Democrats

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The transition to democracy from autocratic rule might seem impossible when the tyrant is actually still in power. Such was the position Zimbabwe found itself in after the elections of 2008, when President Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party lost Parliamentary control to opposition party MDC. The widespread violence and accusations of vote rigging that ensued triggered sufficient international outrage to force the regime’s hand. It appointed leaders from both parties to draft a new democratic constitution. But how far could that noble mission get, with the biggest obstacle to true democracy still holding the highest position in the land? Camilla Nielsson’s Danish crew gained extraordinary access to the two men presiding over this most delicate and treacherous of negotiations. Their personalities are a study in contrast: The President’s right-hand-man Paul Mangwana has the alternately back-slapping and tantrum-throwing manner of someone accustomed to always getting his way; longtime MDC activist Douglas Mwonzora exudes the weary, even-tempered patience of Job, which proves handy when he’s briefly packed off to jail on dubious charges. But then, even the blustery Mangwana is not immune from such a fate (or worse), should the final results fail to please Mugabe. As their committee struggles to make progress, each step fraught with drama, Democrats proves an unforgettably vivid illustration of a paradox: The people’s will might be an unstoppable force, but Mugabe is one hell of an immovable object. —Dennis Harvey

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