Before 1994 South Africa had never known a democratic government; it therefore had to invent its own model of democracy. This was the formidable task the new government and all South Africans had cut out for them. But before this goal could be attained the country's various communities, deeply wounded and divided by apartheid, first had to reconcilíate with one another. One of Nelson Mandela's first decisions upon coming to power was to set up the «Truth and Reconciliation Commission», for in order for there to be reconciliation, healing, judgment and exorcism of the past had to take place. The evolution of the Commission, with all its ups and downs and the dramas being played out within it, has been an integral part of the making of this film. Like South Africa itself, the characters in the film are undergoing the same process of transformation. This new phase in the contemporary history of South Africa will not doubt also serve as a rich source of information for other countries in determining their futures.