In 1990, Nelson Mandela is finally freed from the Victor Verster Prison after twenty-seven
years.
His release is frowned upon by racists who consider him a terrorist, but it inspires
black people to fight more for their rights, putting the country on the verge of a civil
war.
Mandela gives a speech asking everyone to put down their weapons because he thinks the
country should work together.
Four years later, black people finally get to vote, and this allows Mandela to become
president.
Being such an important figure however, does not take his modesty away: he makes his own
bed, learns the names of all his employees and their families, and still goes on his
morning walk every day, although now two bodyguards come along.
White people are still not happy with these results, and newspapers wonder if he is capable
of ruling the country.
Amongst the people against Mandela are the parents of Francois, the captain of the national
rugby team, who has to deal with his father's rant about his son losing any possibility
to have a good future because "the blacks" are in charge.
During his first morning in the office, Mandela notices lots of desks are empty and other
employees packing up, the white men are gossiping about getting fired too.
He calls for a meeting and tells everyone that they are free to go if that is what they
wish, but nobody is getting fired for their language or the color of their skin.
This neutrality includes hiring Special Branch cops for his bodyguard team, which needs more
men now that he is president.
The black guards do not approve of this idea and remind Mandela that these are the same
guys that not long ago tried to kill them, but for Mandela, the message he sends in public
is important.
If he wants a rainbow nation, he must be an example of reconciliation, as forgiveness
removes fear.
This idea is still not well received by the black guards, but they shall do as Mandela
says, and they will teach the new guards how to take good care of their new president.
For example, Mandela always wants them to smile when they push people back.
The first really complicated mission for the bodyguards is protecting Mandela during a
rugby match - the national team, called the Springboks, versus England.
The Springboks is a team made of white players, except for Chester, and most of their followers
are against Mandela.
In fact, the situation is so tense, that black South Africans cheer for England instead of
their own team.
Mandela trusts his guards though, and he is not afraid of going out on the field to shake
hands with both teams while ignoring the booing he gets from certain people.
To defend his point, he approaches the public and thanks the white people that are wearing
the new flag for their support.
His bodyguards take him way right before he could be hit by a cup thrown by a hater in
the crowd.
Sadly, the Springboks lose the match, which presents a dark future for the world cup happening
in a year right here in South Africa.
Later on tv, sports commentator Johan says the Springboks have brought shame to their
nation and that they do not deserve to wear green and gold.
He may be just one man, but he is very influential among sports fans.
To end the day on a bad note, Mandela gets a message from his daughter saying she is
canceling her visit this weekend without explaining why.
The Springboks are being seen in such a bad light, that a poor black boy refuses to accept
the donation of a Springboks jersey because he will be beaten up if he wears it.
The next day, the black-dominated South African Sports Council has a meeting where they decide
the Springboks should lose the color, emblem, and name.
Ignoring his secretary's warning of what this could do to his reputation, Mandela decides
to interrupt the council's meeting and offers a speech asking for support for the Springboks,
which he backs up with his own experience in jail.
He studied the white men that locked him up to know how to beat them, but now they are
not enemies anymore, they are supposed to be a united nation.
If they take the rugby team away from them, the black people would be proving they are
the savages they believed them to be.
In the end, Mandela's proposition wins thanks to just one vote difference.
Unfortunately, the Springboks lose their next match as well.
Mandela begins traveling to other nations with his message, including the USA, Japan,
and a speech for the UN.
When he returns, so do his morning walks, but his mood sours a little when one of his
new bodyguards asks him about his family.
Upset, Mandela returns to the house, and the black bodyguard has to explain to the newbie
that Mandela is separated from his wife and kids.
Later over breakfast, Mandela finds some big news on the paper: the crime rate is rising
in the country, and the coach and manager of the Springboks were axed.
Francois is staying as a captain though, which pleases Mandela.
A few hours later at the office, Mandela receives his first paycheck and is shocked to see how
high it is, so he decides to donate a third of it to charity, hoping other politicians
will do the same.
He also invites Francois over for tea to discuss the future of the Springboks.
Francois explains he leads by example, which Mandela agrees with, but he also points out
the team needs some inspiration to perform at their best.
When Francois leaves, he reaches the conclusion that Mandela is asking him to win the world
cup.
Sometime later, Mandela gets to see his daughter again, but she is mad at him for hiring the
cops that forced the family out of the house when Mandela was in jail and cuts the conversation
short.
Afterward, Mandela calls a sports expert to learn more about the rugby world cup and,
hearing that the matches will be watched by billions, comes up with a plan to show the
world the real South Africa.
Meanwhile, the Springboks are training hard when the head of PR comes with a big announcement:
the team will be conducting coaching clinics in townships all over the country.
The players hate the idea, but they have to obey because the order comes from Mandela
himself and Francois, as the captain, supports the plan.
The following day, the team is taken to one of the poorest towns in the area, receiving
the dose of reality they needed.
The kids they will be coaching today only recognize Chester and receive him with cheers,
but as hours pass, both the children and the players have lots of fun together.
At the end of the day, the team retires after leaving a sign with Mandela's slogan for this
campaign: "one team one country".
This coaching session later appears on the news and Mandela shows it to his cabinet,
explaining how it is worth a hundred speeches.
The Springboks begin flying on a plane with Chester's face on it, which is also part of
the campaign.
There already are more black supporters waiting for them at every airport, and Johan calls
himself "cautiously optimistic".
Mandela begins memorizing every player's name to greet them correctly and appears in Johan's
show to encourage the support of the national team.
The Springboks do their morning run on the streets to be seen by everyone, and Francois
tries to convince his team to learn to sing the national anthem properly since they usually
just mouth the words.
Unfortunately, the other players refuse.
The day before the first world cup match, Mandela visits the Springboks and wishes everyone
good luck with a shake of hands and using the right names.
Francois explains Chester is not there because he is injured, and Mandela gifts him a piece
of paper where he wrote down "Invictus", a poem that kept him inspired in jail.
The next day, Mandela attends the match and celebrates as much as the rest of the public
when the Springboks beat Australia.
Later in the evening, Mandela attends a fancy dinner party while the team celebrates in
a bar.
However, Francois reminds everyone that they still need to wake up at six a.m.
The following morning, Francois guides them through a new route to reach the port, where
the team takes a boat to visit Robben Island, where Mandela spent his first eighteen years
of jail.
Francois gets to see Mandela's tiny cell and is impressed that the president could spend
so many years there yet still be able to forgive those that locked him up.
The next time the bodyguards go to pick up Mandela for his morning walk, they find him
unconscious outside the house.
The doctor says stress has finally taken a toll on him, meaning Mandela can not attend
the next match.
But Chester does, and the Springboks defeat Samoa.
The following match is against France, and the Springboks beat them under heavy rain
while Mandela conducts trade negotiations overseas.
Now that the team has reached the finals though, Mandela makes sure his schedule is free so
he does not miss it.
England loses the semifinals, thus the Springboks' opponent will be the fearsome All Blacks from
New Zealand.
The victories are having the effect Mandela wanted, and the whole nation is now cheering
for the Springboks.
The effect can be seen in the little gestures too: Mandela's bodyguards have started to
play rugby together, with their frosty distrust left behind, and when Francois gets tickets
for his family, he includes one for the black maid.
After requesting a report about the history of the All Blacks, Mandela understands why
they are so fearsome, and begins thinking of ways to inspire the Springboks in a way
as powerful as the All Blacks' haka.
The morning before the final match, the Springboks go for their last run and all the neighbors
come out to show their support.
The stadium is incredibly crowded with people of every color, including the boy that had
turned down the jersey.
Johan is there too, talking about the team in a much more positive light now.
The bodyguards are extra cautious with their operation because of the big crowd, but they
get scared when a plane begins flying dangerously close to the stadium.
Fortunately, it is a false alarm: the plane is only flying low to show a good luck message
from the president before safely going away.
The gesture is a success among the public, who gets ready to receive the Springboks with
a standing ovation.
Once again, Mandela enters the field to shake hands with both teams, but this time he has
left neutrality behind and is wearing a green jersey.
The match begins after the national anthem, which the Springboks are finally able to sing
correctly.
The All Blacks are incredibly tough opponents and easily get an advantage in points, but
Francois adjusts the team's strategy accordingly and soon the Springboks manage to reach a
tie.
The main match time runs out while the score is still nine-nine, so twenty minutes of extra
time are added.
Everyone is tired, but they still try their best, and five minutes before the end, the
Springboks manage to turn the score in their favor.
Then they spend the remaining time defending their side, which proves to be the right strategy:
the referee finishes the match and declares the Springboks the new world champions.
The entire nation celebrates this victory, and lots of people hug whoever is standing
next to them regardless of skin color.
It is Mandela himself who gives Fancrois the enormous trophy, and they shake hands as they
thank each other for what they have done for their country.
Afterward, Mandela's car is stuck in traffic because everyone is out in the streets celebrating.
However, Mandela tells his driver not to find a different route because he wants to be part
of such unity.