In my Country opens April 8th in Canada

In 1996, the South African government established the TRC to investigate abuses under apartheid.  Unlike war crimes trials, which  seek revenge, the TRC followed the African principle of "Ubuntu,"  which favors reconciliation.  Those who had committed violent  crimes, including murder and rape, could come forth and confront their victims.  If these perpetrators showed remorse and could prove  that they were only following orders, they might receive amnesty.

Anna (Binoche), an Afrikaner poet reporting for state radio, believesthe TRC will help heal her country.  Langston (Jackson), a Washington Post journalist, thinks it’s just a way for white people to escape punishment.  But over time – as these two share a sadness and shock  over the painful testimonies – they find themselves drawn to each other.

Things become even more complicated when Langston tracks down a brutal policeman (Boorman regular Brendan Gleeson).  This encounter not  only forces Langston to confront his own demons, but also leads him to a discovery about Anna.  Both Langston and Anna now ask themselves – how responsible are they for what is done in the name of their respective countries?

John Boorman, who, at 72, is one of Britain’s most acclaimed directors (Point Blank, Leo the Last, Deliverance, Hope and Glory, The General)  traveled extensively in South Africa during the worst period of apartheid.

The script is by Ann Peacock, a South African now living in the States.  The film was shot mostly in the Cape Town area, with additional cinematography done in the desolate Karoo region, the dramatic Drakensberg Mountain range and the isolated hamlet of New Bethesda.