Successful White House Screening of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

/ Th White House/
Pictured at The White House under a portrait of Abraham Lincoln are Zindzi Mandela, Anant Singh and his wife, Vanashree / Videovision (p)

Pictured at The White House under a portrait of Abraham Lincoln are Zindzi Mandela, Anant Singh and his wife, Vanashree / Videovision (p)

US president, Barack Obama hosted a special screening of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom at the White House last night in the company of producer Anant Singh, Mandela's daughters, Zindzi and Zenani, lead actors Idris Elba and Naomie Harris and director, Justin Chadwick. Also in attendance were South African ambassador to the United State, Ebrahim Rasool; former US ambassador to South Africa, Donald Gips and his wife, Gill; editor of Time Magazine, Richard Stengel and US distributor of the film, Harvey Weinstein and his fashion designer wife, Georgina Chapman.

Commenting from Washington, Anant Singh said, "It is an exceptional honour to have presented Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom at the White House. It was a proud moment for us having Zindzi and Zenani Mandela with us, especially because we were together at the White House when Madiba was awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honour, bringing our journey full circle, with premieres in Johannesburg on Sunday, Durban on Tuesday.

Speaking at the screening President Obama said that Madiba had influenced him and so many people all over the world and that he was proud to host the screening at the White House and to have the Mandela family members and the filmmakers present.

Before the screening, the filmmakers were taken on a private tour of the White House.

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom  will have its US premiere in Los Angeles on 11 November hosted by Quincy Jones, followed by a premiere New York on 14 November.

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom  will be released in cinemas throughout South Africa on 28 November 2013.