Linda Mvusi
Encyclopedia
Linda Mvusi is an actress and architect. Mvusi took an award for best actress
at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival
for her role in the film A World Apart
which was directed by Chris Menges
. Mvusi was the first South African to get a best Actress award at Cannes. Mvusi also shared in an award for excellence for her architecture on the Apartheid Museum
.
in (about) 1955 and was brought up in Northern Rhodesia
, Ghana
and Kenya
. She trained as an architect and was practicing her craft in Harare
when she met Chris Menges who was trying to find locations for his film, A World Apart
, near Bulawayo
. Mvusi was initially wary of this film as she suspected it was a film made by outsiders with foreign money for a foreign audience. Mvusi felt that the millions of foreign money was preventing Africans from telling their own story. She said "white film makers [are] suppressing our own growth, our own view of history [and] our own reality". However Menges impressed her when he began to cast locals and ANC
members into the cast.
The film was based on a play by Shawn Slovo
. The film tells the autobiographical story of Shawn Slovo
the thirteen year old daughter of Joe Slovo
and is primarily the story of her mother Ruth First
. The film explores the relationship between the daughter and her white mother. The mother is committed to the fight against the political oppression in South Africa, but the pressure of the family and politics collide and bring about the families breakup. It is set at the time of the apartheid regime in South Africa
. Joe Slovo was then the head of the communist party in South Africa
. In the film the names of the parents are changed to Gus and Diana Roth and their daughter is renamed Molly. In real life and in the film they employed a maid to care for their child. This person, Elsie, was played by Mvusi in the film.
Menges said he preferred to work with non-professional actors like Mvusi and Jodhi May
(she played Molly in the film). This view may have reflected however the poor relationship between Menges and Barbara Hershey
, who played the leading role of the mother. Mvusi reported that there were many arguments during the making of the film. Much of the tension was due to not wanting to lose the "black story", but Mvusi felt the arguments were worth it as the film was true to its message. She credits Menges with ensuring that they "are extremely sympathetic, because they are true." The film was dedicated to Ruth First
who was killed by a parcel bomb sent by the South African Police
in 1982.
magazine. Mvusi returned to her profession as an architect and practices with her own company in South Africa. She has worked on the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg
. where she has been named in an award for excellence by the South African Institute of Architects. In 2004, Mvusi was working on an urban village called Fort West in Tshwane.
South African Institute of Architects
Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * ....
at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival
1988 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Ettore Scola*Claude Berri*David Robinson*Yelena Safonova*George Miller*Hector Olivera*Nastassja Kinski*Philippe Sarde*Robby Muller*William Goldman-Feature film competition:* A World Apart by Chris Menges...
for her role in the film A World Apart
A World Apart (film)
A World Apart is a 1988 anti-Apartheid drama, written by Shawn Slovo and directed by Chris Menges. It is based on the lives of Slovo's parents, Ruth First and Joe Slovo. The film was a co-production between companies from the UK and Zimbabwe, where the movie was filmed...
which was directed by Chris Menges
Chris Menges
Chris Menges BSC, ASC, is an English cinematographer and film director. He is a member of both the American and British Societies of Cinematographers.-Life and career:...
. Mvusi was the first South African to get a best Actress award at Cannes. Mvusi also shared in an award for excellence for her architecture on the Apartheid Museum
Apartheid Museum
The Apartheid Museum is a museum complex in Johannesburg, South Africa dedicated to illustrating apartheid and the 20th century history of South Africa. The structure pictured here is owned by Gold Reef - the Casino Company.- History :...
.
Biography
Linda Mvusi was born in the Free StateFree State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
in (about) 1955 and was brought up in Northern Rhodesia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. She trained as an architect and was practicing her craft in Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
when she met Chris Menges who was trying to find locations for his film, A World Apart
A World Apart (film)
A World Apart is a 1988 anti-Apartheid drama, written by Shawn Slovo and directed by Chris Menges. It is based on the lives of Slovo's parents, Ruth First and Joe Slovo. The film was a co-production between companies from the UK and Zimbabwe, where the movie was filmed...
, near Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
. Mvusi was initially wary of this film as she suspected it was a film made by outsiders with foreign money for a foreign audience. Mvusi felt that the millions of foreign money was preventing Africans from telling their own story. She said "white film makers [are] suppressing our own growth, our own view of history [and] our own reality". However Menges impressed her when he began to cast locals and ANC
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
members into the cast.
The film was based on a play by Shawn Slovo
Shawn Slovo
Shawn Slovo is a screenwriter, best known for the film A World Apart, based on her childhood in South Africa under the apartheid. She is the daughter of the late South African Communist Party leaders Joe Slovo and Ruth First...
. The film tells the autobiographical story of Shawn Slovo
Shawn Slovo
Shawn Slovo is a screenwriter, best known for the film A World Apart, based on her childhood in South Africa under the apartheid. She is the daughter of the late South African Communist Party leaders Joe Slovo and Ruth First...
the thirteen year old daughter of Joe Slovo
Joe Slovo
For Joe Slovo Informal Settlement in Cape Town, see: Joe Slovo .Joe Slovo was a South African politician, long-time leader of the South African Communist Party , and leading member of the African National Congress.-Life:Slovo was born in Obeliai, Lithuania to a Jewish family who emigrated to South...
and is primarily the story of her mother Ruth First
Ruth First
Ruth First was a white South African anti-apartheid activist and scholar born in Johannesburg, South Africa...
. The film explores the relationship between the daughter and her white mother. The mother is committed to the fight against the political oppression in South Africa, but the pressure of the family and politics collide and bring about the families breakup. It is set at the time of the apartheid regime in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Joe Slovo was then the head of the communist party in South Africa
South African Communist Party
South African Communist Party is a political party in South Africa. It was founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa by the joining together of the International Socialist League and others under the leadership of Willam H...
. In the film the names of the parents are changed to Gus and Diana Roth and their daughter is renamed Molly. In real life and in the film they employed a maid to care for their child. This person, Elsie, was played by Mvusi in the film.
Jodhi May
Jodhi May is an English actress.-Early life:Born in Camden Town, London, May first acted at the age of 12 in 1988's A World Apart. The role earned her a Best Actress award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, shared with her co-stars Barbara Hershey and Linda Mvusi...
(she played Molly in the film). This view may have reflected however the poor relationship between Menges and Barbara Hershey
Barbara Hershey
Barbara Hershey , also known as Barbara Seagull, is an American actress. In a career spanning nearly 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema, in several genres including westerns and comedies...
, who played the leading role of the mother. Mvusi reported that there were many arguments during the making of the film. Much of the tension was due to not wanting to lose the "black story", but Mvusi felt the arguments were worth it as the film was true to its message. She credits Menges with ensuring that they "are extremely sympathetic, because they are true." The film was dedicated to Ruth First
Ruth First
Ruth First was a white South African anti-apartheid activist and scholar born in Johannesburg, South Africa...
who was killed by a parcel bomb sent by the South African Police
South African Police
The South African Police was the country's police force until 1994. The SAP traced its origin to the Dutch Watch, a paramilitary organization formed by settlers in the Cape in 1655, initially to protect civilians against attack and later to maintain law and order...
in 1982.
Architecture
Her performance was thought creditable by NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine. Mvusi returned to her profession as an architect and practices with her own company in South Africa. She has worked on the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. where she has been named in an award for excellence by the South African Institute of Architects. In 2004, Mvusi was working on an urban village called Fort West in Tshwane.
Honours
1988 Cannes Film Festival1988 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Ettore Scola*Claude Berri*David Robinson*Yelena Safonova*George Miller*Hector Olivera*Nastassja Kinski*Philippe Sarde*Robby Muller*William Goldman-Feature film competition:* A World Apart by Chris Menges...
- 1988: Best Actress for A World Apart (shared)
South African Institute of Architects
- 2004 Award for Excellence for the Apartheid MuseumApartheid MuseumThe Apartheid Museum is a museum complex in Johannesburg, South Africa dedicated to illustrating apartheid and the 20th century history of South Africa. The structure pictured here is owned by Gold Reef - the Casino Company.- History :...
in JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
(shared)