity and conviction that drove him to act against apartheid. He modestly described his role as a “walk-on part” in a much larger struggle, but his bravery and sacrifice remain a powerful testament to international solidarity.
The Right To Protest
The event concluded with some final thoughts from Gordon about protecting our right to protest. As the film shows, protesting is a powerful tool for change, but it can carry risks as so often proved over the decades.
The bravery and discretion of the London Recruits played a vital role in sustaining the ANC’s presence inside South Africa during a time when many of its leaders were imprisoned or in exile. Their story is now recognised as a powerful example of international solidarity and grassroots activism and just like this year’s theme for Black History month, the film and the filmmakers stand firm in power and pride.
South Africa Today
South Africa has undergone profound transformation since the end of apartheid in 1994, but the legacy of racial segregation and inequality still casts a long shadow. The ANC has governed since Nelson Mandela’s presidency, but faces growing public frustration. Despite expanded access to education, housing and welfare, South Africa is still the most unequal country in the world, with unemployment disproportionately affecting Black citizens.
Yet, the nation’s cultural richness, civic activism and commitment to reconciliation - embodied by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission - offer hope for a more inclusive future.
Huge thanks to Gordon Main and Sean Hosey for the Q&A at this year's festival.
Summarised by Brian Harley.
Find out more about Comrade Tambo's London Recruits here, watch the trailer or follow the story on Instagram.
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