TIM ROBBINS SEARCHES FOR HUMANITY IN APARTHEID ATROCITIES

(VIDEO) Activist actor Tim Robbins searches to find the humanity in his apartheid police officer in Catch A Fire.

Tim Robbins stars in Catch A Fire, the true story of South African prisoner Patrick Chamusso a member of the outlawed activist organization African National Congress accused of terrorist activities involving the country’s oil refinery. Robbins plays Nic Vos, a colonel in the country’s Police Security Branch who tortures an innocent Chamusso played by Derek Luke until he breaks down and joins the efforts to free his people from the oppressive apartheid system. Tim, an activist in his own right talks about the movie’s message.

Tim visited South Africa before filming to find the humanity of his character whose beliefs and methods of justice were so completely different from his own.

“It’s the story of struggle, not only the black struggle in South Africa but the white struggle. How these guys that were involved in the policing of South Africa wound up compromising themselves as well in engaging in morally reprehensible behavior.”

Despite the unspeakable truths that Tim learned from the South African police tactics during apartheid, he did discover the ANC was powerful enough to be a palpable threat.

“Well my job was to find the compassion and to find the humanity in apartheid special branch officer. I wasn’t sure when I left the states if that were possible because I have my feelings about apartheid and these people. But I knew it was my challenge so hitting the ground in South Africa I had to hang out with these guys and meet them and have barbecues with them and go to rugby games with them and talk to my advisor and learn the accent.”

Catch A Fire opens Friday in theaters.rn

“The whites were outnumbered. I think there were three million whites and 20 million blacks. They were ruling from intense fear that they were gonna be overtaken. As we today with fear, when you allow your government to rule from fear often times human rights can be compromised and often times that can exacerbate the problem and create more rebels than it’s getting rid of.”