This World

Black and White (And Read All Over) (2006x9)

Air date: Aug 17, 2006

This is a film about the newspaper revolution of sub-Saharan Africa's biggest selling daily. The Daily Sun's lurid headlines like "Boyfriend Ate My Grandson!" have made the politically correct squirm. But the paper has become a national phenomenon, attracting millions of black readers. This World follows the newspaper in the run up to its 1,000th edition. A reporter visits a woman claiming she is cursed by a demon. A girl, aged 14, tells how her rapist is still free. And the crime correspondent is the first at a shoot-out which turns into a bloodbath. It is the controversial white part-owner, Deon du Plessis, who gives the stories their tabloid spin and critics accuse the paper of sensationalism with its gory front pages. The newspaper, however, claims it merely reflects the reality of township life.