UNSUNG HEROES
By Daniel Dercksen

For Bonnie Henna, who plays the wife of real-life ANC activist and freedom fighter Patrick Chamusso in CATCH A FIRE, the film is a "reality bite".

Like most moviegoers, Bonnie goes to the cinema to "escape from the mundaneness of daily living", but she feels that it is "sometimes good to go the movies and see a film that brings you to terms with what's really going on."

Henna believes that films like CATCH A FIRE are important because "people don't always like to go into the past and pick up the pieces."

"If you can allow them to do that through a film, where they can look at their lives and mourn what they need to mourn, and celebrate what they need to, it's really a gift for a filmmaker, for an actor, for anyone involved," says Henna.

Before she landed lead roles in the hit youth-oriented television soap Backstage, the series Gaz'lam; and the detective program Zero Tolerance, Henna worked as a presenter and host on various television programs.  She hosted the television talk show True-Life; and was also seen in the television series, Charlie Jade and Scouts Safari, and starred opposite Taye Diggs in Zola Maseko's Drum.

In CATCH A FIRE she plays the wife of Patrick Chamusso, who attacked the Secunda Oil refinery in 1981 and served nearly 10 years on Robben Island until he was amnestied and released in late 1991, along with all political prisoners.

"I had no knowledge of Patrick until I came across the script," says Henna .

"What's so amazing about Patrick's story is how an ordinary man took on such a huge task. He was just a man who was not politically involved at all, or had any intentions of doing so, but when he was at a crossroad in his life, where he had to make a choice, to stand up for what he believed in, he chose the road less travelled."

During the time of the struggle for freedom in South Africa, Soweto-born Henna attended school at Belgravia Convent and Greenside High School in Johannesburg.

"At the time when I was a teenager, I had no knowledge of those kinds of things that were going on in our country. I knew that they were going on but did not have a close up encounter with them because it's not really how history was taught in our schools," says Henna.

As a pupil at an 'all-white convent', Henna was taught about events, but never about the "faces behind the struggle".

"I think that for children of my generation, there hasn't been information that is readily available on the heroes of our struggle, besides the ones we know that are easily recognisable, like Nelson Mandela or Thabo Mbeki. A story like Patrick's is very special because it brings it all home. It brings it closer and makes it tangible."

"If any healing or closure needs to take place, I really think this film does that," says Henna.

"It does it without preaching, not glorifying anything, just truthfully. I think for young people who like myself were somehow detached and were always taught to remember their past but not quite sure what to remember, this is an important history lesson."

Henna firmly believes that that CATCH A FIRE will allow young people "to value what the people before them fought for."

"I hope that South Africans will start to see each other in a less pointing-of-fingers way," says Henna.

"It's not a pleasant experience remembering apartheid," she says.

"It's only pleasant if I have learnt something that I can teach my kids, that will help them make better decisions in life. If fellow South Africans can learn from this and see that it is important to teach our kids and equip our kids to make better decisions in life, whether they're presidents or whether they're in the police force, that the decisions they make can change the course of history forever."

Henna also feels that it is important for the women of South Africa to see the film.

"I think, specifically Black South African women who went through the struggle at the time - like the woman I play in the film - probably don't even speak of it as something huge, it was just their lives, the status quo. So it's not like some huge event that took place in their lives. I think they have accepted it as their lives. For me, them seeing this film is going say to them: 'Wow! I lived through something actually very big and we achieved a lot and we fought for something really worthwhile."

For Henna it was the women who kept their families together and "in many ways they became the backbone of the struggle." 

"Not many people who see the film are going to think Precious (Patrick's wife) was a hero but I really think she was. I can't imagine what I would have done if had gone through what she did. I wouldn't want to wish it on anybody. We don't choose the things that happen to us, but when they do happen and they are not the circumstances we would like to happen and we accept them, there's a lot to be said for that."

With her leading role in CATCH A FIRE, Henna is "grateful for this opportunity to be part of Patrick's story of South African heroes."

"It's really an honour," she beams. "A great thank you to Patrick for allowing us to get into his space and his life."

"It is films like these that have helped me to come to love my country as well. For a long time I grew up with a detachment to South Africa. Films like these make me appreciate my country, to know that there are people like Patrick, just says 'wow', 'I've got such a rich heritage and so much was left for me to pick up. I believe that that generation's feelings are my floor, and my feelings is going to be my children's floor. So whatever I achieve now, they are going to take and run with it to the next level."

Copyright © 2007 Daniel E. Dercksen
Published with permission in the Sunday Tribune, February 4, 2007.

QUESTION AND ANSWER WITH BONNIE HENNA BY DANIEL DERCKSEN

WHEN YOU WERE A TEENAGER, HOW DID PATRICK'S LIFE AND ACTIONS AFFECT YOU?
I had no knowledge of Patrick until I came across the script.

WAS THAT THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU HEARD OF PATRICK?
Yes.

HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTER READING THE SCRIPT?
There are a lot of Patrick stories. Patrick's story is one of many. What's so amazing about Patrick's story is how an ordinary man took on such a huge task. Especially because he was just a man not politically involved at all, or had any intentions of doing so, but when he was at a crossroad in his life, where he had to make a choice, to stand up for what he believed in - God and life - he chose the road less travelled. For me, I guess, at the time when I was a teenager, I had no knowledge of those kinds of things that were going on in our country. I knew that they were going on but did not have a close up encounter with them because it's not really how history was taught in our schools.

DID YOU ALSO, GROWING UP DURING THAT ERA, BEING BORN IN SOWETO AND ATTENDING THE BELGRAVIA CONVENT AND GREENSIDE HIGH SCHOOL IN JOHANNESBURG,  DID YOU LIVE A SHELTERED EXISTENCE? 
Definitely. I went to an all-white convent. South African history was always taught ... it was always just events, never really faces, or details of people's lives. Especially not the struggle for freedom in South Africa, that was not something that was delved into. Later, I think in Matrick, was the first time we were actually tackling that sort of things. Still, I think that children of my generation, there hasn't been information that is readily available on the heroes of our struggle, besides the oens we know that are easily recognisable - Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki. So, a story like Patrick's is so special because it brings it all home. It brings it closer and makes it tangible.

HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK IT IS FOR PEOPLE TO WATCH CATCH A FIRE?
I think it's important for South Africans to see the film. One, I think it's important for the women of South Africa to see, because women I think, specifically Black South African women who went through the struggle at the time - like the woman I play in the film - probably don't even speak of it as something huge, it was just their lives, the status quo. So it's not like some huge event that took place in their lives. I think they have accepted it as their lives. For me, them seeing this film is going say to them: 'Wow! I lived through something actually very big and we achieved a lot and we fought for something really worthwhile. And also, if any healing or closure needs to take place, I really think this film does that. It does it without preaching, not glorifying anything, jus truthfully. And secondly, I think for young people who like myself were somehow detached and were always taught to remember their past but not quite sure what to remember, this is an important history lesson.

DO YOU THINK THE FILM IS A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF OUR PAST?
I think so. The man himself (Patrick)  who the film is about was very involved in storytelling , he was always on set to show exactly how things were done, and how things happened. I think the director Philip Noyce always honoured his story, always made sure that he never felt misrepresented.

YOUR VIEWS ON THE TERRORISM THAT HAPPENED AT SECUNDA?
I felt that my job was to tell the story of a woman who were somehow caught in the middle, to tell the story truthfully with respect and integrity. I don't have specific thought on what took place at Secunda, but I have great admiration for Patrick and what he stood for. 

YOU PLAY PATRICK'S WIFE IN CATCH A FIRE.  HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK A WOMEN'S ROLE WAS IN THE STRUGGLE?
They are the ones that kept the families together. They are the ones who stayed home and wept for their children and kept food on the table, and had to work. For me  in many ways they became the backbone of the struggle. For men who went out and fought for this freedom, to come back and still find children and wives. It took a lot for the women to carry.

THE ROLE OF MOTHER IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO YOU?
One day I want to be a mom. Women like Precious (Patrick's wife), I mean, not many people who see the film are going to think Precious was a hero but I really think she was, because I can't imagine what I would have done if had gone through what she did. I wouldn't want to wish it on anybody. Just the fact that she is still alive now, and to go through all of this, raise kids ... it is remarkable. We don't chose the things that happen to us, but when they do happen and they are not the circumstances we would like to happen and we accept them, there's a lot to be said for that.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL GET FROM WATCHING CATCH A FIRE?
Young people will begin to value what the people before them fought for. I hope that South Africans will start to see each other in a less pointing-of-fingers way. Personally, I don't like remembering. It's not a pleasant experience remembering apartheid. It's only pleasant if I've learned something from it. It's only pleasant of I have learnt something that I can teach my kids, that will help them make better decisions in life. If fellow South Africans can learn from this and see that it is important to teach our kids and equip our kids to make better decisions in life, whether they're presidents or whether they're in the police force, that the decisions they make can change the course of history forever.

HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK FILMS LIKE CATCH A FIRE ARE?
It's like a reality bite. I go to films sometimes to just escape from the mundaneness of daily living, but sometimes it's good to go the a cinema and then see a film that brings you to terms with what's really going on. The realities of life. It's good for these films to be made because people don't always like to go into the past and pick up the pieces of the past, but if you can allow them to do that through a film, where they can look at their lives and mourn what they need to mourn, and celebrate what they need to, it's really a gift for a filmmaker, for an actor, for anyone involved.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
God. His love for the world inspires me. My husband. South Africans. It is films like these that have helped me to come to love my country as well. For a long time I grew up with a detachment to South Africa because maybe my parents speak of it as something they had to fight for and caused then pain for along time. Films like these make me appreciate my country, to know that there are people like Patrick, just says 'wow', 'I've got such a rich heritage and so much was left for me to pick up and march. I believe that that generation's feelings are my floor, and my feelings is going to be my children's floor. So whatever I achieve now, they are going to take and run with it to the next level.

YOU HAVE ONE FOOT IN TELEVISION, AND THE OTHER IN FILM, WHICH MEDIUM DO YOU PREFER WORKING IN,?
Film. I think I do better in film than I do in television. From my experiences I discovered my ability of film. Maybe it's just the hugeness of it, and the space and less time constraints. When you're on TV it's about deadlines, it's about having a show by the end of the week. Film allows you a bit more freedom.

ANY PAST COMMENTS:
I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be part of Patrick's story of South African heroes. It's really an honour. A great thank you to Patrick for allowing us to get into his space and his life.

Copyright © 2007 Daniel E. Dercksen

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