Stripped - Trailer

Soul Searching Audacious Podcasts

This story about Thomas Budge's struggle to triumph over discrimination is one that must be told, not only to expose harmful religious doctrines but to provide encouragement to the many, many victims of margin­alisation, victim­isation, and expulsion from society because they had no say over their difference from what some consider to be the norm. When you mention "podcast" in South Africa, the image that often comes to mind is an interview. Yet, the team at Baird Media is challenging this norm by embarking on an ambitious project to produce South Africa's first feature-length audio drama podcast. Stripped delves into the true story of Thomas Budge, a courageous young man who, in 1971, bravely defied conscription into the apartheid military due to his unwavering religious convictions. Raised as a Jehovah's Witness, Thomas staunchly adhered to the teachings instilled by his mother and the organisation's elders, steadfastly opposing the idea of bearing arms. His principled stance led to imprisonment in the now-demolished Military Detention Barracks (DB) in Voortrekkerhoogte (Thaba Tshwane) in Pretoria, where he spent most of his sentence in solitary confinement. Only through his father's persistent letter-writing campaign and subsequent changes in legislation did Thomas find liberation, albeit after enduring immense personal sacrifices.