Amandla! A Revolution in four-Part Harmony

Amandla! ('power' in the Xhosa language) is a magnificently engaging film, highlighting the extraordinary role of freedom songs in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Through a chronological history of the liberation struggle, the film cites examples of the way the music was used in the fight for freedom. Songs united those who were being oppressed and gave those fighting a way to express their plight. The music consoled those incarcerated, and created an effective underground form of communication inside the prisons. The film is a superb mix of interviews with previously exiled activists and musicians, combined with archival footage of organized protests.