Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela: A Son's Tribute to Unsung Heroes

In 1960, “Lee” (Harris’s stepfather B. Pule Leinaeng) and eleven boyhood friends left their families (in South Africa) to build the anti-apartheid movement and gain support for the African National Congress abroad. Known as The Twelve Who Left, they blazed a trail through sub-Saharan Africa to Europe, Cuba, and North America. Lee later met Harris’s mother, and their Bronx household became a center for their many comrades in the New York anti-apartheid and black nationalist movements. Along the way, Lee documented the struggle and his personal life. Audiotapes of his voice, old photographs, posters, newsreels, video, and Super 8mm anchor the story while interviews with surviving members and family add depth and texture. 

—Kathleen Denny, SFIFF