The Power of One was a film of our not so kind past. Sometimes it’s hard to admit when we’ve done wrong, but not acknowledging our past failures can only lead to future recurrences. In The Power of One, it is evident that brainwashing was a huge factor in the apartheid. Obviously if you grow up in a culture where one race is said to be superior to another, and it’s beat into your mind from a young age, you’re going to believe just that. However, in the case of PK, he was not a part of the dominant culture. He himself was a minority in the vast Afrikaner population. It’s always easier to identify the brainwashing when you’re seeing it as an outsider. The unchallenged belief that Afrikaners were superior to the English and native South Africans was shocking to me. PK, the protagonist of the story embodied the spirit of an independent, intellectual thinker. He didn’t believe whatever he was told, and definitely had an agenda of his own. Throughout the movie, PK must endure the painful losses of those whom he holds most dear. Starting at a young age, he was exposed to the rich native culture of South Africa, making it second nature for his way of thinking (he could even speak the language!) In PK’s later years (older therefore wiser) he begins to quietly rebel against the Afrikaners, instead of letting them push him around. Beginning with the concert and eventually escalating to teaching Guideon’s village to read, PK always found a way to not assimilate with the Afrikaner population. Not only does The Power of One demonstrate the long time struggle with apartheid, but it truly embodies how a single person can have a long lasting affect on someone’s life. Throughout the film, PK meets many characters who define him as a young man. This representation of positive impact leaves an impression on the audience to be that person. A life is a life well lived if you can leave a positive impact on the people whom you surround.        -Kristi Lindenmuth