娱乐英语新闻:Mandela film receives ovations at Toronto Int'l Film Festival: media

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The film about the life of first South African democratically-elected president Nelson Mandela had received warm welcome at the Toronto International Film Festival, local media reported on Monday.

Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film titled "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom" had been accorded standing ovations and rave reviews, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported, quoting its producer Anant Singh in Toronto.

"The film received an uNPRecedented eight-minute standing ovation coupled with a rapturous applause at the festival venue, resulting in social media platforms buzzing with praise for the film," said the producer in a statement.

The film was produced on the basis of the autobiographic book "Long Walk to Freedom."

In the film the British actor Idris Elba plays Mandela, while the British actress Naomi Harris plays Mandela's former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela as the first lady of South Africa.

Owning the right of the autobiography, Anant Singh said on Monday that he was quite delighted that he could finally finish the making of the film.

"The film making was a long way, but it has been worth the wait and also worth all of the hard work," said Singh.

Beginning to communicate with Mandela as he was still in prison, Singh acquired the rights to the autobiography in 1996.

Mandela is the anti-apartheid icon in South Africa, serving 27 years in prison for the national liberation movement. He became the first democratically-elected president in 1994 as the apartheid ended, having an honor of the state father in South Africa.

The 95-year-old former president is still fighting his serious recurring lung infection at his home in Johannesburg after being discharged from hospital in Pretoria on Sept. 1.