A new Netflix documentary is examining the complex legacy of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who remains both revered and controversial in her home country's history. The film, produced by her granddaughters, aims to present a comprehensive view of the liberation icon.

Madikizela-Mandela, who died in 2018, was married to Nelson Mandela and became a prominent figure in the struggle against apartheid during his 27-year imprisonment. While celebrated as a freedom fighter, her later years were marked by various controversies and legal troubles.

Separately, a recent Michael Jackson biopic has drawn attention for ending its narrative in 1988, before the most controversial period of the pop star's life. The film does not cover the child sexual abuse allegations that emerged in the 1990s, Jackson's 2005 criminal trial where he was acquitted, or other later controversies that continued until his death in 2009.

Both productions highlight ongoing debates about how documentary filmmakers and biographers choose to frame the legacies of complex historical figures, particularly when dealing with subjects who achieved significant cultural or political impact alongside personal controversies.

The approach of these documentaries reflects broader questions in biographical filmmaking about the responsibility to present complete narratives versus focusing on specific periods or achievements in subjects' lives.