Gareth Cliff with #HandsAcrossSA, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Ster-Kinekor are encouraging everyone to see the movie and join in the conversation. With each screening, the public is urged to hashtag #MandelaLWTF and engage in dialogue.
Every tweet, Facebook update and Instagram post using the hashtag will be collected in a social media hub, where everyone can be part of the discussion and inspire a global movement.
"This campaign is about living the legacy. Allowing dialogue to flourish and creating a springboard for positive engagement and change," says Sello Hatang, chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. "The making of the movie has been a long and intense journey. I have had the privilege of viewing the film and the ending is a powerful call to action for what we need to do as South Africans and indeed the world. What this represents and signals is the handing-over of the baton of leadership. Madiba said, 'It is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your hands now'."
Nelson Mandela International Day 2013 celebrated on Madiba's birthday on 18th July, saw the launch of Hands Across South Africa, when Gareth Cliff, 5FM Breakfast Show host and Idols judge, invited everyone to join hands at 8.45am for 67 seconds, as a gesture of unity and commitment to making our country a better place. This became the top trending topic on Twitter with photos being posted from across South Africa.
"It may not seem like much but a simple, symbolic action can manifest very powerful consequences and feelings. At the least, it can be the beginning of something that can 'go viral' and start a movement," says Cliff. "This social media hub will become a living archive of people's thoughts, interactions and photographs."
Doug Place, marketing executive of Ster-Kinekor Theatres, adds, "The company is proud to be associated with the biopic and it is aware of the growing excitement and talkability that is building around the film's release this Thursday. This partnership is a wonderful initiative to get South Africans sharing their thoughts and feelings - using the hashtag - about a local film that honours a true global icon revered the world over."
"Working on the 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' project has been an incredible experience," said Ali R Manouchehri, CEO of Zoomph. "The company's social hubs centralise and organise inspiring social media content in a way that engages and connects social media users around the world. In this case, our visualisations will spark conversations that are key to both remembering a critical piece of history and bringing people together to communicate as an evolving culture."
For more information, go to www.garethcliff.com.
