A World Apart
1988 · Movie · PG · 113 min · ★ 6.4 · 86% critics
In 1960s Johannesburg, a teenager from a white anti-apartheid family is forced to grow up quickly when political crackdowns tear at home life and friendships. As fear and prejudice close in, she starts to understand the human cost of the world around her.
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Details
- Years
- 1988
- Release date
- 1988-06-17
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Critic score
- 86/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.4/10 (32 votes)
About
You may like this if you want a personal, coming-of-age drama set against apartheid, with the intimate family focus of Housekeeping; Not for you if you need faster pacing or a broader political view.
Pros: strong performances; moving coming-of-age angle; heartfelt authenticity | Cons: uneven pacing; limited Black perspectives; muted dramatic payoff
Themes
- south africa
- apartheid
- johannesburg, south africa
- exile
- communist party
- 1960s
- mother daughter relationship
Awards & recognition
- Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix · 1988
Cast & crew
Barbara Hershey
as Diana Roth
David Suchet
as Muller
Jeroen Krabbé
as Gus Roth
Paul Freeman
as Kruger
Tim Roth
as Harold
Jodhi May
as Molly Roth
- NC
Nadine Chalmers
as Yvonne Abelson
- MP
Maria Pilar
as Spanish Dance Teacher
Kate Fitzpatrick
as June Abelson
- PN
Phyllis Naidoo
as Sareda
Directed by Chris Menges