"Testing Hope: Grade 12 in the new South Africa chronicles the lives of four young people in Nyanga township, just outside Cape Town, South Africa, as they work towards their crucial Matric exams, which one student calls "the decider." These students began school in 1994, the same year apartheid ended and Nelson Mandela became president.

While this is the new South Africa, many vestiges of apartheid persist. Testing Hope follows the students as they prepare for the exams which they believe will determine their future. It explores what hangs in the balance if students pass Matric and what awaits those who do not. How do they achieve their dreams in a country where so many obstacles remain?" (Blank, 2007)

For more information visit: www.testinghope.com

Praise from Jonathan Jansen (http://www.testinghope.com/press.html):

"I cannot recall in many, many years a South African documentary film that has had more generative power.

Testing Hope has touched a raw nerve in our post-1994 democracy -- that despite all the busyness of educational reform and policymaking, most township schools remain more or less in the same material position as under apartheid.

What drives many to action upon seeing this film is that we realize, in a very vivid way, how high the stakes really are for poor students and the dramatic consequences of failure for individuals, families and ultimately society as a whole. This movie is activism in its purest form."

Date: Tuesday, 16 March 2010

Time: 15:00-16:30

Venue: ccrri seminar room, 2nd floor George Campbell building, South Campus, Howard College Campus. Use the south entrance into the building; and Entrance 3 on Rick Turner (Francois) Road if driving.

Enquiries: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 031 260 1599/3904/3902