Mugabe and the White African

In 1980, Robert Mugabe was democratically elected in the former British colony of Rhodesia. During the first 20 years of his increasingly dictatorial regime, he largely left the white minority alone. In 2000, however, he introduced his land reform policy aimed at dispossessing white farmers and dividing their land up among the black population. Mike Campbell was one of the white farmers told to give up his flourishing business. He refused and decided to take legal action against Mugabe. Together with his son-in-law and business partner Ben Freeth, he traveled to Namibia to press racism charges against Mugabe before an international court. Clearly displaying their emotional involvement in the case, filmmakers Lucy Baily and Andrew Thompson follow Campbell and his associates' struggle for justice. Campbell's unconditional love for his country is reflected by breathtaking shots of Zimbabwe's natural beauty. In great contrast to this, secretly filmed footage shows moments when he is threatened, or has to repel intruders in the middle of the night. The tension mounts as the film unfolds like a thriller. Workers are intimidated and beaten, friendly farmers are forcibly ejected from their homes, and Campbell and Freeth begin to fear for their lives.