John Benfield

Endgame -- Patriot Terrorist Negotiator PeacemakerSouth Africa, 1985. While the country is under siege, sanctions are biting, Mandela's imprisonment is an international cause celebr , and the ANC guerrilla terrorist attacks are escalating. Every day the country is more ungovernable as it plunges towards the apocalypse of a race war.In saner moments everyone knows the vile apartheid regime is doomed but will the transition to democracy be peaceful or bloody? Working for P.W. Botha as a somewhat Machiavellian Head of Intelligence, Dr. Neil Barnard opens furtive talks with imprisoned Nelson Mandela. But lesser known are the secret talks that take place in the unlikely setting of a rural English manor house, arranged by a British businessman and sponsored by a mining company. Both sides have everything to win or to lose, including their own lives. The stakes are immense, the secrecy imperative.Botha learns of the UK talks and if the demise of apartheid is inevitable he intends to control the endgame by employing the tactics of divide and rule.Against all the odds, through volatile discussion, intrigue and breakthroughs, the unimaginable is achieved - a precious arena of frail trust between the two warring parties.

Lover's Prayer -- A younger boy falls in love with a tragic girl who flirts with, and manipulates, her older suitors in 1800's Russia.

This is a gripping and sophisticated political thriller full of intriguing and unexpected heroes. South Africa, 1985. The country is under siege. Sanctions are biting, Mandelaís imprisonment is an international cause celebre, and the ANC guerrilla terrorist attacks are escalating. Every day the country is more ungovernable as it plunges towards the apocalypse of a race war. In their saner moments everyone knows the vile apartheid regime is doomed but will the transition to democracy be peaceful or bloody? Working for P.W. Botha as a somewhat Machiavellian Head of Intelligence, Doctor Neil Barnard opens furtive talks with Nelson Mandela who is still in prison. While these talks have been well-documented, less known are the secret talks that take place in the unlikely setting of a rural English manor house. The UK talks - arranged by a British businessman and sponsored by a mining company that is seeking to secure its own future in South Africa would see influential Afrikaners sit down face to face with their fiercest enemies from the ANC, led by future President Thabo Mbeki. Both sides have everything to win or to lose, including their own lives. The stakes are immense, the secrecy total. But Botha learns of the UK talks too. If the demise of apartheid is inevitable he intends to control the endgame by employing the tactics of divide and rule. Dr. Barnard must wring as many concessions out of Mandela as he can whilst instructing the Afrikaners to do the same with the ANC in the UK then play one against the other. Against all the odds, through volatile discussion, set backs and breakthroughs, they achieve the unimaginable - a precious arena of frail trust between the two warring parties. In the current climate of the expression "war on terror", this inspiring film has never had more relevance.

Hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized—the legendary Rex Racer—whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret—some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line. The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival—the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox)—to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.