You Have Struck a Rock! (1981)

• 75%
• 1981
• Documentary
• Deborah May
• Lilian Ngoyi
• Dora Tamana
• Helen Joseph

The documentary, You Have Struck a Rock describes the history of non-violent resistance by black South African women to the use of reference books or passes issued by the South African apartheid government. The pass was traditionally employed by the government to restrict and control the whereabouts of black South African men, who were forced to work away from their families for months or even years. In 1948, the Nationalist government came to power and began to introduce passes for black women. The role of the pass in the lives of black women differed from the role it played in the lives of black men. For a number of reasons concerning issues of bread-and-butter, women were forced to take political action, which was largely unified and strong for many years.