Cry Freedom (1987) 
Most memorable in-class movie ever
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I remember two things about my Current World Affairs class in high school. The first was doing a project on the Bosnia conflict, the second was watching this film. Cinematically, it is good. Denzel and Kevin Kline both do a good job and the story does a nice job of depicting the general impression of Steve Biko, though it doesn’t get into real depth of understanding of Black Consciousness. But mostly the professinals just stay out of the way of what is an awesome story. This gem came out during the anti-apartheid heyday, but it has not remained well-known for some reason.
Most movies about S.A. mostly focus on Mandela. One of the reasons I like this is that it shows a different era and also the diverse aspects of the resistance to apartheid. In my mind, Mandela gets the saintly MLK treatment in South Africa, while Biko gets less affectionate Malcom X treatment because he also wanted Blacks to improve themselves on their own. This comparison is flawed, but if you want to know more, I recommend watching Cry Freedom or reading Biko. The book is a little self-congratulatory, but good reading.
During my student teaching last year we put together an African Film Festival and I showed Cry Freedom to my seventh graders, completing the circle of life. SABC’s Great South Africans placed Steve Biko 13th, one ahead of Shaka, founder of the Zulu Nation and one behind Charliz Theron
