Harvey Weinstein, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, and Los Angeles students at a screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
 
Erich Schwartzel
Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood producer famous for wooing Oscar voters, on Thursday faced a more discerning crowd: high school students.
There were more than 300 of them from across Los Angeles, and they’d just watched his new movie, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” starring Idris Elba as the former South African president and anti-apartheid leader.
Turns out Harvey Weinstein the teacher is a bit like Harvey Weinstein the Hollywood kingpin: blunt, sensitive and a relentless campaigner.
“Did you like the movie?” he said, and the crowd cheered.
“Is Idris Elba the sexiest man of the year next year?” he said to more scattered applause.
The school day screening was the latest stop in Mr. Weinstein’s “Mandela” road show. The movie was shown at the White House earlier this month, and hosted on Wednesday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. by Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell and Sen. John McCain. Two Republicans and a Democrat on stage together – clearly the movie is bringing people together, Mr. Weinstein joked later at his company’s holiday party.
But on Thursday afternoon, the focus was on Mr. Weinstein’s push for “Mandela” in schools. In partnership with the American Federation of Teachers, Weinstein Co. is