SOUTH AFRICA, 1963. <p> In this riveting historical drama, ten political activists (including Nelson Mandela and his inner circle of Black and Jewish supporters) face a possible death sentence for conspiracy to commit sabotage after they are arrested by the apartheid South African government during a raid in the town of Rivonia during the summer of 1963. Bram Fischer (Peter Paul Muller), a sympathetic lawyer, risks his career and freedom to defend these men, while attempting to hide the fact that he also frequently convened on the farm where they were arrested. <p> With AN ACT OF DEFIANCE, filmmaker Jean van de Velde (THE SILENT ARMY) captures a dark period in South Africa's recent history, skillfully balancing a nail-biting political thriller with spectacular courtroom intrigue while paying tribute to the legendary figures who fought to end segregation and corruption in their country.