A showcase item in the new World Voices series from Palm Pictures is Mandela, a veritable fun-pack of hagiographic material about the anti-apartheid strategist, three-decade political prisoner and statesman of global consequence. The DVD is the two-hour doc from the mid-’90s, Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation—dated maybe, but the Oscar-nominated portrait of purpose and determination offers a lot of crucial insight into Nelson Mandela’s early years as a Tembu aristocrat groomed for leadership, his education, political awakening and accumulated wisdom. Then there’s a 25-song CD of music, South African save for the Specials’ lionization from ’84, with Hugh Masekela, Johnny Clegg, the Kalahari Surfers and more. National Geographic does its part by assembling both the booklet with an extensive, competent biography and loads of quality photos, and the foldout map. Not included, sadly: ANC Secret Communiqué Decoder Ring, PW Botha Bald Wig. —Rupert Bottenberg