Cinematic Theology of Liberation: "Sarafina" as A Lens on Faith, Resistance and Justice in Apartheid South Africa

The film features Leleti Khumalo as Sarafina, alongside Hollywood star Whoopi Goldberg (Mary Masembuko), Miriam Makeba (Angelina, Sarafina's mother), and Hugh Masekela.Both Makeba and Masekela, celebrated South African musicians and freedom fighters, symbolize the sacrifices made by those who resisted apartheid, often spending years in exile (Maingard 1994:239)."Sarafina" is rooted in the socio-political context of apartheid South Africa, beginning with the 1976 Soweto Uprising when students protested the imposition of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction (Maingard 1994:239).The narrative extends into the 1980s, chronicling continued student resistance and state brutality against black South Africans (Maingard 1994:240).