Watch 21 Up South Africa: Mandela's Children

21 Up South Africa: Mandela's Children is a documentary film from 2008 that follows the lives of four South African children from different backgrounds as they reach the age of 21. The film is a continuation of a series that began in 1964, when a group of British children were first filmed for the program "Seven Up!". The concept of the series was to check in on the participants every seven years, and see how their lives had progressed.

The children in this film were all born in the year of Nelson Mandela's release from prison, and their lives reflect the changes that South Africa has undergone since the end of apartheid. The first child we meet is Katlego, a black woman who grew up in a township outside Johannesburg. She is studying to become a doctor, but her financial situation and the challenges of the healthcare system in South Africa make her future uncertain. She is also grappling with issues of identity - growing up in a post-apartheid South Africa has been both liberating and complicated for her.

Next, we meet Thembisile, a young woman from the Xhosa tribe. She lives in a rural area in the Eastern Cape and is training to be a nurse. Her life is very different from Katlego's - she lives in a small community with her family and has struggled to access opportunities because of her rural background. Despite her challenges, Thembisile is optimistic about her future and determined to create a better life for herself and her family.

Willem is the third participant we meet. He is a white man from Cape Town who grew up in a wealthy family. He has a degree in engineering and is working for a company that builds wind turbines. However, he is disillusioned with his job and is contemplating a move to the UK or Australia to pursue other opportunities. Willem is also grappling with a sense of guilt about his privileged background and the role that white people played in the history of apartheid.

Finally, we meet Frans Jeppson-Wall, a mixed-race man from a suburb outside Cape Town. He is working as a freelance journalist and is passionate about telling the stories of marginalised communities. His mother is a black South African and his father is an American who fought in the Vietnam War - Frans' life is a reflection of the complexities of race and identity in South Africa.

Throughout the film, we see the participants grappling with issues of race, class, and identity, as well as the broader challenges of living in post-apartheid South Africa. They are all dealing with different challenges, but they share a sense of hope for the future and a desire to create meaningful lives for themselves.

The film is a thoughtful meditation on the challenges and opportunities facing the "born frees" - the post-apartheid generation born after 1994. It offers a glimpse into the lives of four young people who are navigating a complex and rapidly changing society, and it raises important questions about the legacy of apartheid and the possibilities for a more equitable future.

Overall, 21 Up South Africa: Mandela's Children is a moving and insightful documentary that offers a nuanced portrait of a generation coming of age in post-apartheid South Africa. Through the stories of these four young people, the film captures the complexities and contradictions of a society in transition, and offers a glimpse into the hopes and dreams of a new generation.

21 Up South Africa: Mandela's Children is a 2008 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 10 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8.