"A United Kingdom" Gives Botswana a Well-Deserved Turn in The Spotlight

I don't go to the movies very much and when I do it is usually a vintage film. 

There has to be a compelling reason for me to go to a newly released movie.

In the case of A United Kingdom it was my late friend Logong Raditlhokwa. He was my housemate in Ottawa a quarter century ago. A native of Botswana, he was studying his MSW at Carleton University. He regaled us with stories of about his homeland and of Botswana's first President Seretse Khama, his marriage to a white British woman named Ruth Williams and how she became as revered a figure as he was. Although Logong was a supporter of the opposition Botswana National Front (and later the Botswana Congress Party), he nevertheless greatly admired both Seretse and Ruth and was proud for what they had done for Botswana.

Their story finally gets its due with A United Kingdom. David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike are compelling as Seretse and Ruth. Downton Abbey fans get to see Laura Carmichael as Ruth's sister Muriel while Tom Felton and Jack Davenport are serviceable villains as British government representatives determined to keep Seretse and Ruth apart. I did not realize that Tony Benn was such a crucial ally of Seretse while he was in forced exile in Britain (I had the opportunity to interview Benn when I was a parliamentary intern in London). Jack Lowden captures the spirit of Benn as a young man in a hurry. 

If A United Kingdom teaches us anything is that racism can afflict anyone. Sure Seretse and Ruth's marriage offended many a Briton and Afrikaner, but it equally offended members of Seretse's family who were appalled at the site of a white woman. But Seretse and Ruth triumphed because they were both people of character who led by example and had the support of fair minded people who despised injustice. Their character has been passed down to their son Ian Khama who has been Botswana's President since 2008.

Since its independence in 1966, Botswana has become a beacon of stability on an African continent besieged by war, famine, disease and corruption. Sure Botswana is rich in diamonds, but there are many an African nation that have a found a way to squander bountiful resources. While it is cause for concern that Botswana has been ruled solely by the Botswana Democratic Party since independence, it can never be mistaken for Zimbabwe. 

I would be remiss if I did not mention the film's director Amma Asante. She knows how to tell a story and the juxtaposition between the U.K. gray and the arrid atmosphere of Botswana is absolutely breathtaking. This will not be the last we hear of Asante. I give A United Kingdom my highest possible recommendation both as a piece of art and for giving Botswana a well-deserved turn in the spotlight.

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