Mary Benson (campaigner) Mary Benson (campaigner) Mary Benson (8 December 1919 – 19 June 2000) was a South African civil rights campaigner and author. Born in 1919 in Pretoria, Benson served in the South African Women's Army during World War II. After the war, she was secretary to film director David Lean. Benson became acquainted with the author Alan Paton, and read his novel "Cry, the beloved country" (1948), whose main theme was racial discrimination in South Africa. This affected her greatly, and she became a campaigner for the rights of black people there. She worked with Michael Scott (who, in 1946, was
Cry, the Beloved Country (1995 film) has been arrested for the murder of a white man. The white man's father James Jarvis, supports apartheid. When the two meet, they come to unexpected understandings about their sons and their own humanity. Although this is a South African film, the majority of the main characters in the movie are played by Westerners, specifically Americans. The score was composed by veteran English composer John Barry, who dedicated it to Nelson Mandela. It has been described by film score reviewer Christian Clemmensen of "Filmtracks.com" as "one of Barry's last truly enjoyable efforts." Barry, who had previously composed music for such