Albie
A Strange Alchemy
Screenings – Jozi
Shaped by exile, loss and a brutal bomb attack, Albie Sachs stands as one of South Africaโs most revered anti-apartheid activists and visionary thinkers. Surviving imprisonment and a near-fatal assassination attempt by the apartheid regime, Albie helped draft a constitution that would guide a nation toward justice and healing, anchoring a new South Africa in dignity, equality and progress. As a constitutional court judge working in a building atop a former prison, surrounded by contemporary art, Sachs authored landmark rulings that echoed around the world. Now, turning 90, he reflects on the strange alchemy of idealism and realism that shaped both his life and a nationโs rebirth. Through lyrical imagery, intimate archival footage and sweeping reflections, the film traces a life where law meets art, struggle gives rise to beauty, and revolutions are born from ruins. Albie: A Strange Alchemy is a poetic journey through justice, resilience and the enduring power of hope.
Guests
Director: Sara Gouveia
Film Stills
Press Comments
Director Sara de Gouveia takes an intimate look at the extraordinary life and career of struggle veteran, former Constitutional Court justice and art lover Albie Sachs. It ranges from his politicisation as the child of Jewish immigrant workers’ rights activists in Cape Town to his work as a lawyer representing those targeted by the apartheid regime, his arrest, exile and surviving the bomb attack that left him blind in one eye and without the use of an arm, to his return to SA and dedication to the creation and upholding of the constitution. Through it all, Sachs has managed to maintain a fundamental belief in the ability of humanity to persevere and overcome its darkest moments for the greater good.
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