the 1970s simply rock. all people born in that decade rule.
take, for example, johannesburg, south africa, circa roundabout that time. downtown's financial district slick as chicago's lasalle street canyon, diverse as new york city's battery park. cut to: student protest rally in small dusty town, their voices hurling all the percussiveness offered by an AK-47 rifle, all in protest of apartheid.
cut to: andre stander (thomas jane), captain in the johannesburg police force turned notorious bank robber. at the time of the protest, he was assigned as riot police in this small, dusty town, he is a married father living in suburbia.
cut between stander's confused, horrified face and the protestor's anger. protestors round off coordinated protest cries and standoff between police and protestors begin. closeup: commander ordering "disengagement." he prolly means for the students to disperse.
i can't remember what exactly happened to begin the melee. but it lead to police shooting tear gas. students who could stand it threw the canisters back to the police. and then an officer started beating up students at the front line. and then students picked up fist-sized rocks and volleyed those off to police. "open fire!" the commander screamed.
cut to: student yelling protest cries toward stander's direction. officers were shooting students. stander follows suit. cut to: student's abrupt stop, his disbelief, his fall. cut to: stander, shocked, turning to shoot another as per orders.
end of bravo tv feature special. 
a worthy flick, especially as the music seems to carry most of its weight. another story of taking one person's life and expanding it into the bigger picture, like "the pianist." gotta go see it.
[ official movie site ]
[ apple trailer ]
[ newmarket films ]
STANDER (2004) Director: Bronwen Hughes Producers: Julia Verdin, Martin F. Katz & Chris Roland Screenwriters: Bima Stagg & Bronwen Hughes Cast: Tom Jane, Deborah Unger, Dexter Fletcher, David Patrick O'Hara, Ashley Taylor, Marius Weyers Opening Date: August 6, 2004
