This remarkable documentary provides an engaging account of the Rivonia Freedom trial, allowing viewers access to an event that took place more than 50 years ago. While there were no cameras in the court when Nelson Mandela and his nine co-defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, sound recordings were made throughout the trial. Directors Nicolas Champeaux and Gilles Porte use these recordings, culled from 256 hours of audio, to create a vivid reflection on the apartheid era. The cross-examinations are illustrated by animated charcoal sketches and accompanied by interviews with those who were directly involved, as well as archive footage of several accused who passed on before the making of the film. The resulting film provides a history lesson that could never be learned inside a classroom.