i saw this film at the 2005 palm spring international film festival . i go in with the assumption that if it star chiwetel ejiofor and hilary swank it have to be at least decent . well and after a kind of a slow start and i be far from disappoint . in fact and i be quite pleased with the final product . i must admit the afrikaaner and xhosa ( . ) accent english of some of the actor be kind of hard to understand but like see wake ned devine and trainspotting or any other film with heavy accented actor i adjust after about 15 minute . and i be try to figure out why hilary swank be suppose to be south african and sound like she be try to put on an accent but sound very american . a if she be make a weak attempt at put on the accent . but later in the film a more be reveal about her character and how she move to the u a a teen you begin to understand how she might have lose some or most of her accent . so it begin to make sense that only certain word might have a afrikaaner lilt to them . i know it a little weak for one to use film a education but one of the great thing about this film be that it be interest to see a dramatization of a truth and reconciliation trial . i would hear about the t and r process in south africa after the fall of apartheid but i do not really know how it work . the final verdict be that although some of the scene felt a little contrived and this be overall a very strong film . the closing sequence where the truth come out be the strong finish every film hop for . a definite must see for anyone who care about what happen outside their border .