Goodbye Bafana
2007 · 115 min · Director: Bille August
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
James Gregory once lived in a farm and had befriended a native youth, Bafana, and had even had a photograph taken with him. Years later, now married to Gloria and father of three children (Chris, Brett, and Natasha), James has nothing but shame and regret, as many South African Caucasians in the oppressive Apartheid-era ridiculed him, leading him to hate Africans. He seeks to redeem himself by spying on imprisoned African National Congress Leader, Nelson Mandela. In the restrictive high security prison his job is to censor all written and verbal communications between prisoners, their visitors, and correspondence. James is uncomfortable when he witnesses Caucasian police and security officers' brutality against civilians, including infants, and tries to understand why Nelson became a rebel. This leads him to examine the 'Freedom Charter', a banned document, reportedly known to incite violence against 'whites'. And when he does read this document, he changes his mind about Nelson's freedom struggle. Soon he, himself, will be alienated by his very own peers. Isolated, he receives death threats over the phone and has to face the trauma of the 'accidental' death of Brett. In addition, he and his family are kept under close watch by the security forces amidst tight economic sanctions by the international community, and growing unrest by the natives who continue their fight for equality, and freedom for Nelson Mandela.
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Emotional fingerprint
Goodbye Bafana (2007) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Empathy 30%, Inspiration 25%, Melancholy 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Empathy30%
- Inspiration25%
- Melancholy20%
- Nostalgia15%
- Satisfaction10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Empathy, Inspiration, Melancholy. Genres: Drama, History, Biography. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Empathy, Inspiration and Melancholy. Its IMDb rating of 7.1/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 71/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Empathy
- Hope
- Sadness
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion: Relief
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Empathy | Hope | Sadness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Tension | 42 % | 27 % | 0 % | 12 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 9′ | Tension | 49 % | 38 % | 1 % | 24 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 14′ | Empathy | 55 % | 48 % | 4 % | 36 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 20′ | Tension | 60 % | 51 % | 4 % | 43 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Sadness | 69 % | 63 % | 9 % | 54 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Empathy | 68 % | 66 % | 21 % | 57 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 37′ | Sadness | 61 % | 56 % | 29 % | 48 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 43′ | Tension | 60 % | 50 % | 32 % | 35 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Empathy | 66 % | 54 % | 27 % | 34 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 55′ | Tension | 74 % | 56 % | 14 % | 38 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 60′ | Tension | 68 % | 54 % | 11 % | 38 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 66′ | Tension | 55 % | 46 % | 25 % | 29 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 72′ | Hope | 50 % | 38 % | 40 % | 16 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Hope | 51 % | 37 % | 41 % | 18 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Empathy | 61 % | 51 % | 43 % | 31 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 89′ | Empathy | 71 % | 63 % | 52 % | 34 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 95′ | Hope | 75 % | 65 % | 46 % | 39 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 101′ | Sadness | 83 % | 73 % | 40 % | 56 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 106′ | Relief | 86 % | 74 % | 63 % | 46 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 112′ | Relief | 87 % | 72 % | 82 % | 30 % |
Rags to riches
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
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Premise onlyAfterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
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Cast
Brett Gregory
Jimmy Kruger
Zenani Mandela
Walter Sisulu
Winnie Mandela
Raymond Mhlaba
Ahmed Kathrada
Andrew Mlangeni
Cyril Ramaphosa
Brent Gregory
Natasha Gregory
Natasha Gregory
Jonas Motsadi
Col. Pier Barnard
Details
- Directed by
- Bille August
- Written by
- Bille August, Greg Latter, Bob Graham, James Gregory
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2007
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Country
- Germany, France, Belgium, South Africa, Italy, United Kingdom, Luxembourg
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Empathy
- Data updated
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