Life is Wonderful

When Denis Goldberg, then 33, was sentenced in 1964 to life imprisonment along with Nelson Mandela and others for seeking to forcibly overthrow South Africa’s apartheid government, he shouted “Life is Wonderful.” Goldberg, the only White convicted in the historic Rivonia trial, retained his optimistic outlook. Interviewed towards the end of his life, he expressed no regrets. His sentiment is echoed by two of his ageing co-defendants, Andrew Mhlangeni and Ahmed Kathrada. Interviews with the then surviving members of the Rivonia trial’s legal team, including Joel Joffe and George Bizos, capture the challenges they faced in balancing political and legal considerations. Archival footage gives historic context to this moving tribute to courage and commitment.