Left Bank lines up Mandela miniseries

UK prodco Left Bank Pictures has teamed up with producers in Canada and South Africa to develop a six-part miniseries based on the life of Nelson Mandela.

Left Bank, Canada’s Blue Ice Films and Out of Africa Entertainment will begin production this year on Madiba (working title, 6×60’), which focuses on the Nobel Peace Prize winner who became the first black president of South Africa.

Madiba takes its title from the tribal clan name by which Mandela has been known. The series will examine his relationship with his mother, his political activism, his imprisonment and then rise within the ANC to be elected president.

Producers on the series include Lance Samuels and Mandela’s grandson Kweku Mandela (Africa United) from Out of Africa; Blue Ice’s Steven Silver and Neil Tabatznik (The Bang Bang Club); and Left Bank’s Andy Harries and Marigo Kehoe (The Queen).

Madiba is written by Nigel Williams (Elizabeth I) and based on two books – Mandela’s autobiography Conversations with Myself and the authorised quotations book Nelson Mandela By Himself.

Filming is due to start later this year on location in South Africa.

Silver said: “We have been given access to the archives of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and have optioned two books written by Nelson Mandela in order to develop the script accurately and insight fully. Our resources for this project are impressive.”

Samuels added: “There have been many documentaries and features about Mandela, but this will be the definitive story. Other projects have captured a moment in Mandela’s life and not taken the time to explore the man in detail.  We elected to do a six-hour miniseries to fully explore the man, the myth and the legacy.”

Left Bank will also film the third season of counter terrorism drama Strike Back in South Africa this year for UK satcaster Sky1 and Cinemax/HBO.