TIM ROBBINS - LUKE + ROBBINS MIXED ABOUT WORKING WITH TORTURER BOTHA

LUKE + ROBBINS MIXED ABOUT WORKING WITH TORTURER BOTHA

CATCH A FIRE co-stars TIM ROBBINS and DEREK LUKE had mixed emotions about working with former South African Security Branch head HENTIE BOTHA - Robbins admired his efforts to redeem himself, while Luke wanted to kill him. Botha was involved with the torturing of African National Congress (ANC) leaders arrested for carrying out and planning crimes against the state, and agreed to act as an adviser on the set to help Robbins' vile character perfect his despicable acts. Robbins says, "What I found moving about him is that, while I know he did all these things, he then chose to be an adviser on this film and to go to conferences and talk about what he did in the past. "His path to redemption, his way to come to terms with what he did, is to be free and open with it. That's got to be difficult." But Luke, who plays anti-apartheid rebel PATRICK CHAMUSSO in the film, wasn't in a forgiving mood. He insisted Botha visit the exhibition of atrocities at the Apartheid Museum and found it difficult to strike up conversation with his character's one-time torturer. He adds, "I had a serious challenge with Hentie. Every time he was on the set, I'm looking at him, feeling like, 'I have a chance to redeem South Africa if I just knock Hentie off.' "There was one particular scene... where Hentie was, at one point, showing the actors how to inflict pain to my character. I got so angry."