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Nicolas Rossier, Director/Producer
About the Project
In less than four years, Frederik Willem de Klerk went from being Nelson Mandela's jailor to his Deputy President.
De Klerk served as President of South Africa from 1989 to 1994. Initially a supporter of the apartheid state, he is widely credited for orchestrating the end of South Africa's racial segregation policy and leading the country's transformation into multi-racial democracy alongside Nelson Mandela. In 1993, de Klerk and Mandela jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize, but not without controversy. Rossier examines the life and times of a man who, reviled by some, praised by others, has somehow remained in the shadows of his exploits. From the political minefield of his time as an apartheid ruler to his tense relations with Mandela and Desmond Tutu and his legacy as the last white President, this film is the definitive resource for understanding the man behind the name.
The film will include in-depth interviews with de Klerk, as well as with a range of experts and South Africans who played a vital role in pre- and post-apartheid South Africa, including Patti Waldmeir, Albie Sachs, Mathews Phosa,Yasmin Sooka, Richard Goldstone, Chester Crocker, Randall Robinson, Adriaan Vlok, Mangosuthu Buthelezi and more.