In celebration of Black History Month STUDIOCANAL is proud to reveal a brand new 4K restoration of seminal British classic CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY (1951) from Hungarian director/producer Zoltan Korda (THE FOUR FEATHERS), arriving soon on Blu-Ray & Digital for the first time, alongside a new DVD on 9th October as part of the Vintage Classics brand.
Showcasing a first rate cast including the phenomenal Canada Lee (LIFEBOAT) in his last on screen role, and in one of his earliest feature roles, acting royalty Sidney Poitier (LILIES OF THE FIELD), alongside British acting stalwarts Charles Carson (SECRET AGENT) and Joyce Carey (BRIEF ENCOUNTER). Adapted for the screen by literary icon and author of the highly acclaimed novel CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY – Alan Paton, this incredibly powerful and moving feature is about the heartbreak and friendship echoed between two very different men during a time of extreme racial tension under apartheid in South Africa.
In his last role on screen, the outstanding Canada Lee plays Kumalo, a hard up Zulu priest who journeys from a small village in rural South Africa to Johannesburg in search of his missing son. The findings of this good man come as blows one by one, first that his sister is a prostitute and then that his son has been arrested and sentenced to death for the shooting of an important white man.
Back in the village, Jarvis, a rich white farmer (Charles Carson), indifferent to the injustices imposed by the apartheid, hears of the murder of his son. Through this tragedy, Jarvis learns that his son was a great activist opposed to the oppression of Black South Africans and thus comes to have a new understanding of their struggles.
Adapted by Alan Paton from his renowned classic novel of the same name and directed by Zoltan Korda, this is the story of two men from very different backgrounds who are united through the tragic deaths of their sons and whose extension of the hand of friendship to one another eventually brings a hope of peace among the bitter turmoil of South African society.
Remarkably shot on location in South Africa by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Krasker (THE THIRD MAN), CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY is a deeply poignant political drama documenting one of the most extreme racial injustices in modern history.
Extras on the Blu-Ray & DVD include a new and informative interview with writer of the only Canada Lee biography – Mona Z Smith, archive footage including a documentary on cinema under apartheid plus footage from the African Premiere, alongside archive interviews with South African filmmaker/actor Lionel Ngakane and writer Alan Paton. The release also includes a 16 page booklet that includes an essay detailing the fascinating production of the film and the locations it was shot in.
Pre-order your copy of CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY on Blu-Ray or DVD now.
