The film of a play, written by three Africans attending a conference in Caux, Switzerland. The play and the film tell the story of African men and women fighting for their freedom and independence, for land, and fighting against each other. Progressively throughout the film the black king of the land, a white man (Mr. Roland) who represents the colonizing power, and different local people discover a way to fight together and unite in order to find a plan for their country and then to go out to remake the world. 'Freedom' is thought to be the first colour feature film scripted by Africans and filmed in Africa (Nigeria).
"Ten thousand Africans, without asking for a penny, have provided a spectacle such as no director could have assembled, even at the cost of millions. Why did so many human beings give their time in this way ? Because they ail saw in the ideas of the film a hope and a force for the future. I believe that it would be a grave error not to take into account that force and those hopes." ANDRÉ MAUROIS, of the French
"Academy Money, munitions and manpower can never win freedom. Wealth never buys it. Power never secures it. ln our lifetime we have seen nations of wealth, power and numbers forfeit their freedom. Freedom is a matter of character, not of colour, and when its character crumbles, a nation is inevitably on the high road to slavery. A nation with division in the family, racial discrimination and bitterness in industry, is a nation in danger of losing its freedom. We wrote the play and made the film FREEDOM. It is the authentic voice of Africa. A leading American Negro educator called it 'the boldest, most audacious approach to the solution of the fundamental problem of human relations that has been made in our time'." Manasseh Moreane, South Africa
English
