http://www.africavenir.org/ AfricAvenir Windhoek de http://www.africavenir.org/fileadmin/tt_news_article.gif http://www.africavenir.org/ AfricAvenir Windhoek TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 23 May 2013 15:24:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132305&cHash=4f8772a773b7c95eb91668c36d44c9b3 AfricAvenir Windhoek wishes the AU and all its member states a happy 50 years anniversary of the AU and hopes, that cultural aspects, be they critical or in line with government policies, are... AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Publications Thu, 23 May 2013 15:24:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132192&cHash=bf00b594005df9a1891642927217f1d2 On Saturday, 25 May 2013 at 6 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the award winning Egyptian film „678“ at Goethe-Centre Windhoek. “678” is the hauntingly real story of three... 25 May 2013 at 6 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the award winning Egyptian film „678“ at Goethe-Centre Windhoek. “678” is the hauntingly real story of three women and their search for justice from the daily plight of sexual harassment in Egypt. When one of the women resorts to stabbing harassers in the groin, she becomes a phantasmal hero that causes a nationwide stir. The film provides a comprehensive assessment of the cause and effect of this social epidemic, demonstrating the fatal consequences of silence and furthermore the acceptance of denial as a solution, while revealing an intriguingly raw side of Egypt that the world has barely seen. Even though the movie “678” is by now over two years old it keeps drawing attention worldwide. “678” was the directorial debut of Mohamed Diab and is the first film to address the rampant sexual harassment that women face on the streets of Cairo every day. “678” (sometimes also titled “Cairo 678”) is a blunt but powerful portrait of three women of varying social backgrounds rebelling against the sexual harassment endemic to that country’s culture.  The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director of Sister Namibia, Laura Sasman. The screening is made possible through the financial support by the FNB Foundation.  Synopsis
It may be a taboo subject but the simple fact is that incidences of sexual harassment in Egypt are on the rise. In this bold and frank film, we witness a number of perspectives on the matter, through the eyes of three women drawn from across Cairo's complex social hierarchy. Fayza is a traditionally-minded mother, in search of justice. Seba is a wealthy jewelry designer, recovering from a vicious gang assault. Nelly, an aspiring stand-up comic draws national outrage for daring to file a sexual harassment lawsuit. The film follows this trio as, frustrated by the lackadaisical response from authorities, they decide to take the law into their own hands and begin exacting violent revenge on men foolish enough to try and harass them. Prizes
Winner Best Narrative Feature award (including $100,000 prize-money), Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, USA Winner Audience Choice Award 9th Festival Cine de Africa, FCAT, Cordoba, Spain, 2012 Winner Muhr Arab category, Best Actress Award for Bushra, Dubai Film Festival, 2010 A film and its story
Even though the movie 678 is by now over two years old it keeps drawing attention and this weekend the film received two prizes in the international festivals. The visitors of the African Film Festival of Cordoba Spain honoured 678 with the Audience Award and two days later director Mohamed Diab received the Best Narrative Feature award and $100,000 when his film won the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis in the US. When the film first came out protests were lodged against it by singer Tamer Hosny, who objected to one of his songs being used in the film. There was also an attempt by an attorney to stop the film from being included in the Dubai Film Festival because it portrayed Egypt in an unfavourable light. Claims were made as well by the Association for Human Rights and Social Justice that the film would encourage women to attack their harassers as shown in the film, but the Diab and his team managed to withstand the controversy and the film became a success in the Egyptian cinemas. The success in Egypt was followed by a huge success in France, with more than hundred cinemas screening the film. Press and comments
“A gift to all women.” - Christiane Taubira, French Minister of Justice “A gripping feature film” – The New Yorker “678 can be unsettling at times but it’s never uncomfortable. It doesn’t reach for an easy resolution or provide the answers. Rather than pointing a finger or looking for someone to blame, 678 takes a introspective look at a society plagued with contradictions and self-conflict, then the film invites its audience to take a second look around.” - Cairo 360 “”678” is a worthwhile exploration of the daily plight of the Egyptian woman, a struggle that goes mostly unnoticed by anyone but the victim.” – Egyptian Independent “Uprising of women against gropers and rapists. Crime thriller and social analysis at the same time”  - Die Zeit “Reflecting a broader Arab desire for personal empowerment and dignity“ - New Directors/New Films Director
Mohamed Diab is one of the most prominent screenwriters in Egypt. Diab comes from the city of Ismailia. He attended the New York Film Academy in 2005 and then wrote the following films: Real Dreams (Ahlam Hakekeya, 2007), a thriller about a mother’s inability to draw the line between her reality and her dreams. The Island (El Gezira, 2007), a blockbuster success, starring Ahmed El Sakka, and based on a true story of a ruthless drug lord in the Southern region of Egypt. The film penetrated pop culture and is commonly quoted to this day.  The Replacement (Badal Faed, 2009), a story about the fate of twin boys separated at birth and adopted by very different families. Congratulations (Alf Mabrouk, 2009), co-written with his brother Khaled Diab, starring one of the top actors in the Middle East, Ahmed Helmy. 678 is his fifth film he has written. It is his directorial debut.  “I made this film to break the silence of women,” said Mohamed Diab. “The short term solution for sexual harassment is that women should not feel ashamed when they get harassed and they should speak out.” “Some people will think I am humiliating Egyptian men, but this is not true; I am humiliating those who commit sexual harassment,” said Diab. “This film will stir a debate, I am sure that I will be severely criticized for it and some people are already sharpening their teeth to attack me with the rhetorical accusation of distorting Egypt’s image.” Furhter Details
New Century Productions Cast: Nelly Karim, Bushra, Maged El Kedwany, Ahmed El Fishawy, Bassem Samra, Sawsan Badr, Nahed El Sebai, Omar El Saeed, Yara Gobran, Ibrahim Salah, Moataz El Demrdash Director/screenwriter: Mohamed DiabProducer: Bushra RozzaDirector of photography: Ahmed GabrEditor: Amr Salah El dinMusic: Hany AdelProduction designer: Ali HosamCostume designer: Malak Zo El FakarLength: 103 min In 2013 the film series African Perspectives is supported by the Finnish Embassy in Windhoek, FNB Foundation, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek.]]> African Perspectives AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Wed, 15 May 2013 11:30:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132245&cHash=a789e5dda95fcaf1824f2b62c5138064 Each year, on June 20, the United Nations celebrates World Refugee Day. On Wednesday, 12 June 2013, 6:30 pm, AfricAvenir Windhoek and the FNCC present the Namibian film premiere of Africa Shafted:... World Refugee Day. On Wednesday, 12 June 2013, 6:30 pm, AfricAvenir Windhoek and the FNCC present the Namibian film premiere of Africa Shafted: Under one roof by South African Director Ingrid Martens, South Africa 2011, 50 min. The World Refugee Day is a day to recognize the contributions of refugees in their communities. The screening of Africa Shafted: Under one roof honours the courage, the strength, and determination of women, men, and children, who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. Synopsis: The German writer Norman Ohler described Johannesburg’s Ponte City, Africa’s tallest residential building, thus: “Ponte sums up all the hope, all the wrong ideas of modernism, all the decay, all the craziness of the city. It is a symbolic building, a sort of white whale, it is concrete fear, the tower of Babel, and yet it is strangely beautiful.” A new documentary by Ingrid Martens, Africa Shafted: Under one roof, adds to the wide variety of cultural and artistic interest in Ponte, home to around 4000 people in Hillbrow, on the edge of downtown Johannesburg. A story of African's never seen before, all in one space, Africa's tallest apartment building. A film constructed entirely of elevator conversations. This simple and uncompromising idea provides a beautiful clarity of form. All the filming takes place in one of 8 lifts that travel 54 floors everyday and provide a platform for people from all walks of life to engage with the camera and tell their story. The film purports to look at xenophobia through situating itself in the intense and somewhat claustrophobic surrounding of the tower lifts, which link the 54 stories, housing nationalities from all across Africa. In these lifts, the film encounters residents and their feelings toward one another.   The film captures the views and opinions of ordinary people from every corner of the African continent who have been seen as scary, undeserving, criminal, drug sellers by so many in post-apartheid South Africa. Instead what you see in this documentary are diverse ordinary people, each with a dream of a better life, and wisdom to share. While in contrast you also hear the very prejudice that led to the tragic xenophobic attacks. The film ends one-month before the brutal outbreak of xenophobic attacks that until today is still an ongoing tragic chapter in South Africa’s history. The lift allows you interact with people from every corner of Africa, and so does the music. The film features prominently the music of Namibia’s very own Jackson Kaujeua. The film’s soundtrack speaks of the diversity of Ponte’s residents, and one that musicians from several different countries contributed to. The film features prominently the music of Namibia’s very own Jackson Kaujeua. Director Ingrid Martens, who also produced, wrote and edited the film, hopes that with the backup of this eclectic soundtrack, the documentary will be used as a tool to educate people about the realities of xenophobia, and the prominent social issues faced in an African city like Johannesburg. Date: Wednesday 12 June 2013
Time: 7:00 pm
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium This screening is made possible through the financial assistance of the Finnish Embassy. © Copyright AfricAvenir 2013]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 15 May 2013 06:45:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132243&cHash=70af1b33be36e2a42e51138c783615d5 Each year, on June 20, the United Nations celebrates World Refugee Day. On Saturday, 29 June 2013, 7 p.m., AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek present the Namibian film premiere of... World Refugee Day. On Saturday, 29 June 2013, 7 p.m., AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek present the Namibian film premiere of Man On Ground by Nigerian Director Akin Omotoso, South Africa 2011, 80 min. The World Refugee Day is a day to recognize the contributions of refugees in their communities. The screening of Man On Ground honours the courage, the strength, and determination of women, men, and children, who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. Dr. Lawrence Mbangson, Resident Representative of the UNHCR in Namibia, will be special guest to this screening and will be available for a Q-and-A after the screening. Synopsis:
There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine, and the truth. No one is lying, but memories shared serve each differently. Ade (played by Hakeem Kae-Kazim) and Femi (played by Fabian Adeoye Lojede) are expatriate Nigerian brothers. Ade is a successful banker in London, while Femi, once a political dissident in his home country, has had to escape to South Africa, live in refugee tenements and work menial jobs. The brothers have not only been physically estranged, their relationship is riddled with unspoken betrayal, guilt and scorn, which they have carried since the early days of their youth. During a short visit to Johannesburg, Ade discovers that his brother has been missing for a week. He sets out to investigate Femi's mysterious disappearance, reconstructing the pieces of his everyday life and the cruel hardships he endured just to survive. A riot erupts while Ade is visiting Femi's former boss in one of the townships. Ade is forced to take shelter with the employer. The mounting violence outside seeps into their exchanges and, eventually, prompts an explosion of revelation. Awards:

• Best Film, Jozi Film Festival
• Best Ensemble Cast, Monaco Charity Film Festival 2012
• Best South African Film at the 10th Tri Continental Film Festival, 2012
• Nominated for seven and winner of Special Jury Prize, Best Film and Best Actress, African Academy Movie Awards, 2012
• Awarded Best Producer, Best Director, Best Director of Photography, Best Editor, and Best Indigenous Film, 4th annual African Audio Visual Awards (TAVAs), Lagos, Nigeria, 2012
• Awarded Best director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Sound Design, Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Lagos, Nigeria, 2013

Official Selection:

• Toronto International Film Festival 2011
• Berlin International Film Festival 2012
• Africa International Film Festival 2011
• Dubai International Film Festival 2011
• Durban International Film Festival 2012

The story of a film:
On the evening of Sunday 11th May 2008 a gang of young men in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township forced their way into a hostel on London Road and initiated a merciless attack on residents they deemed to be foreigners. From this spark, the murder, rape, and looting directed at the bodies and belongings of non-South Africans spread within days from Alexandra to informal settlements in Diepsloot and the East Rand, where a Mozambican man, Ernesto Nhamuavhe was burned alive while bystanders laughed. Known to the world as “The Burning Man”, Ernesto Nhamuavhe, a husband and a father, is the primary inspiration for MAN ON GROUND. The violence generated profound national and continental shock and soul searching. Akin Omotoso, Fabian Lojede and Hakeem kae-Kazim decided to pool their resources and commissioned a Research Study into the violence. The Research took three months and over the next couple of years, the three would discuss the best possible way to tell the story. Various drafts and possibilities were discussed until the story of a man’s search for his brother provided the perfect context to guide the story. Producer Rosie Motene joined the team early 2011. To fund the production stage of the film, the team opted for the CROWD FUNDING approach. Crowd Funding describes the collective, cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money and other resources together to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations. Local filmmakers Khalo Matabane and Tim Greene used this approach to fund their features films Conversations On A Sunday Afternoon and A Boy Called Twist. Letters were sent to family and friends and friends of friends asking them for donations beginning at R1000 in return for an Associate Producer credit. No donation was considered too small. The first letter went out on the 1st of March and the first donation was R1,500 on the 25th of March. Additional sponsorship was provided by the equipment house Media Film services, Southern Sun Hotel Hyde Park, The Kgolo Trust, The International Organisation of Migration and The City Of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services. Shooting commenced on the 1st of June 2011. It was a nineteen day shoot. A few days into the shoot, a key sponsor failed to come through. As the team confronted the brutal reality of shutting down the shoot, support came in the form of ChrisDon Productions and the shoot was able to go ahead. Production wrapped on the 23rd of June 2011. Date: Sat. 29 June 2013
Time: 7 p.m.
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium This screening is made possible through the financial assistance of the Finnish Embassy. The film series African Perspectives is supported by the FNB Foundation, the Finnish Embassy, Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, the Goethe-Centre Windhoek, and WhatsOnWindhoek. © Copyright AfricAvenir 2013]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 15 May 2013 05:55:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132244&cHash=a5122c10bfa28eac4a0d1e9e505db512 On Saturday, 27 July 2013 at 7 pm AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek present the Namibian film premiere of “Rwagasore - Life, Struggle, and Hope” by Justine Bitagaye... 27 July 2013 at 7 pm AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek present the Namibian film premiere of “Rwagasore - Life, Struggle, and Hope” by Justine Bitagaye and Pascal Capitolin, Burundi 2012, 67 min. 2012 Burundi celebrated 50 years of Independence. One man, an emblematic figure of the anti-colonial struggle is directly linked to this Independence: Prince Louis Rwagasore, son of King Mwambutsa IV Bangiricenge. In the short span of his political life, he manages to gather a crowd of militants in support of his vision: to cast of the colonial yoke. In 1961, at the first free election, his party is victorious and he becomes Prime Minister. And then, after but a few days after the formation of his government, he is assassinated on October 13th 1961. On July 1st 1962 Burundi gets its Independence in the absence of the one who gave his life and soul to reach that grand day. The filmmakers about their film: “The documentary is based on what immediate witnesses could tell us and on historical sources. While Rwagasore is well known as the hero of the independence, little in fact is known about his life and what his vision truly was. This film opens a window to his life and political struggle. It shows us the illustrious man behind the myth and justifies the interpretation of the apparent defeat of his death as a living hope for Burundi, now and tomorrow.” See the official website: http://www.rwagasore.com/english/ Date: Sat. 27 July 2013
Time: 7 p.m.
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium The film series African Perspectives is supported by the FNB Foundation, the Finnish Embassy, Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, the Goethe-Centre Windhoek, and WhatsOnWindhoek. © Copyright AfricAvenir 2013]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 15 May 2013 05:50:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132088&cHash=08d44083af5d51f1483b082edc0ffc48 Egypt was the first country in Africa and the Middle East to establish a film-industry. Film screenings took place as early as 1896 when the works by the Lumière Brothers were presented in... film-industry. Film screenings took place as early as 1896 when the works by the Lumière Brothers were presented in Alexandria and Cairo. Still under foreign rule, Egypt was the only colony in which the production of news-reels and short-films by the local population was possible. First reports about productions date back to 1909. Within its monthly film series “African Perspectives” AfricAvenir has in the past and will in the future continue to screen high quality Egyptian cinema to the Namibian public. Due to the outstanding and rich cinema heritage and history of Egypt, AfricAvenir, in partnership with the Egyptian Embassy, the Egyptian Film Centre and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek, has decided to dedicate a full week of screenings to Classic Egyptian films. In 2013 the week, which will hopefully become an annual event, will focus on films from the late 1950’s to the early 1970’s.  An exhibition on Egyptian film directors will accompany the film week.

Monday, 12 August 2013, 19h15, Goethe-Centre Windhoek - Opening Film
Cairo Station, 1958
Director: Youssef Chahine, Egypt, 1958, 86 min, fiction
Cairo Station is the venue for a blazingly passionate drama about Kenaoui, a lame newspaper vendor, played by Chahine, and his unrequited desire for Hanouma (Hind Rostom), the Bardotesque lemonade seller. Swept away by his obsessive desire, Kinawi kidnaps the object of his passion, with terrible consequences. Chahine received international recognition when this masterpiece of sexuality, repression, madness and violence among society's marginalized played at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Golden Bear in 1958.
“A jewel of a film” Samir Hachem, The Hollywood Reporter
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOJpiUZphTE  

Tuesday, 13 August 2013, 19h15, Goethe-Centre Windhoek – Egyptian National Day, Revolution Day
A man in our House, 1961
Director: Henry Barakat, Egypt, 1961, 93 min, fiction, starring Omar Sharif 
A Man in Our House features a prominent political message concerning nationalism and patriotism and glorifies the Egyptian resistance to British colonialism. Using the 1952 Free Officers led revolt against King Farouk as the context, Ibrahim, played by Omar Sharif, a brave young man, hurls himself against the unjust government, assassinates the Prime Minister, and has to go into hiding in the house of ambivalently supportive citizens. His presence endangers the whole family, particularly since they are not as partisan as he is. The father has to make difficult decisions about how much can be risked, and is pulled out of his a-political stance by his son and daughter, the maternal feelings of his wife for the young man, and her empathy with the likely worries of his mother. The screen play was written by Abdel Qoddous, a well known opposition journalist of the era, and much called-upon screen writer. 
Film Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMNTxO-Ass8   Wednesday, 14 August 2013, 19h15, Goethe-Centre Windhoek        Between Heaven and Earth, 1960
Director: Salah Abu Seif, Egypt 1960, 100 min, fiction                                                                                            When released the film was considered an artistic adventure fearlessly undertaken by director Salah Abu Seif. Working brilliantly within its limitations of time and place, Between Heaven and Earth, from a screenplay co-written by Naguib Mahfouz, is a triumph of modern cinema. In the blasting heat of a Friday afternoon in Cairo, a group of people representing the whole of Egyptian society find themselves trapped in an elevator for 12 hours. The characters – among them a movie star, a thief, a madman, a cook and a pregnant woman - are archetypes that represent the different strata and classes of Egyptian society in the 1950s – classes that are still very much in place in Egypt today. This fact alone points to the timelessness of a film that was first shown more than 50 years ago. Between Heaven and Earth remains a remarkable triumph of modern cinema. Thursday, 15 August 2013, 19h15, Goethe-Centre Windhoek
The Night of Counting the Years - The Mummy, 1969
Director: Chadi Abdel Salam, Egypt, 1969, 100 min, fiction 
Recognized as one of the greatest Egyptian films ever made, The Night of Counting the Years a.k.a. The Mummy is the most important Egyptian historical art-film. Based on a true story and inspired by the famous discovery of the hiding place in the Valley of the Kings of royal mummies from several dynasties, the film is centered on the quest for identity of a young Egyptian. Set in 1881, on the eve of British colonial rule, an Upper Egyptian clan had been robbing a cache of mummies near the village of Qurna, and selling the artifacts on the black market. After a conflict within the clan, the young clan members goes to the police, helping the Antiquities Service find the cache.

Friday, 16 August 2013, 19h15, Goethe-Centre Windhoek
Chased by the Dogs/The thief and the dogs, 1962
Director: Kamal El Sheikh, Egypt, 1962, 130 min, fiction
After four years in prison, the young thief Said Mahran is released and seeks revenge against those who betrayed him. His wife and most trusted henchman, who conspired to turn him into the police, are now married to each other and are keeping his six-year-old daughter from him.  This felicitous combination of film noir and social commentary, about an ex-con bent on vengeance, builds to a terrific cat-and-mouse finale. Director El Sheikh and cinematographer Kamal Karim use carefully composed lighting and a range of camera techniques to create a wonderfully moody atmosphere. Made a little more than a decade after the 1952 Egyptian revolution, The Thief and the Dogs presents a world that challenges moral judgments—after all, the protagonists are a thief and a prostitute. The film is based on the novel The Thief and the Dogs by literature Nobel prize winner Naguib Mahfouz. Mahfouz was inspired by the life of the famous Egyptian thief Mahmoud Amin Soliman.
Film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyjisifoFGo Saturday 17 August 2013, 19h00, Goethe-Centre Windhoek Closing Film
M Empire, 1972
Director: Hussein Kamal, Egypt, 1972, 113 min, fiction
Based on Ihsan Abdel Quddous’ book and adapted for the screen by Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz, M Empire is one of the most loved Egyptian films. On the surface it is an enjoyable family drama, but below the surface it is a political call for liberalism and democracy during Sadat’s era. The film opens with a young Mona convincing her parents of her right to choose the man she’ll marry. It closes with a similar sentiment; her children ultimately want to demonstrate their democratic right.  The film hints on the ideal way Egyptian society should and could be. The family represents the country and highlights the crucial leader’s (or mother’s in this case) role of a multitasked educator. Without her, the family will fall apart and she’s the only one to assess her children’s capabilities and needs. At the same time, her leadership can expand outside the house’s borders. ‘Empire M’ advocates pro-democratic views.
Film:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1QCbqmFAkM © Copyright AfricAvenir Windhoek 2013]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives In Cooperation News Cinema News Wed, 15 May 2013 05:45:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132265&cHash=2ec8120a012da4266e9f8c4de3835dfe On Wednesday, 14 August, at 6.30 pm, AfricAvenir and the FNCC present the film screening of the historical epic Destiny by Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine. Destiny, Arabic (Al-Massir, 135 min), is... Wednesday, 14 August, at 6.30 pm, AfricAvenir and the FNCC present the film screening of the historical epic Destiny by Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine. Destiny, Arabic (Al-Massir, 135 min), is both an entertaining historical biopic of the influential 12th century philosopher Averroes and a blunt allegory condemning the politically driven fanaticism of present times. The Egyptian-French Co-Production premiered at the 50th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, where the director Youssef Chahine received a Lifetime Achievement Award. The film will be shown at the FNCC, Robert Mugabe Ave, Entrance is 20,- Nam$. This screening is supported by M-Net, in cooperation with WhatsOnWindhoek and AfriCine. Synopsis:
"Destiny," which won the Cannes film festival's 50th anniversary award, is set in 12th-century Andalusia, with the Arab philosopher Averroes, a harbinger of the Enlightenment, as hero, surrounded by sheikhs and caliphs, and disciples with significant names — the exiled Joseph, faithful Nasser, and rebellious Abdallah. Averroes was a follower of Aristotelian thought, an innovative lawyer and an important scientist who lived during the rule of the great liberal Caliph Al Mansour. At the time, the Caliph's rivals were part of Magdi Idris, a fundamentalist sect, who sought to destroy his power by cloaking their own political agendas in religious dogma and spreading it liberally amongst the easily influenced peasantry. Averroes' ordeal began when fundamentalists found his many books espousing a humanistic doctrine contrary to their own. Demanding an end to the spread of the philosophers radical, rationalist ideas, they insisted that the Caliph launch a fatwa against Averroes. The film opens in Southern France, with a man being burned at the stake by the Christian Inquisition for the crime of having translated forbidden works by "the Infidel Averroës." His son watches him burn, then steals away across the border into Spain and makes his way to Cordoba to the home of the great scholar himself. It is a dramatically different world than the one he has left – a world of culture, luxury, learning, and grace. Averroës' household percolates with life, love, and good humor. An amazing variety of people frequent the household: the brother of the Caliph, the Caliph's sons, the gypsy dancer Manuela and her sister Sarah, the singer Marwen, poor students, wealthy students, a former religious fanatic whom the philosopher has taken in, Averroës' independent-minded daughter, and, of course, his devoted, spirited wife Zeinab. Still, in the larger world of Andalousia outside this eclectic household, the seeds of the same malady that has the Christian north in its grips – ignorance, intolerance, and intrigue – are to be found, and increasingly so. The region is ruled by the Caliph al-Mansour, proud and self-centered, disappointed in his two sons. He looks to Averroës for guidance, as did his father, but refuses to follow the philosopher's advice. The Caliph's elder son cares little for matters of state. He prefers the company of horses, and, increasingly, of Averroës and his daughter. The younger son is weak, sensual, and easily distracted; he will become the brainwashed tool of a religious sect whose goal is to unseat the Caliph and the political, intellectual establishment, and establish the rule of fundamentalism and religious purity. Averroës becomes the object of their most intense animosity, and the Caliph will be unable to shield him from their schemes.  To silence Averroës and bring an end to his ideas, all of his books are publicly burned and Averroes himself is exiled. But before the burning occurres, Averroes' faithful students copy each of his detailed Commentaries on Aristotle and smuggle them to Egypt where in time they were passed down to become the cornerstones of modern Western philosophy. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YojbU0gOCuQ Press:
“... a rollicking intellectual adventure with the emotional tenor of a melodrama.”
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Weekly “The most courageous frontal attack on Islamic fundamentalism to come out of the Arab cinema to date, "Destiny" is both an entertaining historical biopic of the influential 12th century philosopher Averroes and a blunt allegory condemning the politically driven fanaticism of present times.”
Deborah Young, Variety “A Look at Zealotry in `Destiny' - Adventure drama oddly charming”
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle “It is an odd, brave film, part impassioned melodrama, part musical, taking a broad popular approach to questions of religious belief.”
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times Further reading:
"Destiny" - A film to be remembered today. Chahine and Averroes as relevant as ever, by Hans-Christian Mahnke, 30.12.2012, link: http://www.africine.org/?menu=art&no=11221 The director Youssef Chahine about the film:
“In a single day, I expect to cry, laugh, dance, sing. I may even be locked up in jail. A film should contain all those things.
If there is a message in Destiny, it is the following: one must leap into the battle. Averroës embodies what I have always advocated: opening oneself to the Other.” "Maybe part of the picture's success," Chahine said, "is that I'm laying out a thorny question — the issue of fundamentalism — on the table, and having studied in America, I wanted to do it in an entertaining way. Don't bore people, give them adventure, but make them think. So I found Averroes, the philosopher who believed in the coexistence of reason and revelation."
"When I decided to do a movie on the golden age of Islam, it was because 12th-century Cordoba looked like my Alexandria, where everybody talked to everybody, and everybody made love to everybody, no matter the religion or creed. But in Cairo they gave me a bit of trouble, they wanted a commission to check historical accuracy. I said, I see things visually; if you don't like my point of view, make another film. My movie is not chronological, it's not a thesis."
Chahine was also motivated by the experience of a young actor friend, who had fallen into the hands of a fundamentalist sect, was brainwashed, and in just a few weeks had totally transformed into an automaton. The results of this dehumanizing process, seen on a personal level, terrified and enraged him. He saw these fundamentalists as representing the forces of death. For Chahine, Averroës represented the opposite. Averroës, Chahine told a reporter for Le Monde, "is a thinker who always takes the side of life." "But fanatics are not just in Arab countries," he said. "We should stop talking about Islamic terrorism; what about Catholic terrorism or Judaic terrorism? What about those conservative white men in Washington or Le Pen here? People are becoming more ethnic, more religious, more fundamentalist and more terrorist, and sects are everywhere." About the director:
Youssef Chahine was born in 1926 in the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria to a well-to-do Catholic family. Although born a Christian, Chahine was not a believer in organised religion and it was stated that, if asked of his religion, he would reply: Egyptian.
Chahine discovered a number of the Egyptian cinema's top stars, including Omar Sharif (whose first film was Chahine's 1954 Sera Fi El-Wadi/Sky of Hell), and frequently collaborated with the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Naguib Mahfouz. Fascinated by the performing arts from an early age, young Chahine began to create shows at home for his family. Chahine began his education at a Frères' school Collège Saint Marc.Growing up, he attended Alexandria's elite Victoria College. After studies at Alexandria University, he spent two years studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse in Los Angeles, then returned to Egypt to enter the film industry, when the cinematographer,  the “Pioneer of Egyptian Cinema”, Alvise Orfanelli, introduced him to the Egyptian film production. He has been making films since he was 23 years old, beginning in 1949/50, when he made the comedy Baba Amine/Papa Amine, two years before the revolution of 1952 that saw the overthrow of the monarchy and the rise of the charismatic leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. One year later, with Nile Boy (1951) he was first invited to the Cannes Film Festival. Sira’ fi-l-Wadi (The Blazing Sun, 1954) introduced Omar Sharif to the cinematic screen. Chahine’s filmmaking during the political era of Gamal Abdel Nasser (1956-70) was linked to Nasser’s political concept of a national project, Pan-Arabism and the struggle against Imperialism, oppression, and social injustice.
Three films made in this era by Chahine are until today considered national milestones and as important contribution to the national culture and identity. These are “Cairo Station” (1958), which was forbidden in Egypt for a period of 20 years, “Saladin, The Victorious” (1963), in the Original called “El Nasser. Salah Ed-Din”, and “The Land”, which mirrors the soul of the Egyptian peasant life. This film until today remains one of the most impressive work of world cinema, having the topic of social injustice as it core theme. Chahine world fame begins in the Post_Nasser-Period. In 1970 he was awarded a Golden Tanit at the Carthage Film Festival for al-Ikhtiyar (The Choice). With The Sparrow (1973), in which he showed his political opinions after the Six Day War with Israel, he directed the first Egypt-Algeria co-production. He won the Silver Bear and the Special Jury Prize at the 29th Berlin International Film Festival for Alexandria... Why? (1978), the first instalment in what would prove to be an autobiographic quartet, completed with An Egyptian Story (1982), Alexandria, Again and Again (1990), and Alexandria...New York (2004). The producer Humbert Balsan went to Cannes in 2004 with Alexandria... New York, his ninth film with the Egyptian director since 1985's Adieu, Bonaparte. In one of his films The Sixth Day اليوم السادس, an adaptation of a novel written in French by Lebanese writer André Chedid, the famous Egyptian singer Dalida was the protagonist in the role of a poor Egyptian woman.
 
About his work, Chahine has said, "I make my films first for myself. Then for my family. Then for Alexandria. Then for Egypt," Chahine once famously said. "If the Arab world likes them, ahlan wa sahlan (welcome). If the foreign audience likes them, they are doubly welcome." In 1994 Chahine directs his film "The Emigrant", the plot which was inspired by the biblical character of Joseph, Son of Jakob. The film had been in his head since the 1950s. In 1997, his film “Destiny” premieres at the 50th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, where Chahine receives the Lifetime Achievement Award, the „Cinquentenaire Prize“. In 1999, his film "The Other" opens the category „Un Certain Regard“ in Cannes. In 2001 he directs the musical "Silence... We're Rolling". 2004 follows "Alexandria... New York", which is an addition to the autobiographical triology. While shooting his last film, "Chaos" (2007) Chahine was assisted by the director Khaled Youssef. Chahine didn’t live to see the final version of the film. At the age of 82, he died on 27 July 2008. Filmography of Youssef Chahine
•1950: Baba Amin (‏بابا أمين‎,  Bābā Amīn)
•1951: Son of the Nil (‏ابن النيل‎, Ibn al-Nīl)
•1952: The Great Clown (‏المهرج الكبير, El Mohareg el Kebyr)
•1953: Lady on the Train (سيدة القطار‏, Saydat al Ketaar)
•1953: Women without men (‏نساء بلا رجال, Nisaa bila Regal)
•1954: Struggle in the Valley (‏صراع في الوادي‎,  Ṣirāʿ fī l-wādī), aka The Blazing Sun
•1954: The Desert Devil (شيطان الصحراء, ‏Shaitan al Sahraa)
•1956: Struggle on the Pier (‏صراع في المناء‎,  Ṣirāʿ fī l-mināʾ), aka Dark Waters
•1957: Farewell to your love (ودعت حبك, ‏Wadda'tu Hobbaka)
•1957: You’re my love (‏إنت حبيبى, Enta Habiby)
•1958: Cairo Station (‏باب الحديد‎,  Bāb al-ḥadīd)
•1958: Djamila the Algerian (‏جميلة‎,  Ǧamīla)
•1959: Forever Yours (حب إلى الأبد‎,  Hobb lel Abad)
•1960: In Your Hands (بين ايديك, Bein Edeik)
•1960: A Lover’s Call (نداء العشاق, Nidaa al Oushaak)
•1961: A Man in My Life (رجل في حياتي, Rajul fe Haiaty)
•1963: Saladin the Victorius (‏الناصر صلاح الدين‎, al-Nāṣir Ṣalāh al-Dīn)
•1964: Dawn of a new day (‏فجر يوم جديد, Fagr Youm Gedeed)
•1965: The ring salesman (‏بياع الخواطم‎, Bayyāʿ al-ḫawāṭim)
•1966: Golden Sands (رمال من ذهب, Rimal min Thahab)
•1967: The Feast of Mairun  (عيد الميرون, Eid al Mairun)
•1968: Those People of the Nile (‏النص والنيل‎, al-Naṣṣ wa-l-Nīl)
•1969: The Land (‏|, الأرض, Al-Ard/TheLand)
•1970:  The Choice (‏الإختيار, Al-Ekhtyiar )
•1972: Salwa the Little Girl who Talks to Cows (‏سلوى الفتاة الصغيرة التى تكلم الأبقار, Salwa al Fatah al Saghira allaty Tokalem el Abkar), aka Salwa
•1973:  The Sparrow (‏االعصفور, El Asfur)
•1973:  Forward We Go (انطلاق, Intilak‏)
•1976:  Return of The Prodigal Son (عودة الابن الضال, Awdet el Ebn el Dal
•1978: Alexandria… why? (‏اسكندرية... ليه؟‎, Iskandariyya... lē?)
•1982: An Egyptian Tale (‏حدوثة مصرية‎, Ḥaddūṯa miṣriyya)
•1985: Adieu Bonaparte (وداعًا بونابرت, Wadaan Bonabart)
•1986: The Sixth Day (Le sixième jour, اليوم السادس, Al-Yawm al-Sadis)
•1990: Alexandria Again and Again (‏اسكندرية، كمان وكمان‎, Iskandariyya, kamān wa kamān)
•1991:  Cairo as Told by Chahine (القاهرة منورة بأهلها, El Kahera Menawara be Ahlaha)
•1994: The Emigrant (‏المهاجر‎, al-Muhāǧir)
•1997: Destiny (‏المصير‎,  al-Maṣīr)
•1998: It's Only a Step (‏كلها خطوة, Kolaha Khatwa)
•1999: The Other – L'Autre (الآخر, Al-Akhar)
•2001: Silence, We're Rolling (‏سكوت ح نصور‎, Sukūt ḥa nṣawwar)
•2002: 11'09"01 – September 11th (Episode, سبتمبر) aka 11'09"01 Eleven Minutes, Nine Seconds, One Image
•2004: Alexandrie… New York (إسكندرية-نيويورك, Iskandariyah-New York)
•2007: Chaos (‏هي فوضى‎, Hiya fawḍā) Specifics on Destiny
French-Egyptian  Production, 135 minutes, 1997, Arabic Dialogue, Dolby Sound
A Pyramide release (France) of an Ognon Pictures (Paris)/Misr Intl. Films (Egypt) co-production in association with France 2 Cinema. (International sales: FPI)
Produced by Humbert Balsan, Gabriel Khoury.
Directed by Youssef Chahine. Screenplay, Chahine with Khaled Youssef.
Crew
Camera (color), Mohsen Nasr; editor, Rachida Abdel Salam; music, Kamal El Tawil, Yohia El Mougy; art direction, Hamed Hemdane; costumes, Nahed Nasrallah; Sound, Annette Dutertre; choreography, Walid Aouni.
Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (competing), May 14, 1997.
With
Averroes - Nour El Cherif
Gypsy - Laila Eloui
Abdallah - Hani Salama
Nasser - Khaled El Nabaoui
Marwan - Mohamed Mounir
Zeinab - Safia El Emary
Caliph - Mahmoud Hemeida
Sect Leader - Magdi Idris The film series African Perspectives is supported by the FNB Foundation, the Finnish Embassy in Namibia, WhatsOnWindhoek, AfriCine, the FNCC and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek. © Copyright AfricAvenir 2013]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132250&cHash=72736d55a5278a1a091967c9ee8adc68 To stand up against Gender Based Violence, AfricAvenir and Sister Namibia present the South African film "A Country for My Daughter" to a Namibian audience on Wednesday, 8 May... stand up against Gender Based Violence, AfricAvenir and Sister Namibia  present the South African film "A Country for My Daughter" to a Namibian audience on Wednesday, 8 May 2013, 7 p.m. at the Windhoek Theatre School, Robert Mugabe Ave. "A Country For My Daughter", directed by Lucilla Blankenberg and produced by Janine Tilley, highlights the gap between South Africa's good legislation and the real experiences of women living in the country. This film can easily be transferred to the realities in Namibia. The most recent media reports are proof to this claim. The screening of the film will be followed by a panel discussion with women rights activists and advocates for a GBV free society. About the film A Country for My Daughter follows Nonkosi Khumalo, a woman who imagines a safer country for her daughter and for all women in South Africa in light of her own personal experience with domestic violence and the legal system. After a fruitless attempt to report her abuse, passed off as “common assault” by the justice system, Khumalo investigates the struggle many women face when attempting to report domestic and sexual abuse in South Africa. Nonkosi is the chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign and mother of a little girl called Owethu. She is also dedicated to the struggle for equality in South Africa, especially for women. In "A Country For My Daughter" Nonkosi travels around the country investigating the stories of brave women whose court cases have transformed the law in South Africa for the better. The cases range from rape within a family to holding the Minister of Safety and Security liable, in cases where police were involved in violence against women. Through these stories, Nonkosi learns of the laws available to protect South African women and how they can be used. In a country where many sexual assaults go unreported, the struggle must extend beyond the courtroom and into communities. Nonkosi visits Khayelitsha, where social mobilization brought justice to Nandipha Makeke's family by prompting the arrest and prosecution of those who had raped and killed her. About the filmmaker Lucilla Blankenberg has always wanted to tell stories and found documentary film to be her ideal medium. As a member of Idol Pictures she made several films about aspects of South African society. Lucilla is now Deputy-Director of a non-profit organisation specialising in media, outreach and training, called Community Media Trust (CMT). She is also the director of Siyayinqoba Beat It!, the weekly educational TV show which is produced by CMT and broadcast on SABC 1. Lucilla is committed to the reduction of gender-based violence in South Africa and uses her films as a vehicle to highlight this. A Country For My Daughter is dedicated to all women in South Africa and to their future. ""A Country for My Daughter” remains a thoughtful and inspiring documentary, one that instills in its audience a drive to rise against such injustices and the hope to do so." Mambo Magazine, Zimbabwe Date: Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Time: 7 p.m.
Entrance: 10,- N$
Venue: Windhoek Theatre School, Robert Mugabe Avenue The screening is presented in partnership with www.africine.org and http://www.whatsonwindhoek.com/ Copyright: AfricAvenir & Sister Namibia 2013 ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:15:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132184&cHash=a76d55676a62eabb9bd50d2959abd9f1 On Saturday, 27 April 2013 at 7 pm AfricAvenir invites you to the Namibian Premiere of the award winning film, "Grey Matter“ (Rwanda, 2011, Original with English subtitles, 100 min) by Kivu... Saturday, 27 April 2013 at 7 pm AfricAvenir invites you to the Namibian Premiere of the award winning film, "Grey Matter“ (Rwanda, 2011, Original with English subtitles, 100 min) by Kivu Ruhorahoza. Grey Matter offers a rare narrative insight into the “burden of surviving” for multiple sectors of the Rwandan population. Kivu Ruhorahoza transformed his catharsis into a poignant representation of how genocide so deeply impacts individuals and how survivors manage to move on. For its audacious and experimental approach, this film speaks of recent horrors and genocide with great originality. The film Grey Matter reflects on the suffering of those who as children survived the Rwandan genocide. It denounces the mechanisms in which hatred and intolerance are created by media and eventually dehumanize human beings. This feature film shows, how it is important for small countries and their filmmakers to tell their own stories and to reflect on issues that they value the most. Written and directed by Kivu Ruhorahoza, Grey Matter is actually the first feature length narrative film made in Rwanda by a Rwandan filmmaker.   Synopsis
In the brisk, luminous serenity of middle-class Kigali, Balthazar (Hervé Kimenyi), a wry, intense young Rwandan filmmaker with a bookshelf full of Western classics and a head full of Western movies, prepares to make his first feature film, come what may, and muses about it into the lens of his video camera. Using this setup, the young Rwandan director Kivu Ruhorahoza offers a searing political view of the minor metropolis’s cultural modernity and modest prosperity. He shifts from Balthazar to clips of the film that Balthazar is making, which, to the displeasure of the authorities, turns out to be a devastating reflection on recent massacres and their enduring psychic traumas. Ruhorahoza suggests that such terrifying depictions of a society that’s sick with violence are incompatible with a forward-looking bureaucratic oblivion; his brilliant ending distills the paradoxes of a false normalcy into a single, stinging shot. Prizes

• Winner Griot Award (Best Director), and SIGNIS Award for Best Feature Length Narrative Film, 9th Festival Cine de Africa, FCAT, Cordoba, Spain, 2012.
• Special Jury Mention for Best New Narrative Director, and Best Actor Award for Ramadhan “Shami” Bizimana, Tribeca Film Festival, New York, USA, 2011.
• Winner Ecumenical Jury Award, Special Mention, and Nominee for Grand Prix, Warsaw International Film Festival, Poland, 2011

Date: Sat. 27. April
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium The film series African Perspectives is supported by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek. © Copyright AfricAvenir 2013]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132220&cHash=761790a33bbfeb4a046e9ef252a3a45e On Wednesday, April 10 2013, at the re-screening of “Sobukwe – A Great Soul”, Jane Katjavivi, chairperson of the FNB Foundation, handed over a cheque to the chairperson of AfricAvenir Windhoek... Wednesday, April 10 2013, at the re-screening of “Sobukwe – A Great Soul”, Jane Katjavivi, chairperson of the FNB Foundation, handed over a cheque to the chairperson of AfricAvenir Windhoek totaling the amount of 22.275,- Nam$. The money is intended to support the monthly African film series “African Perspectives” taking place at the Goethe-Centre and the FNCC. The series has been ongoing since 2007.  At the handing over, Mrs. Katjavivi stated: “We are providing a little over N$22,000, which will assist AfricAvenir in paying screening rights, designing posters, publicising the films to draw in audiences, etc. We believe that this will contribute to cultural exchange between Namibia and other African countries, to the telling of African stories from African perspectives. The films address topical social issues such as women’s rights, refugees, violence, racism and other forms of discrimination. Their screening therefore also contributes towards the discussion of important topics of relevance to Namibia, and the films are usually followed by a discussion.” The support given to AfricAvenir falls within the FNB Foundation’s focus area of support for heritage and culture. The FNB foundation, in line with the aims of AfricAvenir, hopes it will help to create a screening culture for African films that will also indirectly support the growing Namibian film industry. For further information contact Hans-Christian Mahnke
Tel : 0855630949
c.mahnke@africavenir.org Or visit the website http://www.africavenir.org/de/projekte-namibia/african-perspectives.html ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia News Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:40:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132167&cHash=6be252449371673cf87e5b54ef87fd5c On Saturday, 30 March 2013 at 7 pm, AfricAvenir presents the Namibian Premiere of the award winning Senegalese film "La Pirogue" (Senegal/France, 2012, Original with English...  Saturday, 30 March 2013 at 7 pm, AfricAvenir presents the Namibian Premiere of the award winning Senegalese film "La Pirogue" (Senegal/France, 2012, Original with English subtitles, 87 min) by Moussa Toure.  "La Pirogue" tells the story of Baye Laye (Souleymane Seye Ndiaye), a boat captain who hails from a fishing village outside Dakar. It follows his ordeal after he agrees to take a pirogue containing 30 men to Spain's Canary Islands in search of a better life in Europe.

Capably directed by Moussa Touré, a sometimes politician and bittersweet chronicler of his country’s social woes in several previous dramas and documentaries, this "Un Certain Regard" entry at Cannes is dedicated to the 5000 or so Africans who have died trying to cross to Europe in the last decade. 

Baye Laye is an experienced fisherman and family man who is being forced by economic and moral pressures to reluctantly captain a refugee boat for a Dakar-based people-smuggling operation. After some tense negotiation, Baye Laye and his human cargo of around 30 souls set out from Senegal in a mood of strained optimism. Predictably, their crossing soon becomes a nightmarish ordeal. A female stowaway (Mame Astou Diallo) causes friction among the otherwise all-male group, while minor tensions simmer across ethnic and religious divisions. Passengers sicken and die, others are washed overboard in storms. A harrowing encounter with another pirogue, floating on the high seas without food or power, becomes an ominous portent. Soon Laye’s boat itself suffers a similar fate, its engines shutting down, its course pulled out into the mid Atlantic by powerful ocean currents. The vessel begins to drift - and so, alas, does the plot. 　

Handsomely shot in fairly conventional style by a mixed Senegalese and French crew, La Pirogue is a well-crafted melodrama in classic issue-movie mold. The cast are capable, the dramatic conflict punchy, and the soundtrack sprinkled with the pretty, sinewy, laid back sounds of Senegal, a nation rightly famous for its vibrant music scene. 

Prizes

• Bronze Stallion, Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), 2013
• Golden Tanit, Carthage Film Festival, 2012
• Best Direction, and Award of the Public (les «Valois» du public), Festival d'Angoulême, France, 2012
• ARRI Award for Best Foreign Film, Munich Film Festival, 2012
• Official Selection Un Certain Regard, Cannes International Film Festival, 2012
• At the world premiere in Cannes in 2012, Moussa Toure, the crew and some parts of the cast were accompanied by a man who has held the Senegalese flag for decades through his music, Youssou N’Dour. Interview with Senegalese Minister for Culture, Youssou NDour and Moussa Toure, after the world premiere in Cannes 2012 here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqzii5_youssou-n-dour-moussa-toure-l-heure-de-la-revolution-du-cinema-africain-a-sonne_fun

Date: Sat. 30. March
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium
This screening is made possible with financial assistance by the Finnish Embassy in Windhoek.

The film series African Perspectives is supported by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek.

© Copyright AfricAvenir 2013]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:45:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132185&cHash=32a8e0b62f09f13df1374adb5d679896 Due to public demand, AfricAvenir has decided to organise an additional screening of the film "Sobukwe – A Great Soul", by Director Mickey Madoda Dube (South Africa 2011) on Wednesday, 10.... Wednesday, 10. April 2013, 18h30
At the FNCC,  Entrance 20,- Nam$ Synopsis:
The story of the life of a remarkable man who helped to inspire and liberate a nation will be seen for the first time in Namibia. "Sobukwe – a Great Soul" celebrates the life of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, restoring him to his rightful place as a leading figure in South African history.

“Sobukwe – A Great Soul”, featuring Luthuli Dlamini in the title role, communicates many of the qualities that Sobukwe embodied, demonstrating the integrity, courage, honesty, humanity and true leadership for which he was known, and which continue to have resonance today. The film is a feature length drama-documentary which charts the course of a leader who has been all but forgotten in the annals of history. The documentary, commissioned by SABC’s Kamscilla Naidoo as part of their Icons series on South African leaders, explores Sobukwe’s life and provides a platform for his voice to be heard decades after he made his mark, putting his name back on the world map of great liberators. © Copyright AfricAvenir 2013 ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:25:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132068&cHash=7519e56575c81bcc6f718e08ca2633aa On Saturday, 23 February 2013 at 7 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the Egyptian-German documentary „My Name is Not Ali“ (Germany/Egypt, 2011, Original with... Saturday, 23 February 2013 at 7 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the Egyptian-German documentary „My Name is Not Ali“ (Germany/Egypt, 2011, Original with English subtitles, 94 min) by Viola Shafik. His anti-racist film “Ali – Fear Eats Soul” (Original title “Angst Essen Seele Auf”), 1973, gained German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder international acclaim. The protagonist, an Arab foreign worker, was played by Moroccan El Hedi Ben Salem M’barek Mohammed Mustafa, Fassbinder’s lover at that time. Collage-like, through interviews of his colleagues, family and archive material, "My Name Is Not Ali" courageously deals with the racism of post-war German society and uncovers the invention of El Hedi Ben Salem by the Fassbinder troupe, an image not revised by most of its members till today. Press
“Eyebrow-raising moments come via the often surprisingly unenlightened racial attitudes aired even today by veterans of the Fassbinder circus who've lived to tell the tale (albeit in contradictory versions). Still invested in preserving their own roles in a now-legendary era, several seem eager to belittle supposed bit players like Salem.” Variety

“While the film itself courageously deals with the racism of post-war German society, its makers reproduced the insensibility and invention of the Other, fantasizing their own ‘Salem'. Collage-like, through interviews and archive material, My Name Is Not Ali uncovers the invention of El Hedi Ben Salem by the Fassbinder troupe, an image not revised by most of its members till today.” AfriCine Cast
Mohamed El-Hedi Ben Salem (Jarrary) worker, actor, night watch († 1976)
Abd El-Kader Jarrary teacher
Najat GhribiHamdan Jarrary trader
Zakia Jarrary housewife
Zeina Jarrary housewife
Hafsia Mellaim housewife
Reqaya Zkoura teacher
Chadhlia Zkoura cleaning woman
Ahmed Lecomte (Mellaim) businessman
Renate Leiffer assistant director
Irm Hermann actress
Karl Scheydt actor († 2009)
Hans Hirschmüller actor
Rudolf Waldemar Brem actor
Thea Eymész film editor
Nikolas Notter judge retd.& lawyer
Marie Odile Notter psycho-sociologist retd.
Kurt Raab set designer & actor († 1988)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder film/theatre director & actor († 1982)

About the director
German-Egyptian film scholar and filmmaker Viola Shafik has directed documentaries including “The Lemon Tree”, “Planting of Girls”, and “My Name is Not Ali”. She studied Arts, Middle Eastern Studies and Movie Sciences in Stuttgart and Hamburg. Between 1998 and 2005 she gave lectures at the American University in Cairo in which she focused in particular on film production, introduction to filmarts, movie genres, introduction to the documentation as well as the history of the Arabic film.  Shafik is also the author of the books “Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class, and Nation“ and “Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity“. Since it was first published in 1998, “Cinema: History and Cultural Identity” has become an indispensable work for scholars of film and the contemporary Middle East.  Combining detailed narrative history, economic, ideological, and aesthetics with thought-provoking analysis, “Arab Cinema” provides a comprehensive overview of cinema in the Arab world, tracing the industry’s development from colonial times to the present.  Since 2007 Shafik is a jury member of the al-Rawi Screenwriters Lab (Royal Film Commission, Jordan), the World Cinema Fund (Berlinale), and the Dubai Film Connection. My Name is NOT Ali
Viola Shafik, Germany/Egypt, 2011, Original with English subtitles, 94 min
Date: Sat. 23. February
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium

The film series African Perspectives is supported by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek.  This screening is made possible with financial assistance by the Finnish Embassy in Windhoek and with support of MEC Film and the Goethe Institute Munich.
© Copyright AfricAvenir 2012]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:30:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132109&cHash=3ef9aead4fa17f097a6cb9bf175af96b AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek presents Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s "Angst Essen Seele Auf“ - "Ali: Fear Eats Soul" Directed, written, set-design, music... Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s "Angst Essen Seele Auf“ - "Ali: Fear Eats Soul" Directed, written, set-design, music and produced by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West-Germany, 1974, 94 minutes About the film
Emmi, a widowed cleaning lady in her sixties, enters a bar in Munich frequented by foreigners where she meets Ali, a considerably younger Moroccan guest-worker. Ali, who’s name is actually El Hedi ben Salem M’Barek Mohammed Mustapha, accompanies her home and a relationship begins which results in marriage. When Emmi breaks the news of the marriage to her children, they react with disgust. Emmi and Ali find themselves increasingly isolated and decide to go away on holiday to escape their problems. When they return, the pressure subsides in the end, Emmi and Ali observe their inner problems more clearly. 
Ali's loneliness worsens as Emmi's situation improves and the two drift apart.
Ali starts to see his former girlfriend Barbara again. When Emmi attempts to get him back and the two of them dance like at the beginning of their encounter, Ali has a breakdown. The doctor diagnoses a burst ulcer. Emmi stays with Ali, she holds his hand. What marks Fassbinder’s film out as being so exceptional is that this seemingly very simple and broadly drawn story is constantly afforded extra layers and shades of depth and detail without ever losing focus on the basic theme of exclusion by society.
"Ali: Fear Eats the Soul“ was Fassbinder's international breakthrough, winning him a FIPRESCI prize at Cannes in 1974. See more infos here: http://www.fassbinderfoundation.de/en/texte_detail.php?id=23&textid=37  Press
"This 1974 film stands as one of Fassbinder's sturdiest achievements, posed between the low-budget funkiness of his early features and the mannerism of his late period.“ – Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader "Technically flawless, deceptively simple and avoiding excesses, it is about problems that are timely and timeless in implications.“ – Variety "It is, rather, another quite courageous attempt by Mr. Fassbinder to develop a film style free of the kind of realistic conventions that sentimentalize life's mysteries.“ – Vincent Canby, New York Times "One of Fassbinder's crown jewels, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is as powerful as any film he ever made, despite its pedestrian premise.“ – Christopher Null, FilmCritic.Com "A powerful attempt to deal with a range of serious issues as well as the characters' own complex psychologies. Visually and dramatically intense, it remains one of Fassbinder's finest.“ – Film4 "Regarded as one of the high-water marks in German New Wave cinema of the 1970s, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is at once an intense portrayal of a relationship and a tribute to one of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film heroes, Douglas Sirk.“ – Rotten tomatoes Date: Thursday, 21 February 2013
Time: 7h15 pm
Venue: Goethe-Centre Windhoek/NaDS, 1-5 Fidel-Castro St
Entrance: Entrance Free
Language: Original with English subtitles

For more information contact: AfricAvenir Windhoek, Cell: 085-5630949, 
E-Mail: africavenir.whk@googlemail.com  ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:15:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132067&cHash=0472e742824a4ee29e03b3c40fe7b0b9 On Wednesday, 13. February 2013, 18h30 AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present the Namibian Premiere of the South African dramatic South African... Wednesday, 13. February 2013, 18h30 AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present the Namibian Premiere of the South African dramatic South African documentary "The Cradock Four" by David Forbes about the brutal murder of four prominent Eastern Cape anti-Apartheid activists.

Synopsis:
Late on the winter night of 27 June 1985, South African security forces set up a roadblock to intercept a car near the city of Port Elizabeth. Two of the four anti-Apartheid activists in the car had been secretly targeted for assassination.  Matthew Goniwe was a popular teacher in Cradock, and also a revolutionary. Fort Calata, another teacher and activist was also on the hit list. Sparrow Mkonto, a railway union activist, and Sicelo Mhlauli, a visiting headmaster and childhood friend, were also in the car. They were never seen alive again.  The police abducted the four and murdered them in cold blood. Their burnt bodies were found later near the Port Elizabeth suburb of Bluewater Bay. The murders are one of Apartheid’s murkiest episodes.  Matthew’s death was a turning point in the struggle. On the day of the funeral of the Cradock Four, President PW Botha declared a State of Emergency. It was the beginning of the end. Within five years, Nelson Mandela would walk free and lead the country to liberty. Winner Best SA Documentary, Durban International Film Festival 2010

“The death of these gallant freedom fighters marked a turning point in the history of our Struggle. No longer could the regime govern in the old way. They were the true heroes of the struggle.” – Nelson Mandela The Cradock Four
David Forbes| South Africa 2010 | 93 min 
Wednesday, 13. February 2013, 18h30 
@ FNCC, 
Entrance 10,- Nam$ 

For more information, call: AfricAvenir, +264 855630949 or email c.mahnke@africavenir.org, www.africavenir.org ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:00:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132110&cHash=b71dc72329a51294fea9466b5dd3c144 On Wednesday, 06 February, AfricAvenir & Spoken Word will present a first in Namibia. In the opening show of Spoken Word in 2013 we will show four magnificent African short films, in... On Wednesday, 06 February, AfricAvenir & Spoken Word will present a first in Namibia. In the opening show of Spoken Word in 2013 we will show four magnificent African short films, in between we will have local wordweavers presents pieces of poetry about the films and the topics addressed.
 
Venue: Warehouse, 19h30 for 20h00. 

More info: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/spokenwordnam/ The Films are:
Lezare – For Today, Ethiopia, directed by Zelalem Woldemariam, 14 min
A small homeless boy, Abush, wakes up hungry early in the morning in a small village. Right in front of where he is sleeping, there is a bakery. He can smell the bread, but he does not have any money. He starts to beg to buy bread but no one pays him any attention. The villagers are busy preparing for the tree-planting event that afternoon. Finally, an elderly man gives Abush some money, but asks him to help with the tree-planting first. But, the day is long and getting food is so hard…

Zebu and the Photofish, Kenya/Uganda, directed by Zippy Nyaruri, 13 min
Set in a close-knit fishing village, to the disbelief of his father, Zebu embarks on an adventure to rid his dad of debt, have his mother’s illness treated, and stabilize his family for good. We also walked on the Moon, DRC/Algeria, directed by Balufu Bakupa Kanyinda, 11 min
The film is set in 1969 as Apollo 11 approaches the moon. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire as it was then) there is debate between elders who were educated in missionary schools and follow a more Western fundamentalist interpretation of history and progressives who are learning a wider more scientific knowledge. Interspersed with images of African liberation, there is also a nod towards the ancient science that allowed Africans to know about cosmology and geography millennia ago.  Restless Wandering, Tunisia/Algeria, directed by Nouri Bouzid, with late actor Sotigui Kuyate in his last role, 10 min
Restless Wandering is set in Tunisia with the late Sotigui Kouyate, in what must have been one of his last outings, as a griot who shares his wisdom with local children. The reasoning is cut short by the arrival of a local official who struggles to understand the Kouyate’s lack of attachment to material possessions or nationality.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Mon, 07 Jan 2013 01:30:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132048&cHash=d634884ae4abeffaf417503043318f05 As the 2013 opening film in the series “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir presents the Namibian Premiere of “Cabralista – Present & Collective Memory”, in Memory of Amilcar... 2013 opening film in the series “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir presents the Namibian Premiere of “Cabralista – Present & Collective Memory”, in Memory of Amilcar Cabral, one of the most brilliant African revolutionaries and thinkers of decolonisation and economic, political and cultural emancipation, who was murdered 40 years ago on 20 January 1973. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his assassination, AfricAvenir commemorates his life and legacy. Directed by Valerio Lopes, produced by Henrique Teixeira de Freitas & Valerio Lopes; Cabo Verde/Luxembourg 2011; 52 min;  Best Documentary, CaboVerde International Film Festival; Language: English, French, Portuguese, Creole (Original languages with English subtitles) In Detail/Synopsis
Inspired and artistically designed with the fantastic Opus of Amilcar Cabral in mind, the goal of this documentary is to put his theories and ideas in the spotlight. Comparing his work with actual cultural and social issues, like the foreseen North-African revolutions, the countries who helped Cabral in his struggle are identified in this movie by Amilcar Cabral's words that seemed to predict the actual facts. The goal of this movie is to spread Cabral's words and wisdom and support the Cabralist concept of re-Africanisation of the spirit, recognised all around the world as a pillar of African emancipation. 
This documentary is a mirror of African humanism and socio-cultural evolution and progress.  A Documentary Trilogy: DECOMPOSITION OF THE STORY
"Cabralista" is an ambitious documentary trilogy, chronologically divided in Past, Present and Future. Over a 3 years period the director Val Lopez and its production team will release 1 episode a year - "Cabralista" Past, Present & Future: Episode I: Present: Collective Memory
Episode II: Past: History
Episode III: Future: Utopia The first episode "Cabralista. Present:Collective Memory" presented by AfricAvenir in January 2013 deals with the present, how Cabral is remembered, defining a non-formal zeitgeist around his ideology, showing African youth with a strong Cabralist view. It is based on the collective memory of Amilcar Cabral and his ideas. Shot between Cape Verde, Portugal, Libya, Kenya, Guinea and Luxembourg, this first part of the trilogy an introduction to the whole project. Young African students and intellectuals narrate this feature length documentary and put it in a present context. Episode II: The second episode "Past: History" treats the past, the history based on real facts and testimonies of his lifetime. This episode is based on historical facts of and about his lifetime. The film will soon be released. Episode III: The third episode "Future: Utopia" is an utopian vision of how Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde and perhaps Africa could have evolved and developed if Amilcar Cabral wand other African Leaders of his time would not have been assassinated and if they had a chance to put their theories in practice. All their ideas are analyzed and embodied to the socio-cultural and socio-economical climate of the continent in a utopian and optimistic way.  The film series African Perspectives is supported by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, the Goethe-Centre Windhoek and Arterial Network Namibia.  Date: Saturday, 26 January 2012
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 30,- N$ 
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium © Copyright AfricAvenir 2012]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:10:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132087&cHash=6d8a2074bb1c77ba11a93fb7dfcb668e The AfricAvenir "African Perspectives" Film Series in Windhoek has become an established institution in Namibia's capital over the years. Here we give you an overview of our... "African Perspectives" Film Series in Windhoek has become an established institution in Namibia's capital over the years. Here we give you an overview of our planning for the year 2013, a year full of good African films, created in Africa for African and global audiences!

January  Opening Film 2013
Cabralista – Present & Collective Memory, Cabo Verde/ Luxemburg 
Director: Val Lopez, Cabo Verde, Luxembourg, 2011, 52 min, documentary
Main Theme: Commemorating Amilcar Cabral
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Amilcar Carbal the film commemorates this global leader and philosopher and his legacy. Inspired and artistically designed with the fantastic Opus of Amilcar Cabral in mind, the goal is to put his theories and ideas in the spotlight. The goal of this movie is to spread Cabral's words ...... and wisdom and support the Cabralist concept of re-Africanisation of the spirit, recognised all around the world as a pillar of African emancipation.  February Cradock Four, South Africa
Director: David Forbes, South Africa, 93 min, documentary
Main theme: The brutal murder of four prominent Eastern Cape anti-Apartheid activists, Anti Apartheid struggle
On 27 June 1985, South African security forces set up a roadblock to intercept a car near the city of Port Elizabeth. Two of the four anti-Apartheid activists in the car had been secretly targeted for assassination. Matthew Goniwe was a popular teacher in Cradock, and also a revolutionary. Fort Calata, another teacher and activist was also on the hit list. Sparrow Mkonto, a railway union activist, and Sicelo Mhlauli, a visiting headmaster and childhood friend, were also in the car. They were never seen alive again.

AfricAvenir meets Spoken Word: Words in Motion. Short Films meet Poetry
The two cultural organisations presents the short films “Lezare” (Ethiopia), “Zebu and the Photofish” (Kenya/Uganda), “Mwansa the Great” (Sambia), and “We also walked on the Moon” (DRC) accompanied by a poetry session in which the poets will presents poetry relating to the films. Jannat Ali - My Name is Not Ali, Egypt, Germany
Director/Producer: Viola Shafik, Producer: Onsi Abou Seif, Egypt/Germany, 2011, 94 min, documentary
Main theme: Racism in German Society, Fassbender, Ben Salem
His anti-racist film Ali – Fear Eats Soul (1973) gained German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder international acclaim. The protagonist, an Arab foreign worker, was played by Moroccan El Hedi Ben Salem M’barek Mohammed Mustafa, Fassbinder’s lover at that time. Collage-like, through interviews of his colleagues, family and archive material, the film courageously deals with the racism of post-war German society, the complexity of the real El Hedi Ben Salem – victim vs ambivalent aggressor – and the invention by the Fassbinder troupe, an image not revised by most of its members till today.

March La Pirogue, Senegal/France
Director: Moussa Toure, Senegal, France, 2012, 87 min, fiction
Main theme: Immigration to “Eldorado” Europe, social rights
Illuminating the desperate and moving human stories behind lurid headlines about illegal immigration, La Pirogue is a colourful and compelling drama about a boat full of would-be economic migrants attempting the perilous weeklong Atlantic crossing from Senegal to mainland Europe.  April Sobukwe – A Great Soul, South Africa (rescreening due to public demand)
Director: Mickey Madoda Dube, Producer: Carolyn Carew, South Africa, 2011, 104 min, documentary
Main theme: Anti-Apartheid Struggle, Sharpeville, Pass-Law Burnings, PAC, Sobukwe
The film celebrates the life of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, restoring him to his rightful place as a leading figure in South African history. Sobukwe’s was a life of firsts, as the film highlights. His decisive action on 21 March, 1960 resulted in the historic day now known as “Sharpeville Day”, and lit the first fire that eventually led to the final demise of apartheid. Sobukwe’s actions paved the way for Steve Biko, and guided him to another historic moment on 16 June, 1976. He gave Pan Africanism new life, refining the ethos, taking it to the street and making it a common feature of the struggle in South Africa, laying the ground for the path to Black Consciousness. Ultimately, the film succeeds to emphasise the loss of a great soul to humanity in Sobukwe.

Grey Matter, Rwanda
Director: Kivu Ruhorahoza, Rwanda, 2011, 100 min, fiction
Main theme: Reconciliation, Dealing with Past/Genocide, Trauma 
Grey Matter offers a rare narrative insight into the “burden of surviving” for multiple sectors of the Rwandan population. Kivu Ruhorahoza transformed his catharsis into a poignant representation of how genocide so deeply impacts individuals and how survivors manage to move on. May Cairo 678, Egypt
Director: Mohamed Diab, Producer: Bushra Rozza, Egypt, 2010, 100 min, fiction 
Main Theme: Sexual Harassment, Women Empowerment
Cairo 678 is a blunt but powerful portrait of three women of varying social backgrounds rebelling against the sexual harassment endemic to that country’s culture. Although the film veers uneasily between character study, social criticism and less lethal, Death Wish-style vigilante action, it nonetheless sheds important light on a rarely depicted subject. June Africa Shafted: Under one roof, South Africa  
Director/Producer/Camera Operator/Offline Editor: Ingrid Martens, South Africa, 2011, 50 min, documentary
Main theme: Immigration/Xenophobia in RSA, PanAfricanism
The film purports to look at xenophobia through situating itself in the intense and somewhat claustrophobic surrounding of the lifts of Africa’s highest apartment building, the Ponte in Johannesburg, which links the 52 stories, housing nationalities from all across Africa. In these lifts, the film encounters non-South African residents and their feelings toward one another. Man on Ground, South AfricaDirector/Writer: Akin Omotoso, Producers: T.O.M. Pictures, Rosie Motene Prouctions, 1Take Media, HashhayAfric Productions, Chrisdon Productions, South Africa, 2011, 80 min, fictionMain theme: Immigration/Xenophobia in RSA, refugees, Celebrating World Refugee DayThere are three sides to every story. Yours, mine, and the truth. No one is lying, but memories shared serve each differently. A bold and exacting portrayal of rising xenophobia in South Africa, Man on Ground tells the story of a young Nigerian man living in the African refugee tenements of Johannesburg who disappears against the background of animosity against immigrants flaring into violent rioting. In the span of a single night, his brother, on a short visit from London, tries to elucidate the mystery. July Week of Classic Egyptian Films 22-27 July 2013 (see seperat News) August Al Massir - Destiny, Egypt/France
Director: Youssef Chahine, Producer: Gabriel Khoury, Humbert Balsan, Egypt/France, 1997, 135 min, fiction
Main theme: Religious tolerance, against radicalism/religious fundamentsalism
Destiny recalls the story of Averoes and takes place in 12th century Andalusia. The philosopher, writer, scientist Averroes created a school of thought that reflects on all of the West, down to our times. Caliph Al Mansur, however, under the influence of fundamentalists, ordered all of the philosopher's books burned. To keep Averroes' work alive, his family and friends made copies of the books and, inspite of the persecution, resolved to take them beyond the frontiers of Islam. 
Winner of the 1997 Cannes' Fiftieth Anniversary Palme d'Or Andalusia Mon Amour, Morocco 
Director/Prodcuer: Mohamed Nadif, Producer: Rachida Saadi, Morocco, 2012, 86 min, fiction
Main theme: Immigration to “Eldorado” Europe
Saïd and Amine are two students from Casablanca dreaming of Europe. They end up in a small villagein the North of Morocco. With the help of the schoolteacher, they leave for the European coast on a small boat but they are shipwrecked. The sea washes Amine back onto the coast of the village. Saïd is washed away on a Spanish beach. Andalusia seems strange to Saïd. Meanwhile, in the Moroccan village, Amine notices strange things happening... September
The Miscreants, Morocco/Switzerland
Director: Mohcine Besri, Producers: Nicolas Wadimoff, Mohcine Besri, Michel Merkt, Morocco/Switzerland, 2011, 88 min, fiction 
Main theme:  Religious fundamentalism, terrorism
On the order of their spiritual leader, three young Islamists kidnap a group of free-spirited actors who are about to go on tour with their latest show. But when the kidnappers arrive at the isolated farmhouse in the countryside designated as the spot to imprison their frightened and bewildered captives, they find themselves unable to reach their commanders for further orders. Over seven tense days of forced seclusion and interaction, the two groups find that their most closely held convictions and prejudices are challenged. October Director of La Noire de….- Black Girl: Ousmane Sembene, Senegal, 1966, 65 min, fiction
Director of October: Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauritania/Russia, 1992, 36 min, fictionLa Noire de …. – Black Girl, Senegal/France  & October, Mauritania/Russia
Main theme: Racism
Black Girl is an exploration of a Senegalese woman who is transplanted to France to work as a maid for a French family. She is stripped of her cultural identity and dissolved into a person of a lesser class whose sole function is to clean up after the household. Her disenchantment with her position leads to hopelessness. Diouana decides to take matters into her own hands and ends her life so she can emancipate herself from the environment of slave-like captivity. October features a black African student, Idrissa, who is about to leave Russia, and his white Russian girlfriend Irina, who has recently become pregnant. The impending departure makes interaction complicated, and isolation and solitude increasingly overwhelming.

Tey – Aujourd’hui, Senegal
Director: Alain Gomis, Producer: Granit Films, Agora Films, Maia Cinema, Cinekap, Senegal, 2011, fiction
Main theme:  Consciously using remaining time before death, dealing with death in life
It happens sometimes, everyone knew that. How? No one could say exactly how, through experience perhaps. This is a place where Death still sometimes warns that it is coming. It happens the day before, like a certitude that descends upon the bodies and minds of the one who has been chosen, and the people close to him. No doubting it, no fighting it. Today will be Satché's last day.

November
Virgin Margerida, Mozambique
Director:  Licinio Azevedo, Producer: Pedro Pimenta, Mozambique, 2012, 90 min, fiction
Main theme: Women oppression & Women empowerment after Independence in Mozambique 
Azevedo drew on the stories of real women who endured the Mozambican "re-education camps" for this dramatic and inspiring elegy to the insurgent spirit of women across nations, histories and cultures. Having directed many dramas and documentaries, including The Last Prostitute (1999) a documentary about the "re-education" camps for sex workers created after the independence, Azevedo’s Virgin Margarida is more than a follow up to this former work. Starting with the revolutionary military raiding the city streets and deporting indiscriminately sex workers, cabaret singers and paperless girls, it describes the brutal treatment inflicted upon the "to be re-educated" women in the name of revolutionary values, and the slow building of solidarity among women of various backgrounds. It is an uncompromised comment upon the men who are now ruling Mozambique.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives News Cinema News About AfricAvenir Tue, 01 Jan 2013 08:55:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132070&cHash=2d09c0af8e11001a6bbbfdc3e67ccd54 I visited Cordoba, Spain this year for the first time, attending the 9th African Film Festival Cordoba as a panellist and international guest. Here I came across the statue of an Arabic scholar born... Political intrigue is rife in the area. The Caliph supports Averroes, but is opposed by a sect that hopes to overthrow him. Meanwhile, his oldest son is concealing a forbidden love with a gypsy woman, and his trusted adviser is working both sides of the street. A secret project is set in motion to copy the writings of Averroes and spirit them far away, in case the tide turns and his books are burned again.  Largely constructed as a passionate melodrama, the film's interest comes from historical details. It is a historical epic: We hear of the great Arabic contributions to mathematics, and we see a fascinating invention, a telescope that uses the magnifying power of water in order to work. We see a society that is part European, part Arabic, in which Islam is as much a political movement as a religious one. And the film explicitly alludes to the role played by European leaders in fomenting support for fundamentalist cults in Arab-occupied Spain. European monarchs broadly opposed the then social, cultural and national heterogeneity, scientific progress, and intellectual freedom and openness of Muslim-Arab Andalusia, and Chahine refers to the colonial politics of divide and conquer, by highlighting the collaboration between European leaders and Islamic fundamentalism, forces opposed to a modernist renewal. “Destiny” reintegrates modernity and the struggle for modernist renewal in the Arab world into the broader struggle against religious fundamentalism. Beneath the films story is a conflict between rationalism and fundamentalism that is as fraught today as it ever was. And I wonder, if the current Egyptian Government would do a promotional tour throughout all governorates, showing the film to government officials, to teachers, to school kids, the youth, the elders, the clerics, social and political movements and the academia. Would this be possible? Would the government of the day agree that Chahine’s wisdom was on par with Averroes?  As I write these words, the referendum in Egypt has been approved. And as one is observing the developments in the forthcoming days, the evolution and effects of the current polarisation, and the dynamics of the Mursi Government, the reactions by the National Salvation Front and the Egyptian street, one question prevails.   At the end of “Destiny” Chahine quotes Averroes: “Ideas have wings. No one can stop their flight.” Encouraging words. But are the ideas flying or fleeing? In times like this, let us hope, that reason prevails and that the ideas of social progress and justice, intellectual discourse, and human freedoms reclaim the political arena. Windhoek, 30 December 2012]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Publications Occasional Papers News Cinema News Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:54:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132066&cHash=ea6f7b5479048b84540024beec2e664d The Namibian Movie Collection (NMC), launched in November 2009, now consists of 50 films made by Namibian filmmakers and foreign films with relevance to the Namibian film landscape. For the... 50 films made by Namibian filmmakers and foreign films with relevance to the Namibian film landscape. For the purpose of promotion, filmmakers agreed to grant non-commercial rights of their films to be part of the collection and the FNCC granted space in its Multimedia Library for public access. For a broader dissemination and exposure, a catalog of the Namibian Movie Collection is published on the website of AfricAvenir, introducing Namibian films and filmmakers to an international audience. We believe this is necessary and crucial towards achieving the overall objective, the development of the Namibian film industry. See the complete NMC here: http://www.africavenir.org/projects-namibia/namibian-movie-collection.html  A French translation of the NMC is now available too: http://www.africavenir.org/fr/projets-namibie/namibian-movie-collection.html 
 
Since its creation, the NMC has been reproduced and donated to the Hon. Minister of Information and Communication Technologies and has been purchased by several libraries outside Namibia. The MYNSSC purchased two complete sets for educational purposes and in order to promote Namibian films within the work of the MYNSSC, Department for Arts and Culture. In 2012, the Namibian Movie Collection reached it's target for 2012 and has now a superb number of 50 films in the collection. The last two films added are
Tim Huebschle's "Looking for Ilonga" (2011) and Bridget Pickering's "Uno's World" (2002). The last agreement was signed recently and soon the film "Uno's World" along with the other 49 films can be rented out at the FNCC library.
 
But there is more to come... and more that happened in 2012:
Two month ago, the director of AfricAvenir Namibia, Hans-Christian Mahnke, presented the Namibian Movie Collection to a broader international audience, at the biggest TV market fair in Africa, DISCOP Africa (www.discopafrica.com).
DISCOP Africa took place from 31 October to 02 November 2012, in Johannesburg. With financial assistance from the Namibian Ministry of Trade and Industry and upon invite by the organizers of DISCOP Africa 2012, Mr. Mahnke took part at the TV market and parallel conference activities. AfricAvenir presented the Namibian Movie Collection in general and ten Namibian films in particular at the market fair. The organizers of DISCOP AFRICA announced record breaking attendance for the 7th annual edition of the television content market and co-production forum. A total of 1248 delegates representing 672 companies from 86 countries attended the 3-day event. This included 173 exhibiting distributors and 304 broadcasters, Pay-TV platforms, mobile operators, broadband-based TV services, closed-circuit networks and territorial distributors operating in Africa. With 195 independent production and distribution companies also in attendance, DISCOP AFRICA featured the largest selection of African created content ever available under one roof, as well as the inaugural edition of the FORMATS FROM AFRICA pitching competition, with Kenyan producers winning the top prizes. A conference program dedicated to regional and international partnerships provided efficient learning and networking opportunities. In the opening session of the conference, Mr. Mahnke was able to present the Namibian Movie Collection, its achievements and the challenges it faces to the delegates of the conference, in particular international TV content distributors and agents.
 
During DISCOP Africa several films of the NMC were sold to international buyers and are now commercially available on the international market. Currently negotiations with various other buyers, distributors and agents are ongoing. If all goes well, more content from the NMC will be purchased and hence create an income for local filmmakers. An outcome of the networking activities done by AfricAvenir at DISCOP Africa 2012.
 
--------

H.-C. Mahnke
MA of Political Science
Chairperson of the board Namibia section
AfricAvenir
(Douala/Berlin/Windhoek/Wien/Cotonou)
Contact Namibia:
Cell : +264 855630949,
Email: africavenir.whk(at)googlemail.com, c.mahnke(at)africavenir.org
Web: www.africavenir.org]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:13:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132049&cHash=95389b175efd13ef8698f1524b9e85f2 AfricAvenir is once again official partner to this truely amazing festival at the historical site of Luxor, Egypt. The festival takes place in proximity of the temples of Luxor, Karnak, and of the... Luxor, Egypt. The festival takes place in proximity of the temples of Luxor, Karnak, and of the Lady Pharaoh Hatchepsut. Luxor is also famous for the Valley of the Kings with the grave of the Boy-King Tutenchamun. To celebrate African cinema in this magnificient surrounding accomdated with great Egyptian hospitality is a truely unique experience. Filmmakers who attended the 1st edition of the festival in 2012, like Abderrahmane Sissako, Mama Keita, Mohammed Khan, Fanta Regina Nacro and Haile Gerima, amonst others, can attest to this.

The deadline for film submissions have been extended to 22 December 2012.
 
For more information, follow the link:
http://www.luxorafricanfilmfestival.com/  For further questions, please contact:
Azza Elhosseiny
Executive Director
Luxor African film festival
www.luxorafricanfilmfestival.com 
azza.elhosseiny@luxorafricanfilmfestival.com
Telefax: +20237622407 Office Address:
33 Haroun St, Dokki,Cairo,
EGYPT]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Germany AfricAvenir Namibia In Cooperation Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:05:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132027&cHash=53a5f1dc8e0b28b6fed0d232f713cb94 As the closing film of 2012 in the series “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir presents the Namibian Premiere of the critically acclaimed documentary “Behind the Rainbow -... closing film of 2012 in the series “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir presents the Namibian Premiere of the critically acclaimed documentary “Behind the Rainbow - Will Power Consume the Dream?", directed by and produced by Jihan El-Tahri and Steven Markowitz, South Africa 2009, 124 min. AfricAvenir shows this film on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress (ANC) in 2012 and the forthcoming ANC congress in Mangaung.  In Detail/Synopsis
ANC at 100 - Rocky roads ahead of Mangaung. Do we remember Polokwane? 
Behind the Rainbow explores the transition of the ANC from a liberation organization into South Africa's ruling party, through the evolution of of the relationship between two of its most prominent cadres, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. Exiled under Apartheid they were brothers in arms, under Mandela they loyally labored to build a non-racial state, now they are bitter rivals. Their duel threatens to tear apart the ANC and the country, as the poor desperately seek hope in change and the elite fight for the spoils of victory.  Behind the Rainbow features key interviews with ANC current and former leaders including Jacob Zuma, Kgalema Motlanthe, Pallo Jordan, Thabo Mbeki and Terror Lekota; and includes detailed insights into the events which lead to the events in Polokwane, the ANC conference held in 2007. Might history repeat itself as the ANC finds itself on a rocky road just weeks before the start of the Mangaung conference in middle of December 2012? Press Statements
"A grand achievement"  - Pretoria News
"A must-see documentary" - The Times
"A powerful and insightful documentary" - The Star
"Intriguing, revealing must-see documentary... Brilliantly produced" - Sunday World About the director and producer: Jihan El-Tahri
Jihan el-Tahri is an Egyptian-born, French filmaker, author and news correspondent, residing in South Africa. She has authored, directed and produced award-winning documentary films, authored books and reported on political conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. Jihan is a Member of the Executive Bureau of FEPACI (Federation of Pan-African Cinema) and Secretary General of The Guilde of African filmakers in the Diaspora. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (with honours) in Political Science and a Master of Arts Degree in Political Science, both from the American University in Cairo. Speaking French, English and Arabic as well as some functional Spanish, Jihan was a correspondent/super stringer for US News & World Report covering the Middle East while residing in France. The main stories covered were: Return of Yasser Arafat to Gaza, Algerian Elections, Madrid Peace Conference, Desert Shield and Desert Storm (Gulf War). Jihan was also the the Tunis Special Correspondent for the Washington Post, The Financial Time (London), US News & World Report while in Tunisia. The main stories covered were" the PLO, Islamic Movements and Algeria. While living in Egypt, she was the Cairo correspondent for The Sunday Times (London) and correspondent for the Reuters news agency. The list of her films is endless. Some of the films she directed are:  “Cuba: An African Odyssey” (2007), “The House of Saud” (2004), “The Price of Aid” (2003), “Regard Croise sur le Sida” (2002). About the producer: Steven Markovitz
Steven Markovitz is a South African film and television producer. He has produced and executive-produced features, documentaries and short films including the acclaimed “Proteus” (2003), “A Boy Called Twist” (2004), “Behind the Rainbow” (2009), “Pumzi” (2009), “Visa/Vie” (2010), and VivaRiva!” (2010). Since 2007, he has worked all over Africa   producing documentary series and fiction.  Markovitz's most recent initiative, African Metropolis, will produce short films by seven helmers from seven African cities. A collaboration with the Goethe Institute-South Africa, with support from Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund, Markovitz sees it as an attempt to rebrand the Western stereotypes of Africa that position it as "a continent of victims." The film series African Perspectives is supported by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, the Goethe-Centre Windhoek and Arterial Network Namibia.  Date: Saturday, 01 December 2012
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 30,- N$ 
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium © Copyright AfricAvenir 2012]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Fri, 16 Nov 2012 01:40:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131987&cHash=3a1ed0842a15e0cbcd8257cd45136af1 AfricAvenir Windhoek & the Goethe-Zentrum Windhoek in cooperation with One Fine Day Films, Ginger Ink Films & DW Akademie present the Namibian premiere of the film, "Nairobi... One Fine Day Films, Ginger Ink Films & DW Akademie present the Namibian premiere of the film, "Nairobi Half Life". Directed by Tosh Gitonga, produced by Tom Tykwer & Ginger Siobhain Wilson (Kenya/Germany, 2012, 60 minutes).  About the film
Nairobi Half Life, directed by Tosh Gitonga, made its worldwide premiere at the Durban International Film Festival in July 2012. Mwas is a young aspiring actor from upcountry Kenya who dreams of becoming an accomplished actor one day, and in pursuit of this he makes his way to Nairobi the city of opportunity. He quickly understands why Nairobi is nicknamed Nairrobery as he is robbed of all his money and belongings and left alone in a city where he doesn’t know a soul. Luck, or the lack of it, brings him face to face with the city’s criminals and forms a friendship with a small time crook who takes him in.  He is quickly drawn into a world of crime as he struggles to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Keeping the two worlds separate proves to be a challenge for him as he trudges on in this unknown world called Nairobi. This is the story of a young man who despite all odds trudges on in search of his dream.....
In Durban, main actor Joseph Wairimu bagged the Best Actor award after the judges had this to say about his performance: “From the very opening moments of Nairobi Half Life, actor Joseph Wairimu charms us with his endearing characterisation of Mwas. His role as a young actor who tries to resist becoming a reluctant hustler, transcends both comedy and drama. His performance embodies the hunger of Kenyan youth hoping to carve out better lives for themselves.” Nairobi Half Life entered for the 85th Ascademy Awards
After the world premier at the Durban International Film Festival, Nairobi Half Life premiered at the cinemas in Nairobi, Kenya on 30th August 2012 and has been screening twice daily to a full houses since it subsequently opened to the public on Friday 31st August 2012. So far the film has been the most successful theatrical release in Kenyan history for a local film. On 24 September 2012 it was announced, the film is the offical Kenyan selection as it‘s entry for OSCARS. Wambui Kairo, the chairperson of the Kenya Oscars Selection Committee was full of praise for the film, terming it as a master piece and saying that it stands a chance for nomination and the global award.  “We as a committee are privileged to have been involved in the process of reviewing Nairobi Half Life and to have found it as a suitable Kenyan submission. It is clear from this film that The Kenya Film Industry has the capacity to make movies that can compete on a global platform.” said Wamboi. Awards

• Winner Best Actor, 33rd Durban International Film Festival, 2012
• Offical entry to the 85th Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Science (AMPAS – better known as The Oscars) in the category “Best Foreign Language Film” by the Kenya Oscars Selection Committee

Date: 21 November 2011
Time: 7h15 pm
Venue: Goethe-Centre Windhoek/NaDS, 1-5 Fidel-Castro Street
Entrance: 30,- Nam$
Language: Original with English subtitles]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Fri, 16 Nov 2012 01:00:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131896&cHash=d052c680a312d501cfd63a66ea214992 As part of the Namibian Film Awards and Screenings 2012 and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Algeria’s Independence, AfricAvenir on Saturday, 17 November 2012 at... Namibian Film Awards and Screenings 2012 and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Algeria’s Independence, AfricAvenir on Saturday, 17 November 2012 at 19h00 presents the Namibian Premiere of the Algerian Masterpiece Epic “Chronicle of the Years of Fire” (Algeria, 1975, 177 min, Original with English subtitles) by Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina and with Jorgo Voyagis (Ahmed), Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina (Milhoud), Sid Ali Kouiret (Saïd). Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium.

Special guest: H.E. Lahcene Kaid-Slimane, Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.

In Detail/Synopsis
Chronicle of the Years of Fire also known as Chronicle of the Burning Years, is a film written and directed by Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina. In 1975, this lyrical, epic account of the events that led to the Algerian war of liberation from France was the first film from North Africa and the Arab world to be awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Despite winning one of cinema's most prestigious prizes, Chronicle of the Years of Fire remains largely unseen and unheard of. Although a classic, the film has long been nearly impossible to find. Due to its monumental importance for cinema history, AfricAvenir put all its efforts into recovering the film and makes it accessible to Namibian audiences.  The film follows an Algerian peasant as he fights alongside the Allied forces in World War II, returns home and joins the resistance against French colonial rule, and dies valiantly in battle. His son continues the struggle, and the film ends on November 11, 1954, the official outbreak of the war for liberation.
Throughout the film there is also one other prominent character who appears from time to time, a homeless madman by the name of Miloud (played by the director himself), who serves as an unofficial narrator, providing some comic relief, while preaching mostly to an empty graveyard, with remarkable wisdom on the mostly terrible events that will unfold.  What's immediately noticeable is that this was no ordinary production. Every scene is a triumph in staging and choreography, and there are many large scale set pieces filled with extras, along with sequences which rival the best of Hollywood epics, often shot from wide and ultra wide angles by famed cinematographer Marcello Gatti (The Battle of Algiers) to really capture the immense scope of the action. Chronicle of the Years of Fire is an extraordinary film. One whose message remains just as important and relevant now as ever.

About the director: Mohammdad Lakhdar Hamina
One of the most important Algerian filmmakers is veteran director Mohammdad Lakhdar Hamina. His film Chronicles of the Years of Fire won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 1975. Lakhdar Hamina’s previous film December (1972) is a moving and accomplished exploration of the psychology and moral dilemmas of a French army officer and an Algerian resistance leader, as the two embark on a battle of wills in an interrogation involving escalating levels of torture and murder. These two films are a genuine and moving exploration of issues fundamental to Algeria and France and whose international resonance remains live today, yet are surprisingly little explored. Lakhdar Hamina is a key figure in the development of Algerian cinema, and created a new international awareness of it. His influence can be felt on Algerian directors in the limelight today such as Rashid Bouchareb with his epic tales relating to Algerian liberation such as Days of Glory (2006) and Hors La Loie (2010).

The film series African Perspectives is supported by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, the Goethe-Centre Windhoek and Arterial Network Namibia.  Date: Saturday, 17 November 2012     
Time: 19h00      
 Entrance: 30,- N$     Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium © Copyright AfricAvenir 2012 ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:15:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=132016&cHash=e2994a19ee762b74d611089cb2db712f On 13 November, 20h00, Taste of Rain will have its Namibian premiere at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN). AfricAvenir, in cooperation with On Land Productions, the Filmmakers... 13 November, 20h00, Taste of Rain will have its Namibian premiere at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN). AfricAvenir, in cooperation with On Land Productions, the Filmmakers Association of Namibia (FAN) and the Namibia Film Commission (NFC) present the Namibian Premiere of Taste of Rain.  Taste of Rain will be screened as part of the Namibia Film Week’s cycle of screenings of Namibian films preceding the Namibia Theatre and Film Awards 2012.  
The premiere of Taste of Rain will take place on the 13 November at the NTN and followed by two further screenings: Tuesday 20th November, 20h00 at the Goethe-Centre Windhoek and on Wednesday 21st November, 18h00 at the FNCC. 
All screenings will include screenings of NFC produced Namibian short films. All three screenings are open to the public. Synopsis/Background
Set on a farm in the southern Namib, the feature film is the story of one woman’s journey through drought, loss and love to healing.   Written and directed by Namibian filmmaker, Richard Pakleppa, Taste of Rain was made by caste and crew from Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Belgium and Germany.  Members of the caste and the crew will attend the premiere. A seven-year drought beats down mercilessly on Rachel and her husband, Tomas, forcing him to leave her on the farm as he searches for water and grazing for their animals. Rachel remains on the farm with Ou Lena  who takes care of this dangerously fragile woman. When Ray, a water diviner sent by the drought relief program , arrives on the farm Rachel is angry and dismissive. For her, it’s too little, too late. But Ray is fascinated by this broken woman. He is an ex-guerilla from Namibia’s liberation movement, with his own stories of end-of-the-road drought.  As an attraction develops between them, Rachel begins to feel herself again. She falls in love and believes she's found an answer to living. But a chance meeting with Shaanika, a torturer who worked for the South African side during Namibia’s liberation war, injects a chilling reality into the unfolding love story.  Nicola Hanekom, a two-time 2012 Fleur du Cap winner, puts in a searing performance in the leading role as Rachel. She is supported by Frieda Byl , 77,  in her first acting role.  Frieda Byl delivers performances unequalled in their naturalism and gravitas. 
Award-winning South African actor, Grant Swanby, plays Rachel’s husband as a weather-beaten Sysyphos whose looks speak volumes. Pope Jerrod plays the ex-guerrila commander turned water diviner with a physical charisma that is irresistible. David Ndjavera gives a chilling performance of an ex Koevoet torturer who crosses paths with one of his victims. Tuli Shityuwete appears in an unforgettable cameo role as a dancer whose movements trigger memories and take Rachel onto a path of healing.  Taste of Rain is a Namibian- South African-German co-production produced by Richard Pakleppa (On Land Productions, Namibia), Bridget Pickering (Luna Films, South Africa) and Oliver Stoltz  (Dreamer Joint Venture, Germany).  © Copyright AfricAvenir 2012 ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:54:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131945&cHash=7470c41e5674c29ff964cbc8b8a8d85f On Wednesday, 07 November 2012 at 18h30, AfricAvenir and the FNCC present the film premiere, Imam and I – A film by Khalid Shamis (South Africa, 2011, 80 min). “Imam and I” is the... Wednesday, 07 November 2012 at 18h30, AfricAvenir and the FNCC present the film premiere, Imam and I – A film by Khalid Shamis (South Africa, 2011, 80 min). “Imam and I” is the debut feature length documentary by independent South African filmmaker Khalid Shamis. “Imam and I” is a fascinating and detailed personal journey through the life, death and legacy of little known anti-apartheid struggle hero Imam Abdullah Haron. The film is an intricate blend of archive, animation and live action interwoven with recollections and stories of those closest to the Imam. Khalid, the filmmaker who is also the Imam’s grandson, paints a portrait of the Imam as a family figure through all the myth that surrounded his death and legacy. Imam Abdullah Haron was one of the only voices from the Muslim community of Cape Town to stand up against the injustices of Apartheid during the 50s and 60s. For this he was incarcerated and killed in detention in Cape Town on September the 27th, 1969. The filmmaker explores questions of identity, memory, betrayal and sacrifice as well as the role of the Islamic community of the Cape during apartheid’s ‘dark days’. Imam and I intimately reveals the traumatic effects the Imam’s family suffered after his demise. It is a brave attempt of the filmmaker to understand himself, whilst laying testament to a past that, for a long while, had remained forgotten. Imam and I was voted best film overall and won the Audience Choice Award at the 2011 Encounters film festival in South Africa. “The film casts a magical spell on you by pulling you deeper and deeper into the world of the Imam and his family, into the inside of a unique closely knit black community which very little has been written about never mind filmed, a remarkable feat which bears testimony to the determination of the filmmaker, whom has spent the last six years on this project.” Rehad Desai – filmmaker Date: Wednesday, 07. November 2012
Time: 18h30 
Entrance: 10,- N$ 
Venue: FNCC © Copyright AfricAvenir 2012]]> African Perspectives AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:51:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131924&cHash=7f38966f205dee57b02eec0d269a45e1 In November 2009, AfricAvenir, in cooperation with Joe-Vision Production and the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) launched a joint project called “Namibian Movie Collection” (NMC), which was... AfricAvenir will present ten films from the Namibian Movie Collection at the 7th edition of DISCOP AFRICA, introducing Namibian films to international sellers and buyers of TV content.  Launched in 2008, DISCOP AFRICA is a pan-African industry gathering dedicated to the production and distribution of multiscreen television content. It combines a market, a co-production forum and a conference program offering opportunities to buy and sell television content, initiate partnerships, access valuable information, connect with key players and learn from experts. The 7th edition of DISCOP AFRICA will take place in Johannesburg, from 31 October to 2 November. See more for details:  www.discop.com  Amongst the films to be viewed and purchased are the documentaries “The Power Stone”, “Born in Etosha Part I & II”, “Testimonies – Breaking the Walls of Silence”, “Nda Mona – I have Seen”, “Wanahepo – The return of a Namibian Here”, and the two striking short films “Rider Without a Horse” and “Love Is”.  All the films presented at DISCOP are to be purchased and are available for TV channels, distribution companies and film festivals. To discover the whole catalogue, visit http://www.africavenir.org/projects-namibia/namibian-movie-collection.html  For more details contact c.mahnke@africavenir.org ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:50:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131908&cHash=e968a1ac56606bd5bd7cd586a8659dc3 On Saturday, 27 October 2012 at 8 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the South African drama-documentary „Sobukwe – A Great Soul“ (South Africa, 2011, English and... Saturday, 27 October 2012 at 8 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the South African drama-documentary „Sobukwe – A Great Soul“ (South Africa, 2011, English and Zulu with English subtitles, 104 min) by Mickey Madoda Dube. The film stands as a monument to a great man, a global visionary, teacher, political leader, philosopher and humanist who was well ahead of his time, declaring his commitment to a “non-racial” society in a racist world, asserting that “there is only one race, the human race.” With South African freedom fighter, activist, actor, storyteller, poet, playwright, director and author Gcina Mhlophe as a special discussion guest. Goethe-Centre Windhoek, Entrance: 30,- N$. Synopsis
The story of the life of a remarkable man who helped to inspire and liberate a nation will be seen for the first time in Namibia. The film "Sobukwe – a Great Soul", directed by Mickey Madoda Dube, celebrates the life of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, restoring him to his rightful place as a leading figure in South African history. “Sobukwe – A Great Soul”, featuring Luthuli Dlamini (Scandal!, The Coconuts, Isidingo, Generations, Drum) in the title role, communicates many of the qualities that Sobukwe embodied, demonstrating the integrity, courage, honesty, humanity and true leadership for which he was known, and which continue to have resonance today. The film is a feature length drama-documentary which charts the course of a leader who has been all but forgotten in the anals of history. The documentary, commissioned by SABC’s Kamscilla Naidoo as part of their Icons series on South African leaders, explores Sobukwe’s life and provides a platform for his voice to be heard decades after he made his mark, putting his name back on the world map of great liberators. 

In spite of his pivotal role in the struggle for liberation, there is not a single piece of archive, not a single surviving audio recording of a man who was once one of the most watched, most recorded, most popular political prisoners in the world in his time. Even the current South African government has failed to recognise his place in history, and the relevance of his message today. This film seeks to fill that gap. It stands as a monument to a great man, a global visionary, teacher, political leader, philosopher and humanist who was well ahead of his time, declaring his commitment to a “non-racial” society in a racist world, asserting that “there is only one race, the human race.”  Sobukwe’s was a life of firsts, as the film highlights. His decisive action on 21 March, 1960 resulted in the historic day now known as “Sharpeville Day”, and lit the first fire that eventually led to the final demise of apartheid. Sobukwe’s actions paved the way for Steve Biko, and guided him to another historic moment on 16 June, 1976. He gave Pan Africanism new life, refining the ethos, taking it to the street and making it a common feature of the struggle in South Africa, laying the ground for the path to Black Consciousness.  Ultimately, the film succeeds to emphasise the loss of a great soul to humanity in Sobukwe. It finally breaks the mystifying silence that has surrounded Sobukwe’s extraordinary conribution, not only to reshaping South Africa, but also shaping the thinking of many across the African continent and the diaspora. 

About the director
Mickey Madoda Dube is an international award winning Film, TV and Commercials  Director. After fifteen years of theatre he moved into film and TV, studying at one of the top film schools in the world, the USC School of Film/TV in LA through a Fulbright. Currently he is a Director/Producer of 1TakeMedia. His filmography spans both the social and the political. His first film, Imbazo, about state-sponsored violence in SA, won countless awards globally. One of Mickey’s proud works is a documentary for UNICEF called Through The Eyes Of The Child. It looked at the plight of SA children at the turn of the century. Mickey co-created and co-conceptualized the Pan African reality series, Imagine Afrika (part of the ‘You’ campaign), which aimed to inspire young Africans to become change agents in their communities. Mickey has also written and directed a number of television drama series, notably, the controversial Umthunzi Wentaba (Mountain Shadow), which explored the death of boys in SA circumcision schools. The show led to the establishment of certain laws and procedures to prevent these deaths. About the special guest
Nokugcina Elsie Mhlophe (born 1959) is a well-known South African freedom fighter, activist, actor, storyteller, poet, playwright, director and author.
She does her most important work through charismatic performances, working to preserve storytelling as a means of keeping history alive and encouraging South African children to read. She tells her stories in four of South Africa's languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa. While she appeared not only in theatre, but in TV and Cinema as well, her most influental work are her charismatic performances, preserving storytelling as a means of keeping history alive and encouraging African children to read.
Gcina Mhlope is also a founding member of the ‘Gcinamasiko Arts and Heritate Trust’, which is committed to enhancing a culture of reading, providing writing and story-creation opportunities and promoting African writers and the heritage of story-telling. In 2011, the South African Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile appointed her to the Council of the National Film and Video Foundation

The film series African Perspectives is supported by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the Goethe-Centre Windhoek. Date: Sat. 27. October
Time: 20h00! (Attention: Time Change!)
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium
SPECIAL GUEST: Gcina Mhlophe
(Council member of the NFVF, National Film and Video Foundation, South Africa) © Copyright AfricAvenir 2012]]> African Perspectives AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:46:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131876&cHash=f4113e7593fcf7bc15fa81d0d305734b On Saturday, 29 September 2012 from 17h30 AfricAvenir presents an Egyptian Film Night, Part I & II. featuring the Namibian Premieres of the two multiple award winning... Saturday, 29 September 2012 from 17h30 AfricAvenir presents an Egyptian Film Night, Part I & II. featuring the Namibian Premieres of the two multiple award winning documentaries: "On the road to …. Downtown" (2011, 53 min, Egypt/Qatar) by Sherif El Bandary, which is set around Cairo's Tahrir Square and follows the lives and hopes of six different people connected in different ways to the city's downtown core; and "The Virgin, the Copts and Me" (2011, 82 min, Egypt/France/Qatar) by Namir Abdel Messeeh, the funny and moving investigation of a young filmmaker into the miraculous Virgin Mary apparitions in Egypt's Coptic Christian community.  Attention: New venue! The screening series „African Perspectives“ has moved its venue. The series takes place at the Goethe-Centre Windhoek, Fidel Castro Str. 1-5, Windhoek. 

Egyptian Film Night Part I: Synopsis: On the Road to…. Downtown
Sherif El Bendary's "On the Road to Downtown," set around Cairo's Tahrir Square, follows the lives and hopes of six people connected in different ways to the city's downtown core. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BAWpoFI6lc  

Against the background of the Egyptian revolution and the current political state of affairs in Egypt as a common denominator, “On the road to …. Downtown” follows few individuals and their perspective on downtown Cairo, its history and current state of affairs. Across different generations, sexes, classes, languages, religions, following the parallel lines of these individuals, unconnected but yet linked by their own experience of downtown Cairo, the film pays homage to a district and it’s life. Like a mosaic, the stories fall into place and paint a picture of a diverse, rich, warm and providing district, with its complex inner dynamics. Winner of the Jury Prize in the Category “Short Documentary” and the Al Jazeera film prize for best documentary at the 15th Ismailia International Film Festival 2012. Egyptian Film Night Part II: Synopsis: The Virgin, the Copts and Me
It may seem strange to say, but this documentary about a young filmmaker's investigation of the miraculous Virgin Mary apparitions in Egypt's Coptic Christian community is very funny and ultimately very moving. First-time director Abdel Messeeh, a Egyptian-French and a professed secularist, begins his quest in Cairo, looking for witnesses to the famous 1968 sighting of a hovering Virgin in Zeitoun. He's hampered by the Coptic community's reluctance to talk - not to mention his absent producer's unwillingness to commit more funds. His traditionalist mother has expressly forbidden Abdel to film her relatives in rural Upper Egypt, but faced with cinematic failure he ignores her wishes. Blundering at first, he slowly gains the trust of his impoverished relatives and their fellow villagers and when his devoted mother takes over the purse strings, it finally seems as if he'll have a story to tell.

In its uniqueness the film “The Virgin, the Copts and Me” broadens the possibilities of making a creative documentary integrating fictionalized elements in a very entertaining but nevertheless wise and philosophical manner. The film reveals the basic realities of Egyptian society and the challenges of making films in a humorous way. The filmmaker has to be applauded for the well created and implemented script and for the sympathetic way it deals with the sensitive issues addressed in the film. Winner Best Film in the Category “Long Documentary”, Winner Film Critics of Egypt Award, and Documentary Filmmakers of Egypt Prize at the 15th Ismailia International Film Festival 2012, and Best Documentary Prize at the Third Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

The film series African Perspectives is supported by the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, the Goethe-Centre Windhoek and Arterial Network Namibia. Egyptian Film Night Part I
On the road to …. Downtown  
2011, 53 min, Egypt/Qatar
directed by Sherif El Bandary
Date: Sat. 29. September
Time: 17h30
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium
 
Egyptian Film Night II
The Virgin, the Copts and Me
2011, 82 min, Egypt/France/Qatar
directed by Namir Abdel Messeeh
Date: Sat. 29. September
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium © Copyright AfricAvenir 2012]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:17:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131927&cHash=9a7378b2e670b99c70c41e8e6a1c3a95 “White is not a color. White is a political definition, which represents historical, political and social privileges of a certain group that has access to dominant structures and institutions of... White is not a color. White is a political definition, which represents historical, political and social privileges of a certain group that has access to dominant structures and institutions of society. Whiteness represents the reality and history of a certain group. When we talk about what it means to be white, then we talk about politics and certainly not about biology. Just like the term black is a political identity, which refers to a historicity, political and social realities and not to biology.” – Author and psychoanalyst Dr. Grada Kilomba in an interview with AfricAvenir Critical Whiteness studies is an interdisciplinary arena of academic inquiry focused on what proponents describe as the cultural, historical and sociological aspects of people identified as white, and the social construction of whiteness as an ideology tied to social status. The origins of Critical Whiteness Studies can be traced back to thinkers and writers like W.E.B. DuBois (Darkwater. Voices from with the Veil, here the chapter : The Souls of White Folk, 1920), Frantz Fanon  (Black Skin, White Masks, 1967), and Steve Biko (I write what I like, 1978).  Pioneers in the academic field include bell hooks (Black Looks. Race and Representation, 1992), Stuart Hall (The Question of Cultural Identity, 1992), Ruth Frankenberg (White Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness, 1993), author and literary critic Toni Morrison (Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination, 1992) and historian David Roediger (The Wages of Whiteness, 1991). Since the mid-1990s, numerous works across many disciplines analyzed whiteness, and it has since become a topic for academic courses, research and anthologies. A central tenet of critical whiteness studies is a reading of history and its effects on the present, inspired by postmodernism and historicism, in which the very concept of racial superiority is socially constructed in order to justify discrimination against non-whites.  Major areas of research include the nature of white identity and of white privilege, the historical process by which a white racial identity was created, the relation of culture to white identity, and possible processes of social change as they affect white identity.  In line with the above mentioned thinkers and scholars, AfricAvenir Windhoek offers Critical Whiteness courses and workshops upon request. So far we have given these workshops to study groups and institutions, who are willing to critically look into the matter of how power relations – in regards to colonialism, history, race, culture, and identity – are both established and potentially unsettled. For more information, call +264 (0)855630949 or send en email to Christian Mahnke
]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:12:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131872&cHash=c149983114ffc3d3c2f780b102e6eb61 On Wednesday, 12. September 2012, 18h30 AfricAvenir presents the Namibian Premiere of the outstanding Masterpiece and multiple awards winner "Teza" (Ethiopia/Germany... Wednesday, 12. September 2012, 18h30 AfricAvenir presents the Namibian Premiere of the outstanding Masterpiece and multiple awards winner "Teza" (Ethiopia/Germany 2008, Amharic, with English subtitles) by world reknown independent filmmaker Haile Gerima at FNCC (free entrance). Set during the repressive regime of Ethiopian dictator Haile Mariam Mengistu, "Teza" unfolds through the eyes of a German-educated intellectual who returns to his homeland full of naive idealism after the deposition of Haile Selassie. "Both intimate and sprawling in its scope and reach... a remarkable portrait of the tortured political and social history that Ethiopia suffered in the last decades of the 20th century." Ted Fry, Seattle Times. |+| Read an Interview with Haile Gerima on the occasion of the film screening of "Teza" with AfricAvenir in May 2011 Wednesday, 12. September 2012, 18h30 
Venue: FNCC, 118 Robert Mugabe Avenue
Entrance: Free

Synopsis:
Teza is set in Germany and Ethiopia, and examines the displacement of African intellectuals, both at home and abroad, through the story of a young, idealistic Ethiopian doctor, Anberber. The film chronicles Anberber’s internal struggle to stay true, both to himself and to his homeland, but above all, Teza explores the possession of memory – a right humanity mandates that each of us have – the right to own our pasts. 

After studying medicine abroad in Germany for several years, Anberber returns home to Ethiopia only to find his beloved Ethiopia, and soon the quiet of his dreams, stifled and disarrayed by the country’s political tumoil. Seeking escape from the center of violence, Anberber turns to the solace of his countryside childhood home, but quickly realizes that there is no shelter there. The competing forces of the military and opposition factions usurp the comfort he thought the memories of his youth would invoke. Reviews "Blending thumbnail sketches of 20th-century European and African history, intimate personal drama, nightmares, hallucinations and meditative landscape shots, Mr. Gerima’s film has all the hallmarks of a career summation" NY Times

"Gerima's film stands as a richly expansive portrait of a man caught between an untenable exile and the terrible consequences of his homeland's violent past."
Village Voice, Andrew Schenker "“Teza,” Haile Gerima’s award winning film, is the kind of cinema that is a beginning. It will summon the viewer to want to know more, but most of all, to understand the story’s larger historical questions." Brian Gilmore, EbonyJet.com

"...it soars... the movie never degenerates into a laundry list of pet issues because Mr. Gerima's sensibility is humanist and fundamentally decent and sane." Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times, 04/02/10

"...it's the movie's powerful personal story that carries the viewer along.... a powerfully universal meditation on the loss of his homeland -- on the inevitability of loss in general..." Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 09/18/09

"Both intimate and sprawling in its scope and reach... a remarkable portrait of the tortured political and social history that Ethiopia suffered in the last decades of the 20th century." Ted Fry, Seattle Times, 04/30/10

"It's been a long time since an African film has to this extent drawn us into the epic." Oliver Barlet, Africultures

About the director:
Haile Gerima is an independent filmmaker of distinction who has served as a distinguished professor of film at Howard University in Washington D.C. since 1975. Born in Ethiopia, Gerima is perhaps best known as the writer, producer, and director of the acclaimed 1993 film “Sankofa”.  Following in the footsteps of his father, a dramatist and playwright, Gerima studied acting in Chicago before entering UCLA film school, where his exposure to Latin American films inspired him to mine his own cultural legacy. After completing his thesis film, “Bush Mama” (1975), Gerima received international acclaim with “Harvest: 3000 Years” (1976), an Ethiopian drama that won the Grand Prize at the Locarno film festival.
 
After the award-winning “Ashes & Embers” (1982) and the documentaries “Wilmington 10—U.S.A 10,000” (1978) and “After Winter: Sterling Brown” (1985), Gerima filmed his epic “Sankofa” (1993). This formally ambitious tale of a plantation slave revolt was ignored by U.S. distributors, but Gerima tapped into African American communities, and booked sold-out screenings in independent theaters around the country.
 
In 1996, Gerima founded the Sankofa Video and Bookstore in Washington, DC., a cultural and intellectual space that offers opportunities for self-expression, interaction, discussion and analysis through community events such as  film screenings, book signings, scholar forums and artist showcases. Gerima continues to distribute and promote his own films, including his most recent festival success “Teza” (2008), which won the Jury and Best Screenplay awards at the Venice Film Festival and the Golden Stallion at the PanAfrican Film Festival FESPACO in 2009. He also lectures and conducts workshops in alternative screenwriting and directing both within the U.S. and internationally.

Awards:

• FESPACO 2009 – Golden Stallion of Yennenga for Best Film, UN Fight Against Poverty Prize, Zain Prize
• Venice Film Festival 2008 – Special Jury Prize, Osella For Best Screen Play, CinemAvvenire Award
• Carthage Film Festival 2008 – Golden Tanit, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography
• Rotterdam Film Festival 2009 – Dioraphte Award
• CinemAfrica Film Festival 2009 – CinemAfrica Film Festival Prize
• Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece 2009 – The human Values Award
• Dubai International Film Festival 2009 – Best Composer Award

]]> African Perspectives AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:03:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131871&cHash=3e84521e673b0795a5cfd9fcee15f65b On Saturday, 25 August 2012 at 7 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the Senegalese feature „Ramata“ (Congo/Senegal, 2009, 90 min) by Léandre-Alain Baker. This... Saturday, 25 August 2012 at 7 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the Senegalese feature „Ramata“ (Congo/Senegal, 2009, 90 min) by Léandre-Alain Baker. This "film of great poetry" (Africiné), a cinematographic adaptation of a novel by Abasse Ndione, with internationally acclaimed model Katoucha Niane in her first cinema role, tells the story of Ramata, a senegalese bourgeois woman married for 30 years to the Minister of Justice, whose life radically changes when she meets, apparently coincidentally, a mysterious hustler free of all attachments.  Attention: New venue! The screening series „African Perspectives“ has moved its venue. Since July the series “African Perspectives” takes place at the Goethe-Centre Windhoek, Fidel Castro Str. 1-5, Windhoek.  Date: Sat. 25. August
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 30,- N$
Venue: Goethe-Centre, Auditorium

Synopsis
The life of Ramata, married for 30 years to the Minister of Justice, radically changes when she meets, apparently coincidentally, a mysterious hustler free of all attachments. In this studied adaptation of a novel by Abasse Ndione, Leandre Alain Baker boldly attempts to unite style and content by concentrating his film forcefully on the bewitching presence of Katoucha Niane (who tragically died after the film's shooting was completed), well known as a fashion model and whose ambiguous and brooding presence the film pointedly emulates. Her Ramata is a striking woman in her fifties who lives in an elegant neighbourhood of Dakar, married to a Minister of Justice with whom she is preparing to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. But she is forced to confront this unsatisfactory image of herself when she meets a mysterious hustler free of all attachments, named Ngor Ndong.  Ramata’s encounter with Ngor takes her to another side of the social spectrum of society and awakens a deep longing and desire, unsatisfied and intangible, which smolders within her, and that ultimately Ngor is not willing nor able to satisfy. An emotionally irrational need for Ngor plunges Ramata into an emotional abyss that unravels into self-destruction.  The director about the film
“It is a poetic and theatrical film. It was a narrative choice. When taking a closer look at the film, one notices that it is influenced by various film genres: the detective, the western, adventure film, the social drama, the romantic comedy etc...yet maintaining the storyline of the drama that builds between the protagonists. For me it was a way to break free from certain archetypes of African cinema, the anthropological side that is seen all too often in its films. I wanted to work more on the eye language, the unspoken, the thoughtful gestures in everyday life, sympathy, compassion, the love for another, thus inscribing the narrative into a hushed and nocturnal environment rather than under the grueling and piercing sun or under the palaver tree. …. Ramata is a deeply wounded woman, a wound that dates back to her childhood and thus is constitutive of who she is. This encounter with Ngor Ndong, her young lover, will awaken in her the grief that had been dormant. Essentially, it is the story of the metamorphosis of a woman, her relationship with the world, and the universe around her. The affair with her young lover, Ngor Ndong, takes a dramatic turn when the hidden chapter of her past comes back to haunt her. It is true that their relationship is irrational, and so is the desire for another, for love. It is this irrational aspect that reveals to us the things that are the most concrete in their lives. This is what allows us to discover who they really are.”

© Copyright AfricAvenir 2012 ]]> African Perspectives AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:14:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131856&cHash=5182b27cba3feb2899a1a2c5dbf16eef The Jury of the 15th Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentary and Short Film which took place between 23-28 June 2012 is proud to announce the Award winning filmslisted below. The Jury... "the ‘primus inter pares’, the best amongst equals. This job was tough. We were presented a variety of films with a high standard (...) You (the filmmakers) have made a statement, also against the background of our current times in the world in general, but also in particular in the times Egypt is facing currently, going through the birth-pains of the aftermath of a revolution, a society and nation trying to find its feet on the ground again.  We don’t know yet, none of us here tonight, knows, where this will lead Egypt and the region, but one thing is for sure. Whatever the outcome will be, IT will not work, if we don’t see and respect the point of views of THE OTHER. 
How do we do that? One tool, one medium, is the medium of film. The festival and its theme enable us to learn about places, societies, cultures, people, languages, challenges, experiences, histories, and points of view from all walks of life, from all corners of this mother earth. Watching films, talking films, mingling and networking, brings us together. It builds bridges, it makes us communicate with each other, and shares knowledge and perspectives amongst us, hence it helps us to understand THE OTHER a bit more, a bit deeper, a bit closer, a bit different than before. It adjusts our own parameters in our heads; it opens our hearts and minds. This festival and its films is THE WAY TO THE OTHER. In this way the festival, the filmmakers, and the audience are building bridges for now and future generations to come, be it now, in 50 years or 5000 years." |+| read the full speech (pdf) Awards Category: Long documentaries
Best Film, awarded with 3000 USD and Golden Tablet
The Virgin, the Copts and Me, 2011, 82 min, France – Qatar, directed by Nami Abdel Messeeh
In its uniqueness the film broadens the possibilities of making a creative documentary integrating fictionalized elements in a very entertaining but nevertheless wise and philosophical manner. The film reveals the basic realities of Egyptian society and the challenges of making films in a humorous way. The filmmaker has to be applauded for the well created and implemented script and for the sympathetic way it deals with the sensitive issues addressed in the film. Jury Prize, awarded with 2000 USD
Planet of Snail, 2011, 85 min, Korea, directed by Seung-Jun Yi
The film succeeds in gaining our attention by allowing us into a world, unknown to the majority of us. The film warmly paves the way and creates an atmosphere for us to be able to explore the lives of two physically challenged persons. As the film proceeds, they, who at first sight seem so different from us, get so close to us, that in the end we identify ourselves with them just to find that their lives are fulfilled and enjoyable as by any other person. The film offers an avenue for viewers to experience different possibilities of communication and of living in harmony with the world around us. Category: Short Documentaries
Best Film awarded with 3000 USD and Golden Tablet
With Fidel whatever happens, 2011, 50 min, Spain, directed by Goran Radovanovic
With Fidel whatever happens is a film about a country and its people which live by its own limited means. An emphatic film, with a sweet grotesque undertone, that transcends the barrier of logic through its meticulous, poetic and intimate rapport with his chosen characters that defy time. Resistance, revolution, melancholy, defiance is synonyms the film managed skillfully to bring into their Cuban and human perspective.

Jury Prize, awarded with 2000 USD
On the road to …. Downtown, 2011, 53 min, Egypt – Qatar, directed by Sherif El Bandary
Against the background of the Egyptian revolution and the current political state of affairs in Egypt as a common denominator, On the road to …. Downtown follows few individuals and their perspective on downtown Cairo, its history and current state of affairs. Across different generations, sexes, classes, languages, religions, following the parallel lines of these individuals, unconnected but yet linked by their own experience of downtown Cairo, the film pays homage to a district and it’s life.  Like a mosaic, the stories fall into place and paint a picture of a diverse, rich, warm and providing district, with its complex inner dynamics. Special Mention
War Reporter, 2011, 60 min, Croatia, directed by Silvestar Kolbas
Framed by the autobiographic story of the photographer, cinematographer, and reporter Silvestar Kolbas, who worked as cameraman for the Croatian National Television at the beginning of the Serbian Croatian war in 1991, and against the background of the filmmaker’s family, War Reporter brilliantly manages to highlight the madness of this war by intertwining his personal and professional life and the witnessed change of the affected communities living in the war zone. 

Category: Short film
Best Film awarded with 3000 USD and Golden Tablet
Gobbel, 2011, 19 min, Romania, directed by Raluca David
In regards to filmmaking Gobbel distinguishes itself exceptionally on all levels. The film, an excellent told parable, perfectly plays with irony spiced with a satirical touch in a moving way without any flaws in cinematography and storytelling. From beginning to end, the film draws us into the topic of life and death and how human beings can be selfishly overlooking the value of a fellow community member. Jury Prize, awarded with 2000 USD
Hatch, Austria, 19 min, directed by Christoph Kuschnig
Using brilliant acting, sound, story, casting, camera work and pace, the film Hatch shows two couples and how their outside circumstances and personal needs force them into committing acts of desperation. The needs of the four individual, as a driving force behind their actions, unexpectedly connect the two couple. The drama unfolding draws us into the story, due to the compassionately directed and presented film. Special Mention
Edwige, 2011, 15 min, Algeria – France, directed by Mounia Meddour
Edwige is as a film mastering all aspects of filmmaking techniques and storytelling in a beautiful way.  Visually impressive, the story tells of unrequited love by a maid and how she tries to overcome that feeling by becoming the desired object. Through the film, the director promises us commitment to quality feature filmmaking.

Category: Animation
Best Film awarded with 3000 USD and Golden Tablet
Grand Café, 2011, 9 min, Romania, director Bogdan Mihailescu
A delicate and lyric animation which pays tribute to cinema in the figure of Charles-Émile Reynaud, a pioneer in animation and filmmaking techniques in the XIX century, fameless today, yet equally significant as the Lumiere brothers. The superb edited homage manages to tell the story of Reynaud and his times, with well chosen music, shades and lights, and cuttings in black and white with an acute dose of color, and hence keeping a dialogue with the period of its subject. As Mihalescu compassionately shares the belief in the craftsmanship and profession of Reynaud, who was ousted by the cinematograph and suffered dearly due to the lapse of appreciation of his art by the public, Mihalescu appropriately portrays Reynaud’s uniqueness and his irreplaceable contribution towards filmmaking and sensitizes the viewer about society’s handling of art and its creators in general. Jury Prize, awarded with 2000 USD
Domestic Fitless, 2011, 13 min, directed by Hardi Volmer
Modern and contemporary, it mixes fake architecture of the Hellenistic and Roman periods, when the idea of a sculptural body was widely spread, with the lifestyle of the XXI century. The film must be read as a critic to industrial capitalism, neoliberalism and the worshipping of consumerism, where the rational use of time and the body reaches a point very close to totalitarian political systems, crushing any individual characteristics and creative and artistic needs. Domestic Fitless shows that in this highly controlled society, beliefs, behavior and creativity are all “embedded” in official political and economic policies, leaving no room for any creativity, art, debate, and behaviors seen as unsuitable to a world such as described by George Orwell in his book 1984. ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia Cinema News News Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:30:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131828&cHash=1958222dafc17530b80909e657c56cc5 On Saturday, 28 July 2012 at 7 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the documentary „Cameroon – Autopsy of an Independence“ (Original with English subtitles,... Saturday, 28 July 2012 at 7 pm AfricAvenir invites to the Namibian Premiere of the documentary „Cameroon – Autopsy of an Independence“ (Original with English subtitles, France/Cameroon, 2008, 54 min) by Valérie Osouf and Gaelle Le Roy. It is at the same time the World Premiere of the English subtitled version of the film! Attention: New venue! The screening series „African Perspectives“ has moved its venue. From now on, the series takes place at the Goethe-Centre Windhoek, Fidel Castro Str. 1-5, Windhoek.  The 54-minute long historical documentary „Cameroon – Autopsy of an Independence“ is a groundbreaking milestone in the remembrance of one of the most brutal episodes of French colonial history, the secret war against the Independence movement and party, the UPC (Union of the Peoples of Cameroon). This secret war cost the lives of ten percent of the Cameroonian population. In this 2008 film, for the first time, eye witnesses from both sides of the events speak out! For the first time detailed background information to this colonial war is revealed, while the archive material in France was declared a state secret for still 120 years to come. The film was produced by Program 33, in co-production with France 5, TSR, and RTBF. AfricAvenir, in cooperation with AfryKamera Warsaw and Subtext-Berlin has contributed to the subtitling of the film into German, Polish, and English and hence is able to present this film to an English speaking audience in Namibia.  Synopsis
Between 1955 and 1970, legitimized by the arena of the „Cold War“ and ignored due to the concurrent „events“ in Algeria and Indochina, a secret war took place in Cameroon.   Cameroon, for France an essential strategic base in the Gulf of Guinea, is key for France’s independence in the mining and energy sector. Already in the times of its „Independence“ it was Charles de Gaulle’s aim, to secure Frances oil imports at all costs. He realized fairly early the importance of securing oil fields, which were not yet under Anglo-Saxon control.  Since this time, France tried by all means to keep control over Cameroon and its oil reserves, even though this meant the elimination of a great part of Cameroons population, and the de facto eradication of Africa’s first francophone party in Cameroon, the UPC (UPC - „Union des populations du Cameroun“, „Union of the Peoples of Cameroons“). Firstly, led by special forces from France, who were experienced in the war zones of Algeria and Indochina (which later became Vietnam), and later on continued by forces of the then “In-dependent“ Cameroon with massive support by the French army, this secret war is characterized by a distinctive previously unknown brutality. Mass-executions, bombardments, barricading, politics of „burnt soil“, so-called resocialisation camps, and the deployment of Napalm killed 1/10th of Cameroon’s population, more than 100.000 victims, from the South and West of the country. The repression by the French State since 1948 aimed at the UPC, which was founded in the same year. Bit by bit, the French labelled „anti-terror-war“ is extended against the whole population. Under the rule of the French Governor of Cameroon, Pierre Messmer, who later became Prime Minister of France, a decolonization process is initiated. He imports the counter-revolutionary warfare methods theorized in Indochina and implemented during the Algerian War (1954–62). A year before Messners posting to Cameroon, in 1955, the UPC is proclaimed forbidden, and on 13 November 1958, just a few month after the first oil discoveries on the coast of Cameroon, the president of the UPC, Ruben Um Nyobé, is brutally murdered.  On November 4, 1961, his successor as president of the UPC, Felix Moumié, is poisoned in Geneva by William Bechtel, an agent of the Service de Documentation Extérieur et de Contre-Espionage (SDECE), French Secret Services. 20 years of terror follow, the same period which is the zenith of the nebulous ploys of the so called "Françafrique", symbolized and involving companies like Elf, the Palais Élysée, mercenaries and African heads of states.  On January 15, 1971, lastly, also Ernest Ouandié, the successor of Moumiés as head of the UPC, is executed publicly after a mock trial, in which his lawyers from the French Communist Party are not allowed to attend.  Until the 1990s, the name Ruben Um Nyobé was not allowed to be mentioned in Cameroon.  In the documentary „Cameroon – Autopsy of an Independence“ historians, activists, politicians, eye-witnesses and survivors tell their side of the story of the lost struggle for Cameroonian Independence. Watch the film in the Original French version here: http://www.granitfilms.com/en/valerie-osouf/avant-granit/cameroun-autopsie-dune-independance  

People interviewed

• BERNARD KAMTO – Liaison officer in the underground 
• ABEL EYINGA – Lawyer/ expert on international law
• PIERRE MESSMER – former French PREMIERMINISTER (1972-74), former French Governor of Cameroon (1956-58), Minister of Armies (1959-69), Minister of Overseas Territories (1970-71)
• KANGUE EWANE - Historian
• GABRIEL PÉRIÈS – Military historian
• MOUKOKO PRISO – University Professor
• MARC MICHEL - Historian
• MARTHE MOUMIÉ – Widow of FELIX MOUMIÉ
• WOUNGLY MASSAGA – former political and military leader of the UPC
• ANDRÉ BATJAMA
• JEAN FOYER – French Minister of Cooperation (1960-1962)
• MARIE NJOCK NYOBÉ – Widow of RUBEN UM NYOBÉ
• GAL PIERRE SEMENGUE – former  Chief of General Staff in the Cameroonian Army 
• OUMAR TELLA – Major in the underground 
• MATTHIEU NJASSEP – Adjutant under ERNEST OUANDIÉ

About the Director
In preparation of the documentary, director Valérie Osouf has done long and substantial research on the time period leading to Cameroons independence. 
Together with the film directors Alain Gomis ("Aujourd'hui", official selection Berlinale 2012) and Newton Aduaka („Ezra“, Grand Prize FESPACO 2007), Osouf founded the film company Granit Films (http://www.granitfilms.com) and produced and directs several documentaries and feature films. 
Her most recent work was finished in 2012, a documentary called „National Identity“, which deals with the aspect of immigration, prisons and the judicial system in France. See the trailer here: http://www.reelisor.com/p/identite_nationale/  

Media statements
"The true account of Colonialism begins!" Les Inrockuptibles

"The award of this extremely pedagogical film is to choose a historical chapter, which normally is silenced, and on which nearly no archive material are accessible. The directors place emphasis on the power of remembrance as well as on a didactical reassessment of these eventful years." Télérama

"Very informative and thoroughly disclosing  the main events of the Cameroonian Independence: e.g. how Pierre Messmer, in the background, manipulated key figures, while at the same time getting rid of all those, who opposed his version of a France dominated Cameroon. (...) By means of eye-witnesses of both fractions, one discovers many up to now suppressed facts of our history, mostly the use of Napalm in Western Cameroon, the centre of armed resistance (...) A must-see documentary to learn more about one of the most important periods of Cameroonian history!" Nkwayep Mbouguen, Bonaberi.com

"A piece of our history is told on screen (...) The directors deal with the subject in a serious manner, by interviewing eye-witnesses and experts of the subject. Many thanks to these two directors for their excellent work on this silenced topic." Sanaga Pérégrinations  Further reading on the subject

• Mongo Beti: Perpétue et l'habitude du malheur, (Perpetua and the Habit of Unhappiness), 1974
• Mongo Beti: Remember Ruben, 1974
• Mongo Beti: La Ruine presque cocasse d’un polichinelle. Remember Ruben 2, (The Nearly Comical Ruin of a Puppet), 1979
• Mongo Beti: Lettre ouverte aux Camerounais, or, La deuxième mort de Ruben Um Nyobé, 1986.

© Copyright AfricAvenir 20102]]> AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 23 May 2012 01:30:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131825&cHash=b4423f62143ed3de9fb1afcb5811092c On Wednesday, 11 July 2012 at 18h30 AfricAvenir & Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present the South African film "Izulu Lami – My Secret Sky" by Director Madoda... Wednesday, 11 July 2012 at 18h30 AfricAvenir & Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present the South African film "Izulu Lami – My Secret Sky" by Director Madoda Ncayiyana (South Africa 2008 | 97 min) at FNCC, 118 Robert Mugabe Avenue (free entrance). Filmed in eThekweni and based on the experiences of the city's homeless children, Izulu Lami is a heartrending tale of suffering and redemption.  AfricAvenir and the FNCC thank the Institut Francais for making this event possible. 
 
About the film
Two kids left orphans because of HIV leave their Zulu village and head to Durban. A profoundly moving film with superb child acting

When Thembi (10) and her brother Khwezi (8) are left alone in their rural homestead after their mother's death, all they have to remember her by is the traditional Zulu mat that she hoped to enter in a craft competition in the city. The children decide to take the mat to Durban but when they arrive in the city, their troubles escalate.

Filmed in eThekweni and based on the experiences of the city's homeless children, Izulu Lami is a heartrending tale of suffering and redemption. The film incorporates excellent cinematography with a powerful message and well developed characters and appealing visual imagery, leaving the viewer with a sense of hope. 

Izulu Lami/My Secret Sky premiered at the opening of the Durban International Film Festival.  A new star is born in Sobahle Mkhabase, the lead child star in Izulu Lami, who received the Best Actress Award at the main African Film festival in Europe, in Tarifa (Spain). Date: Wednesday 11. July 2012, Time: 18h30
 Venue: FNCC, 118 Robert Mugabe Avenue
 Entrance: Free
 ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia AfricAvenir African Perspectives Tue, 22 May 2012 15:30:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131809&cHash=3184d839ae54395145c6c52422345ad8 As part of the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Algeria on 5. July 1962, and for the sake of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the colonial war in Algeria on... 50th anniversary of the Independence of Algeria on 5. July 1962, and for the sake of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the colonial war in Algeria on 18. March 1962, AfricAvenir Windhoek on Saturday 30 June 2012, at 19h presents the Namibian premiere of the film classic "The Battle of Algiers" by Gillo Pontecorvo (1965, Algeria/Italy, 121 min, French with English subtitles). The film is considered an Masterpiece of political and anti-colonial filmmaking. H.E. Lahcene Kaid-Slomane, Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, will introduce the film to the audience. Date: 30. June 2012, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 30,-N$

AfricAvenir announces herewith also that its screening series at the Studio 77 will end with this film. The screening series “African Perspectives” will continue at a different venue, the Goethe-Centre Windhoek, every last Saturday of the month. We are herewith proud to announce the Namibian Premiere of “Cameroon. Autopsy of an Independence” by Valérie Osouf and Gaelle Le Roy, on 28 July 2012 which will take place in the above mentioned Goethe-Centre. 

About the film
“The Battle of Algiers” is a film commissioned by the Algerian government that shows the Algerian revolution from both sides. Director Gillo Pontecorvo’s highly dramatic film is about the organisation of a guerrilla movement and the methods used to annihilate it by the colonial power.  “The Battle of Algiers” chronicles the harrowing events of 1957, a key year in Algeria's struggle for independence from France. The French foreign legion has left Vietnam in defeat and has something to prove. The Algerians are seeking independence. This highly political film about the Algerian struggle for independence from France took "Best Film" honours at the 1966 Venice Film Festival. The only film in Oscar history to be a nominee in two separate non-consecutive years. It was a Best Foreign Language Film nominee for 1966, and then a nominee for screenplay and direction for 1968. 

Based in part on the memoirs of Yacef Saadi, who wrote them in prison after serving as a leader for the historical FLN, the bulk of the film is shot in flashback, presented as the memories of Ali (Brahim Haggiag), a leading member of the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN), when finally captured by the French in 1957. Three years earlier, Ali was a petty thief who joined the secretive organization in order to help rid the Casbah of vice associated with the colonial government. The film traces the rebels' struggle and the increasingly extreme measures taken by the French government to quell what soon becomes a nationwide revolt. After the flashback, Ali and the last of the FLN leaders are killed, and the film takes on a more general focus, leading to the declaration of Algerian independence in 1962.

Pontecorvo resisted any temptation to romanticize the protagonists. The atrocities committed by the French and the increasingly brutal strikes of the FLN are both portrayed. The film's essential fair-mindedness is perhaps its most striking and skillful feature. 

The film produced considerable political controversy in France and was banned there for five years. The sympathetic treatment of the FLN in The Battle of Algiers often dismayed former French colonists of Algiers (the pieds-noirs) and French army troops.

Under apartheid rule the film was banned in South Africa and Namibia, same as in Israel where the film was banned for many years. It was shown for several months at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque in 1988, shortly after the outbreak of the First Intifada and aroused considerable interest and public attention. In general, Left-wing commentators used the film to bolster their argument that attempts to subdue the Palestinians by brute force were futile and that Israel had to end its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, while right-wingers asserted that Israel's situation vis-a-vis these territories, forming a territorial continuity with pre-1967 Israel, was not comparable to France and Algeria which are separated by the Mediterranean. The comparison of Israel's situation with the Algerian War continued to crop up in the Israeli political debate also after the film ceased to be shown, and remains a recurrent topic up to the present.

In 2003, the film again made news after the Directorate for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict at The Pentagon offered a screening of the film on August 27, regarding it as a useful illustration of the problems faced in Iraq. A flyer for the screening read: "How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas. Children shoot soldiers at point-blank range. Women plant bombs in cafes. Soon the entire Arab population builds to a mad fervor. Sound familiar? The French have a plan. It succeeds tactically, but fails strategically. To understand why, come to a rare showing of this film." According to the Defense Department official (Directorate for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict) in charge of the screening, "Showing the film offers historical insight into the conduct of French operations in Algeria, and was intended to prompt informative discussion of the challenges faced by the French."

Awards

• International Film Festival Venice: Golden Lion and FIPRESCI-Prize (1966)
• Nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Script and Writing (Gillo Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas), Best Director (Gillo Pontecorvo) (1969) and Best Foreign Language Film (1967)
• City of Venice Film Prize (1966) 
• The International Critics Award (1966) 
• City of Imola Prize(1966)
• Silver Ribbon, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Producer, Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani (1967)
• Ajace Prize of the Cinema d'Essai (1967) 
• Diosa de Plata at the Acapulco Film Festival (1966);
• Italian Golden Asphodel (1966)
• Silver “Diosa” at Acapulco Film Festival (1966); 
• Golden Grolla (1966) 
• Riccione Prize (1966)
• Best Foreign Language Film, Kinema Junpo Award (1968)
• Voted "Best Film of 1967" by Cuban critics in a poll sponsored by Cuban magazine Cine (1967)
• UN-Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts/BAFTA (1972)
• NSFC Award, 2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA (1968)
• United Churches of America Prize for 1967
• In 2010, the film was ranked #6 in Empire magazines "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema"

AfricAvenir thanks its financial sponsors and kind supporters of this event: Insight Namibia, the Embassy of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek. Inquiries: Hans-Christian Mahnke
 Cell: 085-5630949, Email: africavenir.whk@googlemail.com   ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 22 May 2012 12:10:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131829&cHash=91fb4a47b451679347e1c9c7c3981ed1 The Ismailia International Festival for Documentary and Short Films is due to start with its 15th edition, taking place from 23-28 of June in the city of Ismailia, Egypt. AfricAvenir’s Augetto Graig...
Known in Egypt as "The City of Beauty and Enchantment" Ismailia is situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal. It was founded in 1863, during the construction of the Suez Canal, by Khedive Ismail the Magnificent, after whom the city is named. The head office of the Suez Canal Authority is located in Ismaïlia at the shore of Lake Timsah. It still has a large number of buildings dating from British and French involvement with the Canal. Most of these buildings are still used by Canal employees and officials. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Ismailia by Hassan al-Banna in March 1928. An underground paramilitary wing was established in the 1940s, primarily to fight British occupation forces. In the early 1950s, Ismailia hosted the British Military HQ and the Civilian Administration Centre of the Canal Zone. British suppression of an uprising by rebellious Egyptian police there on 25 January 1952 was a key event leading to the overthrow of King Farouk I later that year and the Egyptian Revolution that followed. British forces pulled out of Ismailia in 1954.

The festival has given itself the mission to promote an intercultural dialogue for a deeper understanding of others by presenting their creative works to the audience and to encourage filmmakers of documentary and short films.  Organizers of the festival are the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, Ismailia Governorate, and the Egyptian Film Centre, while the president of the Egyptian Film Centre is also the president of the film festival.

The categories in competition are Long Documentary (min. 60 min.), Short Documentary (max. 60 min), Short Film (max 60 min), and Animation Film. All 1st prizes will receive a 3000,- USD reward, while the second winner in each category will receive 2000,- USD.  Under the themes “Cinema Renaissance”, “Revolution as seen by the Other”, and “Women in Revolution”, the festival is going to screen films from 38 different countries. From the more than 100 films, 23 Egyptian films will be presented, as well as altogether 28 African films, and 45 films which fall within the “Arab cinema”. A concurrent theme of the selected films is the Egyptian revolution and the Arab Spring in general. Furthermore the festival will present a special section on classic Egyptian documentaries and short films labelled “Egyptian Nostalgia”.  Besides some special screenings, the festival will also pay tribute to the late Salah Maraey, film art director and former festival director. Adding to this, the festival organizes encounters and debates between filmmakers and the audience, journalists and professionals. In addition the festival organizes film workshops in collaboration with other film festivals and professionals that provide opportunities for young filmmakers to advance their experience and knowledge.  The Egyptian Embassy in Windhoek and AfricAvenir are proud to announce, that Hans-Christian Mahnke, director, and Augetto Graig, board member of the Namibian section of AfricAvenir, have been invited to attend the festival. AfricAvenir is official partner to the festival.

For further information please see the website: http://www.ismailiafilmfest.com Inquiries: Hans-Christian Mahnke, Cell: 085-5630949, Email: africavenir.whk@googlemail.com ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia In Cooperation Cinema News News Tue, 22 May 2012 11:20:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131826&cHash=33f24cb806fdb606a9a8242796dce000 The 15th Ismailia International Festival for Documentary & Short Films is due to start from the 23rd to the 28th of June. It is organized by the National Center for Cinema, with AfricAvenir... 23rd to the 28th of June. It is organized by the National Center for Cinema, with AfricAvenir is official partner to the festival. Amir El Emry, film critic and president of Ismailia International Festival for Documentary & Short Films announced the launch of a new section within the upcoming round of the festival called Egyptian Nostalgia which will be dedicated to rediscover documentary and short films by prominent filmmakers at the very beginning of their film career. El Emry added that the main objective of that section is to start a dialogue between the different generations of filmmakers and shedding the light on documentary and short films by prominent directors. In addition, the new section will focus on restoring these films and making them available to be screened in culture centres and theatres in Egypt and abroad. Egyptian Nostalgia was born from the new vision of the festival that aims at giving films a longer life and giving them the chance to be screened multiple times throughout the year, broadening the scope and effect of the festival beyond its run. The films in the Egyptian Nostalgia section include The Watermelon, a short film by Mohamed Khan produced in 1969 as well as four documentary films by Daoud Abd El Sayed, El Mokayda (The Swap) by Atif El Tayeb, Hayah Gadida (A New Life) written by Raafat El Meehy and directed by Ashraf Fahmy, Toboul (Drums) by Said Marzouk and Meataf (Coat) by Housein Kamal. It is planned for the films selected for the new section to be converted into digital copies ready for screening at cultural centers and film festivals for free. 
A number of filmmakers were invited to attend discussion panels to be held after screening the films within the activities of the festival. AfricAvenir’s board member Augetto Graig and chairperson of the Namibian section Hans-Christian Mahnke will be attending the festival.  Further announcements and details will be shared in the near future and can also be seen here: http://www.ismailiafilmfest.com/  AfricAvenir’s Graig and Mahnke will report to the film community about their impressions and experiences of the festival in beginning of July. Watch this space.]]> AfricAvenir Namibia AfricAvenir Tue, 22 May 2012 11:15:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131789&cHash=d65f5c99ca647939a89fc0cacab8ad3a On Tuesday, 5 June 2012 at 7.15 p.m. AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Goethe-Zentrum Windhoek in cooperation with One Fine Day Films present the Namibian premiere of... Tuesday, 5 June 2012 at 7.15 p.m. AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Goethe-Zentrum Windhoek in cooperation with One Fine Day Films present the Namibian premiere of the film "Soul Boy" by Hawa Essuman (Kenya/Germany, 2010, 60 minutes) at Goethe-Centre Windhoek/NaDS, 1-5 Fidel-Castro St., Free entrance.

Synopsis
Nairobi, Kenya. 14 year-old Abila lives with his parents in Kibera. One morning the teenager discovers his father ill and delirious. Someone has stolen his soul, mumbles the father as he sits huddled in a corner. Abila is shocked and confused but wants to help his father and goes in search of a suitable cure. Supported by his friend Shiku who is the same age as him, he learns that his father has gambled his soul away in the company of a spiritual woman. The teenager doesn’t want to believe it and sets about looking for the witch. When he finally discovers her in the darkest corner of the ghetto, she gives him seven challenging tasks to save his father’s lost soul. Abila embarks on an adventurous journey which leads him right through the microcosm of his home town. Watch the trailer here: http://www.soulboy-film.org/?page_id=5 

About the director
Hawa Essuman is a visionary of film in Kenya. Born in the 1980s into a Ghanaian family, Hawa self identifies as Ghanaian-Kenyan by virtue of the fact that she grew up in Kenya and calls it home. She performed in various theatre plays and two films before she found her way into the world of production, where she worked on TV commercials and documentaries before  directing on a Kenyan TV drama series. She made her film acting debut in Project Daddy (2004) and featured in the Italian film Piano Solo (2007). She first directed an hour long film called ‘Selfish?’ and later ‘The Lift’ both released in 2009. Soul Boy, her most recent film, has screened at various film festivals around the world and has won a number of awards. She is currently developing her next project, a feature film set at the Kenya coast titled ‘Djin’.

Awards

• Winner Best Feature Film, 1st Luxor African Film Festival, Luxor, Egypt, 2012
• Signis Award, Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), 2010
• Dioraphte Audience Award, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Holland
• Best Feature Film Award, Rwanda Film Festival 2010

Press
„A Film for the Soul“  - ElleAfrique Magazine 

„No kiddies stuff, but a small masterpiece” – Oliver Heilwagen, Kultiversum – Die Kulturplattform

„Soul Boy is an outstanding new feature film that comes out of a Kenyan-German co-production” – Africultures

„Soul Boy“, ..., tells a modern fairy tale in the slums of Kenya.“ – Focus

„A fairy tale in the slums of Kenya, .... A compact, almost hour-long children’s film, without any misery romance, but with a lot of jive.“ – KulturSpiegel Date: 05 June 2011
 Time: 7h15 pm
 Venue: Goethe-Centre Windhoek/NaDS, 1-5 Fidel-Castro St
 Free entrance
 Language: Original with English subtitles

For more information contact: AfricAvenir Windhoek, Cell: 085-5630949, 
E-Mail: africavenir.whk@googlemail.com ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia AfricAvenir Tue, 22 May 2012 10:34:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131796&cHash=41b3d16a7540c13404eac611887a9532 A day after Africa Day, on Saturday 26 May 2012 at 19h00, AfricAvenir presents the Namibian premiere of the panafricanist documentary film "Lions Point of View" by...  Africa Day, on Saturday 26 May 2012 at 19h00, AfricAvenir presents the Namibian premiere of the panafricanist documentary film "Lions Point of View" by senegalese HipHop star Didier Awadi (2011, Original with English subtitles) at Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Street, Entrance: 30,-N$. As with rapping, Awadi sees making films as an act of speaking out militantly and demanding a mental and cultural African revolution. The result is a decidedly pan-African, deliberately subjective and revolutionary documentary whose power of impact leaves little to be desired. 

AfricAvenir thanks its sponsors and kind supporters of this event: Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, and WhatsOnWindhoek. Furthermore we want to acknowledge the ongoing support of Screen Africa and Arterial Network. 

About the film
“50 years of independence. They promised us happiness and prosperity. Nowadays young Africans climb into simple wooden boats, they cross the desert and the sea towards Eldorado.” Why? What are the deeper reasons? And how could it come this far? These were the starting questions from director and hip hop star Didier Awadi. For several years he interviewed ex-presidents and ministers, important UN officials, writers, artists, historians, activists and lay migrants and refugees: 44 people who analyse the situation of their continent and they do not mince matters! The result is a decidedly Pan-African, deliberately subjective and revolutionary documentary whose power of impact leaves little to be desired.

About the director
Didier Awadi is undoubtedly the most visible figure of French-speaking African rap. He won the RFI World Music award in 2003 and already has an impeccable career behind him. Bitten by the hip hop virus when he was a teenager he became a DJ and rapper towards the mid-80s. He then founded the Positive Black Soul with Doug E. Tee which left its mark on international rap with tours in Africa and the world; they brought the house down wherever they sang - New York, Johannesburg or Paris. Awadi then released solo albums which were an artistic success. The rapper showed his intelligent sense of Pan-Africanism, tackling a host of crucial issues such as the debt, a dilapidated heritage and political tensions. On April 1st 2010, during the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Senegal, Awadi finally released his multidisciplinary project Présidents d'Afrique (Presidents of Africa) which he had been working on for seven years and directed his first documentary „Le Point de vue du lion“ („The Lion's point of view“). AfricAvenir has realised the subtitles of this film in German, English and Spanish. Polish and Kiswahili are soon to follow. For Screening Rights in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, please contact info@africavenir.org  Date: Sat. 26. May 2012, Time: 19h00
 Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
 Entrance: 30,-N$]]> AfricAvenir Namibia AfricAvenir African Perspectives Tue, 22 May 2012 09:50:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131756&cHash=10ff00476a66ef8b624e978f8f6f0e79 Due to technical problems last Wednesday, the screening has been postponed! On Tuesday, 22 May 2012 at 18.30h AfricAvenir & Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present the Namibian... Tuesday, 22 May 2012 at 18.30h AfricAvenir & Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present the Namibian premiere of the Tunesian film "Satin Rouge" by Director-Screenwriter Raja Amari (Tunisia 2002 | 91min). Lilia is a still-attractive widow with a teenage daughter, Salma. Lilia lives a rather sad existence, obsessively cleaning her house, watching television, and eating alone while Salma hangs out with friends. When Lilia goes to check out the place where Salma goes to dancing class she suspects - rightly - that her daughter is involved with a musician. But it's Lilia whose life is changed by her contacts with a world she knows nothing about - a world of nightclubs where belly dancers perform. "Tunisian-born writer-director Raja Amari (...) plays out Lilia's personal reawakening slowly, with a canny balance of made-for-export feminist flair (...)" (Lisa Schwarbaum, Entertainment weekly).

Date: 22. May 2012, Time: 18h30
Venue: FNCC, 118 Robert Mugabe Avenue
Entrance: Free

AfricAvenir and the FNCC thank the Institut Francaise for making this event possible. 
 
About the film
“Satin Rouge” the debut feature of Tunisian filmmaker Raja Amari, has received — and will continue to receive — attention because it’s a movie set in a Northern African country that deals directly with the sexual experiences of a middle-aged woman.  The plot of “Satin Rouge” is rather simple: Lilia is a widow who wants to live life again. Her teenage daughter is getting interested in boys and integrating more western ways into her lifestyle. One night, while trying to follow her daughter's activities into the night, Lilia inadvertently discovers a cabaret. She enters to find women belly dancing in skimpy outfits, reacting both horrified and intrigued at the same time. Her desire to find her own individuality and break the moralistic mold of her upbringing has her frequenting the cabaret nightly. The other dancers befriend her, and before she knows it, she's belly-button deep in the club scene herself. As the plot thickens and romances develop, Lilia and her daughter both find themselves learning more about life than either of them bargained for. 

About the Director
Raja Amari was born in 1971, in Tunis, Tunisia. She graduated from La Fémis (Paris). Her “Satin Rouge“ (2002) won the Public Prize for the Best African Film at the Montréal World Film Festival, and the New Director's Showcase Award at the Seattle International Film Festival.]]> African Perspectives AfricAvenir Namibia AfricAvenir Tue, 22 May 2012 09:00:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131755&cHash=9b48561ace1a861cd8ebe80f8f9c3429 On Saturday, 28 April 2012 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the Namibian premiere of the film "L’Absence" (2009, Guinea/France, OengST) directed by Mama... Saturday, 28 April 2012 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the Namibian premiere of the film "L’Absence" (2009, Guinea/France, OengST) directed by Mama KEÏTA at Studio 77. Part social commentary, part thriller, L’Absence is an atmospheric and contemporary sketch of Senegal that touches on issues of drugs, prostitution, corruption, brain drain, and, possibly, redemption. Filmmaker Mama Keita gives us a film that urgently races towards a dramatic, exciting and unexpected climax.  Date: Sat. 28. April 2012, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 30,-N$

AfricAvenir thanks its sponsors and kind supporters of this event: Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, and WhatsOnWindhoek.

About the film
After brilliant studies in France and an absence of almost seventeen years, Adama, a trained engineer, hastily comes back to his native country, Senegal.
He received an alarming message informing him that his grandmother is seriously ill. On his arrival, he discovers that his grandmother is in perfect health. Who sent the message ? Why?

Adama and his younger sister Aïcha, who is born deaf, are orphans and were
brought up by their grandmother.

Naturally, Aïcha and her grandmother are overjoyed when they welcome Adama after such a long absence. They have been expecting this blessed moment for so long! While everyone is enjoying the meal prepared in celebration of his return, Adama announces that he is going to settle in France.

Like thousands of students from the Third World who benefit from a scholarship or whose relatives fund their studies go to the West to further their education, most of them will not go back home after completing their studies. Aïcha and her grandmother are distraught.

During this short stay, Adama discovers devastating news about Aïcha. In shock he reacts with violence and his homecoming takes an ugly turn. 

This return makes re-emerge a family drama hidden for so long.

Part social commentary, part thriller, L’Absence is an atmospheric and contemporary sketch of Senegal that touches on issues of drugs, prostitution, corruption, brain drain, and, possibly, redemption. Filmmaker Mama Keita gives us a film that urgently races towards a dramatic, exciting and unexpected climax. L’Absence depicts Senegal with all its contradictions but, above all, we hope there is hope.

Festivals and Awards

• Best Screenplay at Pan African Film Festival FESPACO in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 2009
• Best feature  Festival de Cine Africano Tarifa, Spain, 2009.

About the director
Mama Keïta was born 1956 in Sene gal as a son of a Vietnamese mother and a Guianese father. After studying law in Paris, he starts writing screen plays. Between 1981 and 1997 Keita directs five short films; the documentary “David Achkar, une étoile filante” (1998) is a personal obituary for a deceased friend. His first feature “Le fleuve” (2002) receives the Award de la Presse at the Paris Filmfestival.  In 2003 he directed “Le Sourire du Serpent” and in 2009, besides “L’Absence” he makes the short film “One more vote for Obama” as part of the Pan African short film project “L’Afrique vue Par….”, ten short films commissioned by the Algerian government. In 2011 he directed the film “Le bonheur d”Elza”. Mama Keita was a member of the jury at the 1st Luxor African Film Festival, held in February 2012. Inquiries: Hans-Christian Mahnke
 Cell: 085-5630949, Email: africavenir.whk@googlemail.com  ]]> African Perspectives AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:53:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131765&cHash=e513147597b5fd41c779839a85f892f3 On Tuesday, 24 April 2012, 7 pm AfricAvenir & National Arts Gallery of Namibia present BE.BOP 2012- BLACK EUROPE BODY POLITICS, an international screening program and... Tuesday, 24 April 2012, 7 pm AfricAvenir & National Arts Gallery of Namibia present BE.BOP 2012- BLACK EUROPE BODY POLITICS, an international screening program and transdisciplinary roundtable centered on Black European citizenship in connection to recent moving image and performative practices.

In collaboration with AfricAvenir and the National Arts Gallery of Namibia, Alanna Lockward, the curator of this project, will present a selection of some of the participating artists at the National Arts Gallery of Namibia on April 24, 2012, 7 pm, entrance free.

This event is dedicated to the Black European Diaspora in relation to performance art and moving image and it is entitled BE.BOP 2012. BLACK EUROPE BODY POLITICS.

It is motivated by and theoretically embedded in the Decolonial Aesthetics approach and more specifically in the Decolonial Diasporic Aesthetics, a term coined by Mrs. Lockward.

A selection of some of the participating artists will be screened at the NAGN: Teresa María Díaz Nerio, Jeannette Ehlers, William Kentridge, Tracey Moffatt, IngridMwangiRobertHutter and Emeka Udemba.  With similar formats, the content of this groundbreaking project has been presented at Duke University, Universidad de Cádiz, Matadero Madrid and the Dutch Art Institute and has enabled lively discussions from multiple perspectives and contexts.  Future presentations this year include The Bioscope, Johannesburg, Goldsmiths University of London as well as the 11 Havana Biennial. 

Prior to the presentation in Windhoek, Mrs. Lockward will present BE.BOP at the Conference of the International Association of African Philosophy and Studies taking place in Durban from April 16-18. The main event will take place in Berlin, at the Ballhaus Naunynstrasse, a translocal theatre space which serves as point of arrival for artists from (post) migrant communities and beyond, founded in 2008 by Shermin Langhoff with the support of Fatih Akın.

The framework of this presentation and the projection of the installations is circumscribed within decolonial theories which expose how the idea of citizenship is linked to current racializing configurations and hence with the limits of humanity. In that sense, the racial hierarchy of human existence, originating in the Renaissance and prescribed legally during the Enlightenment, established current (white-male-heteronormative-Christian-Western) European notions of who is Human and who is lower in that hierarchy, thereby designating citizenship, one of the most important legacies of modernity. The time-based positions discussed at this meeting have been selected because they contest (racializing) fantasies on European citizenship.  By means of analyzing these narratives of re-existence, BE.BOP 2012 aims at facilitating a long-term exchange between specialists in disciplines unrelated to visual arts and time-based art practitioners of different contexts of the BlackEuropean Diaspora.

The screening of the work of William Kentridge on von Trotha’s extermination order and the German colonial war against the ovaHereros and Namas, Black-Box/Chambre Noir (2005), is part of one of the sessions dedicated to colonial amnesia.  Another of the participating artists, Teresa María Díaz Nerio, has created a performance in homage of Saartje Baartman http://blackeuropebodypolitics.wordpress.com/news/.  In this particular piece created by a Caribbean artist, member of the Black Diaspora in Europe, the legacies of racialization are symbolically challenged across geographical and temporal narratives, enabling a dialogue between artists, thinkers and feminists from different Diaspora and African contexts like participants, Rozena Maart and Simmi Dullay, who are both based in Durban. BE.BOP 2012. BLACK EUROPE BODY POLITICS IS a project of Art Labour Archies in collaboration with Allianz Kulturstifung and Ballhaus Naunynstrasse.

About Alanna Lockward:
Alanna Lockward is an author, critic and independent curator specialized in time-based undertakings. In 1988, she was appointed Director of International Affairs at Museo de Arte Moderno in Santo Domingo. She is the founding director of Art Labour Archives, a cultural platform and agency responsible for producing situation-specific art events and exhibitions since 1997 in the US, the Caribbean, Europe and the African continent. She is chief editor of VideoArtWorld online magazine and general manager of the Transnational Decolonial Institute. She obtained her Licentiate at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco on communications science, and her MA at the Institute for Art in Context of the Univesity of the Arts Berlin. Her unique approach to transdisciplinary knowledge-production engaging visual arts, decolonial theory and Black feminism has been part of her lectures and presentations at  different institutions such as the Humboldt University and Transart Institute (Berlin); the Roosevelt Academy-Utrecht University, Ninsee (National Institute for the Study of Dutch Slavery and its Legacies) and the Dutch  Art Institute (The Nethelands); Goldsmisths University of London and the University of Warwick (England);  the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (South Africa) and the 11 Havana Biennial, among others.  She has been awarded by the Danish Arts Council, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Allianz Kulturstiftung.Alanna Lockward is an author, critic and independent curator specialized in time-based undertakings. In 1988, she was appointed Director of International Affairs at Museo de Arte Moderno in Santo Domingo. She is the founding director of ArtLabour Archives, a cultural platform and agency responsible for producing situation-specific art events and exhibitions since 1997 in the US, the Caribbean, Europe and the African continent. She is chief editor of VideoArtWorld online magazine and general manager of the Transnational Decolonial Institute. 

Lockward is the author of Apremio: Apuntes sobre el pensamiento y la creación contemporánea desde el Caribe, and co-author of Vídeo en Latinoamérica: Una visión crítica and Arte Contemporáneo Dominicano. Her essays and articles have been published by Arte Contexto, Art Nexus, Cariforum, Archipiélago, ARCONOTICIAS and Atlántica. Her short novel on Haitian-Dominican relations, Marassá y la Nada,  is being published online on the Dominican newspaper Acento from October 2011 to February 2012. http://alannalockward.wordpress.com/artlabour/ 

Some representative curatorial projects are:

Filipa César. The Embassy. Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, 2011.
http://www.hkw.de/en/programm/2011/labor_berlin_2011/veranstaltungen_53773/Veranstaltungsdetail_55284.php 

Truestories.Truesuccess. Freies Museum Berlin, 2009.
http://truestoriestruesuccess.wordpress.com/ 

Pares & Nones. Contemporary Photography from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo; Instituto Iberoamericano, Berlin; Art Basel Miami Beach; Goethe Institut, Lomé, 2002-2008. http://www.creativeafricanetwork.com/page/7179/en 

Días Hábiles. Noches Hábiles. Museo de Arte Moderno, Museo del Hombre Dominicano, Santo Domingo, 2001.
http://alannalockward.wordpress.com/dias-habiles-noches-habiles/ 

Tres Idos. 3 y 2. Museo X-Teresa Arte Actual. México, D.F., 2000.
http://alannalockward.wordpress.com/tres-idos-3-y-2/ 

Insight into Otherness. Art Center South-Florida, 1997.
http://alannalockward.wordpress.com/insight-into-otherness/ 

For further information call 0855630949
or email to africavenir.whk@googlemail.com ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia AfricAvenir Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:48:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131762&cHash=9cd8ba22d6698ee28f1b2f8a4a52c676 The Namibian branch of AfricAvenir organises the film series “African Perspectives”, which has an impressive line-up of films that will be screened for the next several months in Windhoek, the... Hans-Christian Mankhe talked to me about the important role of women in all facets of the organisation and film initiative.

Beti Ellerson: I was struck by your enthusiasm regarding women’s place in cinema even before we met in person in November 2011 in Harare at the International Images Film Festival for Women, to which you were invited, as I, to serve on the main jury. You are the founder and director of the film series “African Perspectives”, how did this come about?

Hans-Christian Mahnke: In 2005-2006 while I was still living in Berlin, we planned the screening series “African Reflections – Female Directors in Cinema” which focussed on female filmmakers from Africa. There I came in touch with filmmakers like Dyane Gaye among others, although I moved to Namibia before the series kicked off. In 2006 I founded the Namibian branch of AfricAvenir, whose board and members consists of 50% women. In Windhoek I created the film series “African Perspectives”, and since 2007 we have been screening African films once or twice a month. To date we have shown more than 60 African films to the Windhoek audience.

BE: I am very impressed with the 2012 film list! For a small film series with not a lot of resources I commend you for being able to pull it together, and of course women are very visible.

H-CM: Our programme for the rest of the year is pretty much in place; amongst them are films by women, such as Satin Rouge by Raja Amari, Soul Boy by Hawa Essuman, and Cameroun, autopsie d’une Indépendance by Valerie Osouf. I am particular happy that we are screening the film by Valerie Osouf. AfricAvenir translated the film from French with German and English subtitles to make the film accessible for non-French speaking audiences. It is such a great film on the process of Cameroon’s independence, and the behind-the-scenes of all that was involved, which lead to the murder of the potential first president Um Nyobe, killed in the same way as Sankara, Sobukwe, Lumumba and Cabral. But we hardly hear about Um Nyobe. Valerie has made a significant contribution to change this. And I am also very happy that we will screen Ramata by Alain-Leandre Baker, who prominently features a woman as the main character. As like L'Absence by Mama Keita, which will screen at the end of April, Ramata is a brilliant film from the continent.

In the past we had other films by women, such as Karin Albou’s The Wedding Song. Otelo Burning by Sara Blecher, Wanuri Kahiu’s From a Whisper, Ingrid Sinclair’s Flame (which was also co-produced by Bridget Pickering), Valley of the Innocent by Branwen Okpako, Daphne Valerius’s Souls of Black Girls, among others. 

We had Tsitsi Dangarembga as one of our special guests at the film series screening. Around that one event we held the Women Filmmakers Get-together Breakfast, during which there was a screening of her films in cooperation with Sister Namibia, a women's rights awareness raising NGO.

When we have Q&A’s after the screenings, we often feature very prominent Namibian women from the centre of society, public figures like Ellen Namhila, director of University of Namibia library, now one of our board members; senate member and author, Ambassador Nora Schimming-Chase; Naita Hishoono, a board member of AfricAvenir and director of Namibia Institute for Democracy; Anne Gebhardt, director of Namibia Women’s Summit; Sandra Tjitendero, widow of the first Parliament President of post-independence Namibia.

And we have had films by male directors who put women at the centre. Examples include Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s Les Siagnantes, Med Hondo’s Sarraounia, Moussa Sene Absa’s Madame Brouette, Ousmane Sembene’s Moolaade” and documentaries like Zola Maseko’s The Life and Times of Sara Baartman.

In our ongoing discussions, and on the two occasions when we have been together at panel discussions, you definitely show your dedicated support for African women in cinema… These films are very relevant and are part and parcel of the African film landscape. Hence, why should we exclude them? Be it good films on women made by men, or good films made by women, they have a right, like anyone else to reach the African audience. They are made first and foremost for African audiences. The filmmakers, both male and female, are trying to tell us something. They are talking to us, to African societies. Hence we must screen their work to enable them to raise their voices and engage in a dialogue with us.

Conversation with Hans-Christian Manhke and Beti Ellerson, 12 April 2012]]> Media Coverage AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives About AfricAvenir Cinema News News Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:51:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131726&cHash=bbfddf3f8272e91e676388c29defb5ae On Wednesday, 11 April 2012 at 18:30h AfricAvenir & Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present the Namibian Premiere of the Chadian film, winner of the prestigious Jury Prize at... Wednesday, 11 April 2012 at 18:30h AfricAvenir & Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present the Namibian Premiere of the Chadian film, winner of the prestigious Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival "A Screaming Man" by Director-Screenwriter Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Chad-Belgium-France 2010 | 92min).

Date: 11. April 2012, Time: 18h30
Venue: FNCC, 118 Robert Mugabe Avenue
Entrance: Free

AfricAvenir and the FNCC thank the Alliance Francaise for making this event possible. 
 
About the film
In present-day war-torn Chad, Adam, a former swimming champion, is a pool attendant at a smart N’Djamena hotel. His grown-up son Abdel helps him out, but when the hotel is taken into new ownership, it is Abdel who is given the job and Adam is demoted to the post of gatekeeper. Hurt and resentful, he feels socially humiliated. Meantime, with the country mired in civil war and rebel forces attacking the government, the authorities are demanding that
citizens contribute money or volunteer for the war effort. Adam is penniless, and pressurised by the District Chief, he commits a terrible act of betrayal. 

In his recent films Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Abouna, Daratt) has developed a style of measured, contemplative storytelling that brings a deceptive air of calm to the simultaneously unfolding personal and national tragedies in A Screaming Man. Cinematographer Laurent Brunet’s striking widescreen images and Wasis Diop’s evocative score contribute much to the film’s elegant simplicity, and Youssouf Djaoro gives a quietly compassionate performance as the father who acts in haste, with devastating consequences.

About the Director
Director-Screenwriter Mahamat-Saleh Haroun was born in Abéché, Chad, in 1961. After being hit in the leg by a sniper during civil strife in the 1980s, he fled to France, where he studied cinema in Paris. He scored significant critical hits with his features “Abouna” (2002), which won several awards at FESPACO 2003 and “Daratt” (2006), the later competing in the Venice Film Festival and winning five prizes.  “Un homme qui crie” is his fifth feature and was not only the first ever Chadian entry in the Cannes Film Festival’s main competition, but it also won the prestigious Jury Prize. The social and political problems that have marked Chad’s have been central to all of Haroun’s films. Representative for these problems is Chad’s civil war; however, instead of analyzing the civil war itself, Haroun keeps it in the background, preferring to focus on the effect it has on the lives of individuals, their families and their friendships. Haroun has described his motivation as a filmmaker as follows: “Cinema is a resistance against civil war. By filming people and telling their story, you are resisting […] We need peace”.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:21:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131752&cHash=8cb77fffbaba2a89efcfd1027236bdd9 The year of AfricAvenir Windhoek has started off very successful and it promises to remain that way. AfricAvenir Windhoek attended the 1st edition of Luxor African Film Festival where AfricAvenir was... |+| Report Remaining in the region, AfricAvenir has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentary and Short Films (Egypt) to be hosted in June 2012. The festival celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. |+| Website of the Festival
 
Our main project in Windhoek, the monthly film series  "African Perspectives" remains an integral part of the cultural scene in Namibia's capital. We now have once again picked up speed by extending our monthly screenings to a second venue. After screening African films at the Studio 77 since 2008, we now additionally screen at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) mid of the month. |+| Next Screening: A Screaming Man
 
The FNCC has been our partner since 2007 when we started our screening initiative. In 2009 we once again teamed up with the FNCC and also with Joe Vision Production in order to establish the "Namibian Movie Collection". Overexceeding our hopes and dreams, the movie collection has spread its wings and currently we hold 45 films in the collection. We hope to reach 50 films by the end of 2012. |+| Namibian Movie Collection The movie collection has also sparked some interest in neighbouring countries and we hope, that similiar initiatives can be duplicated in the SADC region.
 
Our work shows some effects also in the region. After having advised the African Arts Institute in Cape Town in 2011 to establish an African film series in Cape Town and select films, we recently were able to share our knowledge with cineasts in Sambia to also establish an African film series in Lusaka. We wish them well in their endevours. We received some interest from Namibia's coastal town Swakopmund and the business hub in Northern Namibia, Ondangwa, to also create these regular screenings in these places. We welcome the interest and wish these initiatives all the best. Where we can assist, we will assist!
 
We hope we can broaden our work by creating an oral history project, which should record the testimonials of Namibian World War II veterans like Tate Hermann Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, Mzee Simon Kaukungwa, and Uncle Paul. Especially for this project we need additional funding and we invite all interested parties to contact us in this regard.
 
Your AfricAvenir team Windhoek]]> AfricAvenir Namibia About AfricAvenir Sun, 01 Apr 2012 21:26:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131747&cHash=83db27b40c7d7f44d905d5abd0db56c3 AfricAvenir is happy to announce that it will be an official partner of the 15th Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentary and Short Films, which will be held in Ismailia, Egypt, from 23... Genres
Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Short Festival Overview
Ismailia International Film Festival for documentary and short films takes place every year in Ismailia (Egypt ) to promote an intercultural dialogue for a deeper understanding of others by presenting their creative works to the audience and to encourage filmmakers of documentary and short films to continue. History
The first festival started in 1991. It was organised annually until 1994 and again since 2005. Eligibility:
All the producers,directors of documentary & Short ,experimental and animation films.

Formats:
35mm, Beta SP, Didital & DVD

Please download the entry forms, contact details, and more details on the festival here: |+| Download attachment (doc)

The new websiteof the festival will be launched very soon. The url is: www.ismailiafilmfest.com  Contact
Egyptian Film Center
Ismailia International Film Festival for Doc. & Short Films
City of Arts
Pyramids Ave - Giza - Egypt
Postal code 12 111

Your AfricAvenir Team]]> AfricAvenir Namibia AfricAvenir Cinema News News Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:50:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131720&cHash=b8f5efb465bf7651f38c8fc5fbdd59d2 In the framework of the monthly series "African Perspectives" AfricAveniron Saturday 31 March at 19h presents the Namibian premiere of the South African film... on Saturday 31 March at 19h presents the Namibian premiere of the South African film "Otelo Burning", directed and produced by Sara Blecher. Somewhere between City of God and Blue Crush, Otelo Burning is a coming of age story set against the backdrop of Nelson Mandela's release from prison. It's an emotional story of kids in the township learning to surf. It's a story of the explosive potential for change at the time of apartheid's end - all seen through a child's eye.

Sara Blecher, 2011, South Africa
Original (IsiZulu) with English subtitles
Starring Jafta Mamabolo, Thomas Gumede, Kenneth Nkosi, Thsepang Mohlomi, Sihle Xaba, Harriet Manamela, Motslatsi Mafatshe, Nolwazi Shange, Hamilton Dhlamini

Date: 31. March 2012, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 30,-N$

AfricAvenir thanks its sponsors and kind supporters of this event: Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, and WhatsOnWindhoek.

About the film
Freedom is another word for nothing left to lose. 
Shot in Durban and directed by Sara Blecher, the film tells the story of a group of township kids who discover the joy of surfing.  It is 1989 and the struggle against apartheid has reached it’s zenith. When the poor 16 year old township boy Otelo Buthelezi from Lamonville with a deep, traditional fear of the water is offered a chance to escape the violence of his community through surfing, he is forced to choose between friendship and his dream. When Otelo, his best friend, New Year, and his 12 year old brother, Ntwe, are invited to the beach-house of their new friend, Tau Modise, they step into a world previously closed to them. It is exactly the opposite of their township - a place under a constant and growing threat from political violence, driven by Inkatha hostel dwellers on one side and township United Democratic Front comrades on the other.  Soon, everyone recognizes that Otelo is gifted on the water, a god in waiting for his purpose. An older white man, Kurt Struely, approaches the boys, certain of their potential and invites them to his home to watch some professional surfers on video. He paints them an enticing picture of the life to be had, if they can master every kind of break - money for nothing and the chicks for free.  The boys practice and, under Struely’s watchful eye, become really good. Otelo outshines his teacher, Tau, who begins to resent the obvious natural talent of his friend. His resentment builds even more when Dezi, New Year’s younger sister, falls for Otelo. When Struely enters the boys into their first ‘localism’ competition, Tau persuades his cousin, Stembiso, to look after Ntwe at the township pool where the boys learnt to swim. But while the boys are carving out new paradigms on the water, Tau breaks his prized surfing board and Ntwe is burnt to death with a tire necklace as a suspected informer for the apartheid security police.  When Otelo, with New Year’s help, discovers the truth behind his younger brother’s death, he has to make a choice between the money, glamour, girls and superstardom of international surfdom and justice for Ntwe. On the day Nelson Mandela steps out of prison after 27 years, what this boy chooses will resonate for audiences everywhere.

Festivals and Awards
After causing a stir as the opening film of the 2011 Durban International Film Festival, Otelo Burning made its international debut at the 16th annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in Korea. BIFF is Asia’s most prestigious and largest film festival and Otelo Burning was one of very few African film to feature at the festival along with films from Asia, Europe and America.  Following its international premiere at BIFF, the film made its U.K premiere at the 55th BFI London International Film Festival in October.  Otelo Burning premiered in the Middle East in December 2011 at the 8th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), the leading film festival in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Otelo Burning’s director Sara Blecher was awarded the IFP Adrienne Shelly Director’s Grant in New York. Sara Blecher is a former recipient of the CNN African Journalist of the Year Award.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:49:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131719&cHash=b626ecef317e8fe17db39234fd8c2491 On Wednesday 14 March at 18:30h AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present Namibian Premiere of the Tunisian/French film "The Wedding... Wednesday 14 March at 18:30h AfricAvenir Windhoek and the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre present Namibian Premiere of the Tunisian/French film "The Wedding Song", Directed by Karin Albou. Set during the Nazi occupation of Tunisia in 1942, this is the story of two teenage girlfriends, one Muslim, the other Jewish, who cling to the bond they've shared since childhood. However, the world shared by Jews and Arabs is being split by German promises of liberation and independence. César nominee Karin Albou's bold second feature lifts the lid on a chapter of WWII history that has rarely been shown. 'The Wedding Song' explores both Jewish and Arab cultures and female sexuality to winning effect. 
  Directed by Karin Albou, 2007, Tunisia/France, 100 min
Original (Arabic and French) with English subtitles
Starring Lizzie Brochere, Simon Abkarian, Karin Albou, Olympe Borval, Najib Oudghiri
 
Date: 14. March 2012, Time: 18h30
Venue: FNCC, 118 Robert Mugabe Avenue
Entrance: Free

AfricAvenir and the FNCC thank the Alliance Francaise for making this event possible. 
 
About the film
Tunis, 1942. Nour and Myriam, 16, have been friends since childhood, but their friendship gets tested by drastic circumstances. Myriam (Lizzie Brochere) is Jewish, Nour (Olympe Borval) is Muslim. They share the same house in a modest neighborhood where Jews and Muslims live in harmony. When bombs begin to descend upon on the city, leaflets dropped blaming the destruction on England's love for Jews, and Jewish men rounded up for work camps, this childhood friendship is sorely tried. Nour and Myriam secretly desires the other girl's life: while Nour regrets that she doesn't go to school like her friend, Myriam dreams of love. She is envious of Nour's engagement to her cousin Khaled, a sort of fantasy of the charming Arabian prince that they both share.  But Nour is unaware that Khaled has found work with the Nazi party. In contrast, Myriam is forced by her mother (played by filmmaker Albou) to wed a wealthy, older doctor in order to pay the fine fines imposed on Jews by the Nazis. Nour envies the sumptuous gifts Myrium receives from her wealthy fiance; Myriam longs for the sexual attraction shared between Nour and her paramour; while Khaled insists that Nour drop her association with the Jewish girl she has loved her entire life. The fact that Myriam and Nour love each other is not enough to compete with current events. 

Awards
Director and screenwriter Karin Albou's, well known for her film “Little Jerusalem” (2005), sophomore second feature “The Wedding Song” confirms her status as a rising star in the art-film firmament. Nominated for 6 awards the film won Best Film, Best Depiction and Best Director at the recently held 10th edition of the International Images Film Festival, Harare. ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:48:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131702&cHash=ac332727938bff3d68e69640de172923 The Luxor African Film Festival is due to start with its first edition, taking place from 21-28 of February in the city of Luxor, Egypt. Luxor is described as the "Biggest Open Museum of the... Luxor African Film Festival is due to start with its first edition, taking place from 21-28 of February in the city of Luxor, Egypt. Luxor is described as the "Biggest Open Museum of the World", since it contains a big share of the world's historical monuments, which includes the temples of Thebes, Luxor, Karnak, and lady pharaoh Hatchepsut. Luxor is also famous for the Valley of the Kings with the grave of the Boy-King Tutenchamun.

The festival has given itself the mission, to support and encourage African film productions and partnerships between the countries of the continent through strengthening the humanitarian and political ties between the peoples of Africa in general and African artists in particular.

The Egyptian Embassy in Windhoek and AfricAvenir are proud to announce, that Mr. Hans-Christian Mahnke, chairperson of the Namibian section of AfricAvenir, has been invited as guest of honour to this festival. Moreover, AfricAvenir is the only non-Egyptian co-organizer of the festival.

AfricAvenir was instrumental in setting up this first edition of the festival. The contribution of AfricAvenir, an official partner to the festival, has been, amongst others, contacting filmmakers to submit their films, pre selecting of films, suggesting and making contacts to selection committees, jury members, and workshop participants. Furthermore, AfricAvenir helped the festival organizers to establish contacts to key stakeholders within the African film industry, and the film media houses.

Besides Mahnke's attendance as special guest, Namibia will be further represented by two Namibian films from Perivi Katjavivi with his two short films "Love Is" and "Eembwiti". Furthermore Namibia's cinematic presence will further be felt by the film "Captor and Captive", a documentary from South Africa, dealing with the story of Danger Ashipala and Johan van de Mescht.

The idea of the festival was drawn up by Egyptian scriptwriter Sayed Fouad, who then associated the idea with the Independent Shabab Foundation (I-Shabab), an Egyptian NGO, which is the organizer of the festival. The team thought of Luxor to encourage decentralization of cultural events to move a bit away from Cairo and Alexandria, which are piling up with different festivals, and finally, to contribute to the promotion of tourism to the city of Luxor. The budget for the festival comes mostly from the Egyptian Government and the Luxor Governorate. For further information please see the website: www.luxorafricanfilmfestival.com/

Inquiries: Hans-Christian Mahnke
Email: africavenir.whk@googlemail.com |+| Press release featured in the Namibia Economist |+| What AfricAvenir means to African Film (Article and Interview in the Windhoek Observer (10 February 2012)) ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Links Recommended Events In Cooperation Cinema News News LAFF Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:48:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131701&cHash=727ac689a8ded519ea6846737dd0ea80 As part of the monthly film series “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek, in cooperation with Studio 77, presents the Namibian premiere of "Skoonheid", a film by Oliver Hermanus,... "Skoonheid", a film by Oliver Hermanus, 2010, South Africa, 99 min, Afrikaans with English subtitles. “Skoonheid” is the story of a man who is the product of apartheid and feels excluded from the new South Africa. A panel discussion with invited speakers will take place after the screening. Date: Sat. 25. February 2012, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 30,-N$
Notice: Entry restricted to 18 years & over. Please bring your ID!
About the film
“Skoonheid” is the story of a man who is the product of apartheid and feels excluded from the new South Africa. Raised within the confines of conservatism, Francois van Heerden, the protagonist in Oliver Hermanus’ latest film, carefully constructs his life to achieve societal approval, but experiences a sterile existence that fills him with profound regret and the conviction that his is a wasted life. The film exposes the private shames and secret obsessions of a conservative, white, Afrikaans man. The film is a study in regret, lust and self-destruction, this film is a distinctive lens on the subject of beauty.

Francois van Heerden lives a quite a neat life. He is a family man in his mid-forties who lives in Bloemfontein and is well established. Van Heerden has all the trappings of a peerless Calvinist existence, but beneath the veneer of this seemingly faultless Afrikaner lives a seething nest of internal conflict.

When Van Heerden meets an Adonis who is the son of an old friend, the chance encounter undermines the foundations of his tidy life, but tentatively opens the door to the possibility of happiness.

The narrative says much about society’s obsession with beauty, but this is eloquently expressed through one man’s struggle blindsided by lust. In “Skoonheid”, Francois van Heerden’s neat life unravels because of his own obsession with youth and beauty.

“Skoonheid” recently made history by being the first Afrikaans film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The fifth local director to show at Cannes, Hermanus’ movie was screened in the “Un Certain Regard” section of Cannes’ official selections, which runs alongside the Palme d'Or. It subsequently won the won the Queer Palm Award during the festival.

Oliver Hermanus’ acclaimed film has been announced as South Africa’s official entry into the Oscars category for Best Foreign Film. The announcement was made in September 2011 by the South African Academy Selection Committee under the patronage of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF).
"The international success of the film demonstrates that although not an English language film, it is a film that resonates and appeals to the larger global market," says Azania Muendane, Head of Marketing and Public Affairs.

Peter Goldsmid, South African Academy Selection Committee spokesperson said the film stood out as a representation of good South African filmmaking meeting all the criteria.
“Our decision was unanimous. Skoonheid was by far the best film; it held the audience, it had a protagonist with real internal conflict, it had a strong structure, and it is a compelling, assured piece of work by a confident director with a distinctive vision and point of view. What also stood out were excellent performances and the assured realisation of the world of the story. It clearly met the criteria.”

Awards
-    Queer Palm Award, Cannes Film Festival 2011
-    Best South African Feature, Durban International Film Festival 2011
-    Special Mention Award, Durban International Film Festival 2011
-    Best Actor, Deon Lotz, Zürich International Film Festival 2011
-    South Africa’s official entry for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards, Los Angeles, February 2012 AfricAvenir thanks its financial sponsors and kind supporters of this event: The German Federal Foreign Office, the Finnish Embassy in Namibia, Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, WhatsOnWindhoek, Wolfram Hartmann, Edwin Bassingthwaighte, and other individuals.
]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives News Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:51:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131682&cHash=29ecdabbb255d73a4ec9b33507a07a20 In the framework of the the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek, in cooperation with Studio 77, presents the Namibian premiere of "BLACK", a film by Pierre... Namibian premiere of "BLACK", a film by Pierre Laffargue, 2008, Senegal/France, 115 min, French with English subtitles, starring Rapper MC Jean Gab'1, Carole Karemera, & Anton Yakolev. “Black” is a film that is all about a Diamond Heist in Dakar, Senegal. The film intentionally recalls the conceit of Blaxploitation films, but in a thoroughly modern and artistic way.

Date: Sat. 28. January 2012, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 30,-N$

About the film
“Black” is a film that is all about a Diamond Heist in Dakar, Senegal. The film intentionally recalls the conceit of Blaxploitation films, but in a thoroughly modern and artistic way. A groovy 70s-style adaptation of Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra sets a funky tone for the opening of “Black” which moves briskly and efficiently from a slickly-shot "armored car robbery gone bad" in Paris to a modern update of Shaft in Africa to a lunatic, witchy, bastard offspring of Cat People and Ssssss. It's gloriously lunatic. When his Parisian armored car holdup goes horribly wrong, our protagonist Senegalese-born Black needs to go underground. He's a criminal and not necessarily a good one.  News from his cousin in Senegal about a stash of uncut diamonds in a poorly guarded bank in Dakar hatches the plan to go on a "working vacation" that involves a little sightseeing and a lot of mayhem aiming at the heist of a lifetime.

As Black and his crew soon discover, Dakar has just as many nefarious criminals as any other major city; it's just that the cons are different. They may be worldly wise to the ways of Paris, but they're absolutely lost in Senegal. What Black doesn't know is that the extremely valuable diamonds have attracted other interest...

French underground Hip-Hop MC Jean Gab’1, famed for his endless charisma, first debuted in the film District B-13. Though with the character „Black“ he takes centre stage and delivers a nouveau-blacksploitation-adventure awash what with black magic, African mysticism, mutant arms-dealers, gargantuan machete-wielding mercenary armies and a truckload of knuckle-sandwiches.
The film was released in 2008 and was directed by Senegalese-French director Pierre Laffargue. The film “Black” is a superior French-Senegalese exploitation film and its director, Pierre Laffargue, is somebody to watch out for. As film critic Peter Martin remarked: „„Black“ percolates like that first, strong cup of coffee in the morning - with no bitter aftertaste“. More info on www.blacklefilm.com AfricAvenir thanks its sponsors and supporters of this event: Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, WhatsOnWindhoek, & the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:56:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131681&cHash=9e9ac54a186b28858f9d19cef071aaac In its sixth consecutive year, AfricAvenir Windhoek will continue its project, African Perspectives, the monthly film series held in the Namibian capital. So far it is planned to screen the following...

Black - Senegal/ France, 28.01.

Skoonheid - South Africa, 25.02.

The Wedding Song - Tunisia/France, 14.03.

Otelo Burning - South Africa, 31.03.

Un homme qui crie - Chad/France, 11.04.

Behind the Rainbow - South Africa, 28.04.

Ramata - Senegal, May

The Lions Point of View - Senegal, 26.05.

Battle of Algiers - Algeria/ Italy, 30.06.

Satin Rouge - Tunisia, July

Restless City - Nigeria/ USA, July

Battle of Johannesburg  - South Africa, August

Cameroon – Autopsy of an Independence - Cameroon/ FRA     September

Sankofa  - Ghana, October

Sobukwe – A great soul - South Africa, November

In 2012, the series will put its focus, amongst others, on the 100 centenary of the ANC, the 50th anniversary of the independence of Algeria, and on PanAfricanist issues.

Additionally further screenings are considered:

• Cecil Moller 3-short film fest - Namibia        
• The Governor’s New Clothes - DRC/ FRA/ Belgium
• A Small town called decent - South Africa
• Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask - United Kingdom
• Iman & I - South Africa

After receiving several requests in 2011 to expand its screenings across Namibia, AfricAvenir is busy seeking partners and looking for venues to screen in the towns of Swakopmund and Ondangwa. This planned expansion is an exciting development for the team of AfricAvenir and we hope for a similar success like the series has proven in the last past 5 years in Windhoek.

To support the regular screenings and the envisioned expansion, interested parties are invited to contact the Namibian section of AfricAvenir under africavenir.whk@googlemail.com. Furthermore financial donations can be made to: Bank Account No.: 8002438211, Bank Windhoek, Branch: 481-972, Branch Name: Windhoek Main Branch, Swift code: BWLINANX, Account Holder Name: AfricAvenir]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:14:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131680&cHash=9d8589e409326c37d8197014276a55cb “Juju Factory” provides an adroit analysis of issues of immigration and integration. The film brilliantly questions ideas of “authentic” representations of “Africaness,” introducing a complex...
Noble Links
In December 2010, Mario Vargas Llosa, famous writer from Peru, received the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Only a month earlier, in November 2010, Vargas Llosa presented his newest book “El sueno del celta” to a Spanish speaking audience. It has been a bestseller in Spain and was the most popular title at the XXIV Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara. The book is a novelization of the life of Anglo-Irish diplomat-turned-Irish nationalist Sir Roger Casement (1864-1916). Sir Roger Casement became world famous for his exposure to and his first-hand accounts of the systematic tortures inflicted on the people of Congo by European commercial and colonial concerns at the time of King Leopold II of Belgium. The book entitled “The dream of the Celt” is scheduled to appear in English in early 2012. Once the book will be available in English, it will again put Congo and its colonisation on the centre of debates around the world. I am saying this, since I do believe that Vargas Llosa’s Nobel Prize and the ever-controversial Casement could prove irresistible, especially to an English speaking audience. It also could once again show that colonisation, exploitation, and capitalism can go pretty well hand in hand. Something, the globalising Occupy Wallstreet Movement might put onto its agenda sooner or later too. The novel naturally and purposefully invites comparison with Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”. But it also could and should draw attention on a film made a few years earlier, “Juju Factory”. What is the film about and why does it relate to “The Dream of the Celt”?
The people of Congo suffered under Belgian rule tremendously, beyond imagination. And as well as Casement, director Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda is tortured by this reality. But, other than Casement, Bakupa-Kanyinda suffers additionally and rightfully too from the projections on Black people and his acute awareness of the state of Africa. The film, as Oliver Barlet put it, is a “meditation in accordance with Balafu Bakupa-Kanyinda's now well-identified obsessions and style: Africa's relation to power and creation”. Deliberately fictional the film touches styles of documentary reporting in order to catch the echoes of the inhabitants talking about their neighborhood: "To each street its own people", one of them says. The film does its best to break the globalizing image of a mythical Africa. “Juju Factory” invites us to read a dense net of references and allusions, names and phantoms, memories and nightmares. With the help of the protagonist, the writer Congo Kongo, the filmmaker leads us through Matonge, the only European city area to have an African name, a district in the south of Brussels, renamed after a commercial district in Kinshasa. With a repo man threatening to take away all his belongings, people back home in Congo Kongo depending on him to send money, and a need to express his own feelings about exil and about his roots, Congo Kongo agrees to write a book – supposedly a “travel guide” spiced up with ethnic exotic ingredients to introduce Matonge Village to white Europeans, promising a commercial success – for an allegedly African publishing house. So begins the conflict between Congo Kongo and Joseph Désiré, his dictatorial publisher, and African insisting to be Belgian, who goes so far as to ask the statue of king Leopold for advice for how to deal with this uppity writer. Inspired by the vision of complex and tormented souls that he meets at all crossings in Matonge, and since Matonge started in the tombs of the colonial expositions of the museum of Tervuren, Kongo conceives of the idea of writing a book that follows the paths of Congolese history and its many ghosts. Delving away too deep for his editor’s comfort, since he doesn’t write a tourist guide as requested but a narrative of different African stories from a migration background, Kongo Congo must try to keep his head above disaster and finish his book. Hints appear that the book Congo Kongo is writing is in fact the film we are watching. And as Joseph Désiré becomes increasingly rigid and demanding, insisting on a prettified advertisement about ethnic color in Belgium’s capital, Congo Kongo becomes increasingly haunted by thoughts of Patrice Lumumba and the history of European theft and pillage of the African continent. Congo Kongo’s journey evokes images that need to be read. The face of Patrice Lumumba cross-fades beneath the surface; it appears alongside the rhymes of young rappers; it looks back from the wall of the writer's apartment, framed like a precious souvenir inspiring poetic and thoughtful writing. Then the montage switches to an extract from the documentary by Thomas Giefer “Mord im Kolonialstil”. We see Gerard Soete; the man who finished off the conglomerate’s dirty work. He laughs while holding two teeth in his hands, two teeth dislodged from Patrice Lumumba’s head. Finally, these transfers of remembrance lead to the whispered question: What have we made of ourselves? "As long as the lion won't be able to tell, all hunting tales will be to the glory of the hunter" the film tells us, encouraging, yes, demanding from Africans, to start taking charge of one's own history, and to do so while believing in the human being, before one has become another Joseph Désiré, Congo Kongo’s publisher.
In the end, Congo Kongo writes a story from his soul about injustice, racism, and colonialism in the modern world. Despite the lure of money, bill collectors, and pressure from his editor, he manages to stay the course and complete his novel. Kongo, his community, and the cinema audience might discover how it is possible to stand upright with the terrible colonial past of Europe, Africa, and the world. "You are a man because the other is", Kongo writes in his notebook.  
The tokoloshe we are looking for, is in our fellow man, hiding in the then and now. It’s for us to see.

Awards:

• Best film Tyrol Awards, Innsbruck International Film Festival, Austria 2007
• Golden Dhow Award Best film, Zanzibar International Film Festival 2007
• Best film, Kenya International Film Festival 2007
• Best film, Festival de Cinema Africain d’Apt, France 2007
• Best Actress (Carole Karemera), Festival Cinema Africano, Italy

Press:
“Avec “Juju Factory” Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinde offre un diamant du Congo aux cinéphiles du Continent.” (www.lefaso.net   - Burkina Faso) “The wealth of ideas, the humour, a deliberately crazy camera and tight interwoven editing, voluntarist dialogue and roaming at night… Juju Factory is a factory for manifestos, a Soleil Ô-type cry in which Le Damier would have spawn its offspring. Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda seems to be looking for the life-saving juju, this talisman supposed to protect us from monsters and which must be hiding somewhere out there, in the culture reread in the light of the present. It's for the tortured artists to take action, in the colorlessness of their interior exile, listening to their exile as immigrants or victims of exclusion. It's that crazy Balufu's pleasure to put us on track with this rich, diverse, operatic, scathing and torn film.” (Oliver Barlet, AfriCultures) « A humourous and super-clever social commentary on ... exile and migration? Belgian colonialism? Racism in Europe? The psychology of the colonized? Of the decolonized? Of the comprador bourgeoisie? ... I think all these things.” (www.sketchythoughts.blogspot.com  - USA) “This film carries a heavy load of diasporic desires and above all fears. ... The concrete Belgian past which the film brings into view harks back to 1897 when 250 Congolese men and women were shipped to Belgium to feature in the colonial section of the Universal exhibition, but the film also recalls the murder of Lumumba. Psychologically and conceptually, the filmmaker displaces the diasporic ‘double consciousness’ and explores the multiplexity of attitudes and identifications of Congolese and Africans which he explicitly defines as ‘in exile’ in Belgium.” (Karel Arnaut – University Ghent, Mediating Matonge: Relocations of Belgian postcoloniality)]]> AfricAvenir Namibia E-Library Arts & Culture Publications News Cinema News Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:58:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131659&cHash=d21f7677b7f878f8b8255309b02df0c3 This article by Richmore Tera Arts Correspondent was published by the Zimbabwean The Herald on Thursday, 24 November 2011 reporting on the International Images Film Festival in Zimbabwe. VISITING...
"We are societies who have similar cultures and backgrounds, and hence if the region integrates our film markets and the cultural exchange will be enriched," Mahnke said. Mahnke, who is the director and chairperson of the Africavenir board of Namibia, said this would be achieved if Africans had better access to watch their own African films. "I think it is unfair for Africans not to watch their own movies while the very same films are busy touring other parts of the world.

"We need to create a screening culture within our region and continent, educate the audience that there is cinema culture in their area and at the end of the day local filmmakers will have a market to sell their films. ‘It is crucial that locals (Africans) watch their own stuff otherwise the dominance of Western films will never be counter-balanced," he said.

Mahnke urged filmmakers to push for quality films to reach African audience.
"I am a film activist and I believe in pushing for good quality films to be brought to the audience. I believe in African films for African audiences, films that are entertaining as well as being a tool for educating the masses," said the 33-year-old practitioner.

"In Namibia we run a show which is a film series called ‘African Perspectives' and it is basically there to showcase and celebrate great African cinema. The aim is to give access to the Namibian audience to see African movies because the whole process is the decolonisation of the screens to create an African renaissance whereby films can be used to liberate our minds and society," he said.

Mahnke, who was born in New York 33 years ago to German parents and whose wife is Namibian, said he was very honoured to be invited to Zimbabwe as one of the judges at the film festival.

"I am very honoured, I was invited to be part of the judges last year but unfortunately the festival here coincided with the Namibian Film Festival and Awards and it interfered with IIFF.

"But I am glad that this year I made it and answered to the call of the festival," he said. Mahnke, who is also the vice-chairman of the Filmmakers Association of Namibia, commended Zimbabwe for its vibrant film industry.

"Zimbabwe is obviously bigger than Namibia in terms of its longer tradition of filmmaking, its output and film schools. I think it (Zimbabwe) has a longer experience with the film industry and I remember that some Namibians were trained in Harare in the 1990s.

"The Zimbabwean society is also bigger and has a great potential of making a bigger film industry. "However, lack of funding is a challenge in both countries unlike some countries who have managed to pull it off and and are now enjoying the benefits of the industry," he said.

He also congratulated the International Images Film Festival upon attaining a decade in filmmaking and promotion as well as filmmaker and novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga for her contribution to the Zimbabwean film and literary sector.

Mahnke holds a Masters of Arts Degree in Political Science.]]> AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives About AfricAvenir Media Coverage News Cinema News Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:06:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131637&cHash=3e59f698ea0a1a4d78a7094318eef810 On Saturday, 26. November 2011, 19h00 AfricAvenir Windhoekin cooperation with Studio 77 presents the Namibian premiere of the documentary "Captor and Captive - The story of Danger Ashipala... "Captor and Captive - The story of Danger Ashipala & Johan van de Mescht" by Rina Jooste, 2010, South Africa/Namibia, 52 min, English/Afrikaans/Oshivambo with English subtitles.

Date: 26. November 2011, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,-N$
Special guest: Hon. Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. (rtd.) Charles Namoloh, and Lt. Gen. (rtd.) Martin Shalli

We would like to thank our sponsors and supporters of this event: Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, WhatsOnWindhoek, the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation, & the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre.

About the film
“Captor and Captive - The story of Danger Ashipala and Johan van der Mescht” is an emotional story of two enemy soldiers who meet 30 years after an event that changed both of their lives. Johan van der Mescht, a South African SADF conscript was stationed on the border of Namibia when he was captured in 1978. He was held as a Prisoner of War in Sao Paulo Prison, Angola, for four and a half years before being exchanged for a Russian spy, Aleksei Koslov, at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin in 1982. Danger Ashipala was a young idealist when he joined the SWAPO’s military wing, PLAN, to help liberate his country from colonial oppression. He was responsible for Van der Mescht’s capture. The film chronicles the first meeting between Van der Mescht and Ashipala in 2009, and explores their respective experiences. “Captor and Captive” is both the story of a man whose capture has taken him to hell and back and of his captor who kept him alive during the attack. Ultimately it is a story of forgiveness and redemption. After a fact finding mission to Namibia in 2009, Danger Ashipala, who was Van der Mescht’s SWAPO captor, was located by the filmmaker. When Van der Mescht and his family returned to Namibia in December 2009 for the meeting with his captor and the filming thereof, he received a hero’s welcome. Ironically in his own country he is still regarded as a traitor who walked over to join the enemy. At its centre the story contains the universal themes of war, love, pain, betrayal and forgiveness and will appeal to a wide audience from age group 15 years to adults of all ages. The film bears testament to the reconciliation between veteran soldier enemies. The film features prominently retired soldier Lieutenant-General Martin Shalli, then Chief of the Namibian Defence Force, NDF. The film will be broadcasted on the South African Broadcasting Corporation channel SABC 2 late 2011. Produced in association with the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa. Distribution done by Shadow Films. Contact david@shadowfilms.co.za
Direct DVD internet sales via Full Circle Productions. Contact: rina@fcproductions.co.za Watch the film trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21-MIPo1p2E About the director & producer Rina Jooste
Award-winning filmmaker Rina Jooste has been engaged with music, arts and social development programmes in impoverished communities since 1991. Jooste's experience as a documentary producer, director, researcher comprise several documentary films produced for South African television, many of which have screened at film festivals, contextualized in the South African experience and include subjects such as youth culture; youth violence; the military history of the ANC and the Nationalist government and; Afrikaner culture and identity.
In 2009 she was nominated for SA Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) for her documentary about the SA Border War, “Betrayed”. Two years later she won the SA Film and Television Award (SAFTA) 2011, Best Director and Best Overall Documentary for her documentary about youth violence in a white Afrikaans high school, “Jammer as ek so bitter is”. She is currently a Masters Student in History (University of Stellenbosch) and submitted the film “Captor and Captive – the story of Danger Ashipala and Johan van der Mescht”, alongside a written thesis to be completed.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:47:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131623&cHash=7686be7db73ee4ea3ba561862797c11a In the framework of the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the Namibian Premiere of the movie, “State of Violence" by Khalo Matabane who delivers a potent... “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the Namibian Premiere of the movie, “State of Violence" by Khalo Matabane who delivers a potent drama about a South African corporate leader whose past as a violent revolutionary comes back to threaten him. The film will be released in cinemas on 28 September 2011 in South Africa. State of Violence
Directed by Khalo Matabani, 2010, South Africa/France, 79 min, English, Zulu, and Tsositaal with English subtitles

Date: 29. October 2011, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$

About the film
In his follow-up to “Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon”, Khalo Matabane delivers a potent drama about a South African corporate leader whose past as a violent revolutionary comes back to threaten him. In this new take on a tale of revenge, the story captures the fast-changing social, racial and economic forces that prevail in the present day South Africa. Bobedi, a 35-year-old black businessman, goes on a journey through Johannesburg in a quest to avenge his wife’s attack. The film deals with issues of vengeance, race, class, family division, history and memory and ultimately it is a film about reconciliation and those who refuse to forgive. It is not a film about easy answers but choices that people make and the consequences of those choices.

Director’s Comment
“'State of Violence' is part of a trilogy of films, which began with the ultra low budget 'Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon'. The trilogy consists of films that, while set in the specific location and atmosphere of South Africa, speak of topical issues affecting the world at large. The next film will be about religion.
Violence has become an emotional issue in the country. I have heard and engaged in discussions from dinner tables to street corners, from the suburbs, townships and prisons. I cannot think of any topic that dominates the media than the issue of violence. I have experienced acts of violence, from twice being hijacked, to friends and family members being shot at or beaten up and killed. I have personally tried to understand the nature of violence and realized that it is not just about poverty but it is deeper. There are other countries poorer than South Africa with far less violence. It is not just simply the violence, but the brutal nature of it.  My interest in violence goes beyond just the guys who hold up a store, hijack a car, rape or cops killing their families and then themselves, to intense racial incidents of a racist white male who claimed to have killed a young black boy because he thought he was a baboon. This film explores the issue of violence, reaching beyond the superficial news clippings and magazine images that populate our media saturated environment to penetrate deeper into the fabric of society, to show the phenomenon of violence as something that is rooted deeply in our historical past. The African psychiatrist Franz Fanon said that Colonization is Violence and the history of South Africa is one that is deeply rooted in violence. Apartheid was a violent act and so South African society has been shaped by violence for much of its existence. We have known violence and seen its effects for generations. Violence under Apartheid was evident in all aspects of the struggle from the State of Emergency, the killings, torture and arrests of activists by the police to the killing of informants in the townships and the response by young people to the injustices of the system. The violent act that the main character, Bobedi experiences, forces him to escape his comfort zone of his suburban life. Like me, he lives in a predominantly old Jewish neighborhood.  He embarks on a journey into the underbelly of Johannesburg, a harsh and brutal landscape full of contradictions. The few exceptionally wealthy people who lock themselves in gated communities with security guards and electric fences provide a stark contrast to the rest of the population who are the wretched of the earth. The dream of forging national reconciliation and a just and equitable society has failed and Johannesburg is a place of broken dreams where dog eats dog. It is a city of greed where money buys the characters almost anything except their souls. Bobedi's journey forces him to realize that despite the fact that his life has changed as part of the new black middle class, the majority of black people are still struggling. In one of the scenes, while he is searching for his mother, he finds her in a protest march against poverty. This is something which his father and later he himself, fought for during apartheid; the need to create a just society. His father was hanged by the apartheid system for his political activities but Bobedi was able to become part of the elite black middle class thanks to his political history and has so enjoyed the comforts of that life that he has forgotten the reality in which most of his people live. I argue that the solution to violence is a political one, the need to recognize our own contributions to violence and that unless we create a just and equitable society, the violence will continue to affect all of us.”

Media Statements
“From one of South Africa's most promising filmmakers, this is a complex meditation on the nature of vengeance and violence.”
– Alex Sudheim, Mail& Guardian

About the director
Khalo Matabane has directed a number of films about South African issues, including the shorts “Poetic Conversations” (1996) and “Love in a Time of Sickness” (2001), as well as the documentaries “Two Decades Still” (1996), The Waiters” (1997), “Young Lions” (1999) and “Story of a Beautiful Country” (2004). He also directed the feature “Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon” (2005). Matabane’s long awaited follow-up “State of Violence” (2010) shows him maturing as a filmmaker, even as he pushes into darker and even more dangerous territory. State of Violence is his second feature film. Filmography
1996 - Poetic Conversations (cm)
1996 - Two Decades Still (doc)
1997 - The Waiters (doc)
1999 - Young Lions (doc)
2001 - Love in a Time of Sickness (cm)
2004 - Story of a Beautiful Country (doc)
2005 - Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon
2007 – When we were black ( TV series)
2010 - State of Violence In cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, Indigenous Film Distribution, WhatsOnWindhoek, & the FNCC.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:45:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131564&cHash=d19bede2b426bc2b192aa53917d43db3 In the framework of the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek and Studio 77 present a movie evening on Saturday, 24 September 2011, 19h with selected works by Director of... Saturday, 24 September 2011, 19h with selected works by Director of Photography/DOP, Simon Wilkie as part of the Month of Photography. The event is carried out in cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the FNCC, & WhatsOnWindhoek.

Date: 24. September 2011, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 20N$
Special guest: Director of Photography Simon Wilkie

DOP Simon Wilkie will present and discuss the following films, its intentions and impact with the audience: “THAT FIRE WITHIN” 63mins 16mm, 1993
Portrait of a Namibian subsistence farmer.
Produced by NFTS. (tx CH4).

“THOSE GLOWING EYES” 48mins BetacamSP, 1995
The Riemvasmaker community return to their ancestral lands.
Produced by On Land Productions. (tx NBC & SABC)

“LISTEN TO US” 48mins, Betacam SP, 1999
A report on the high drop-out rate of San children in school.
Produced by the Production Workshop for UNICEF. (tx NBC)
Listen to Us, funded by the Ministry of education and UNICEF, is based on research among San communities,
The film encouraged  the establishment of an educational development initiative in Omaheke

“MANAGING AIDS” 57 mins DVCAM, 2002
Drawing on the experiences of companies from across Namibia this film looks at the challenge of HIV & AIDS in the work place.
Directed by Steve Felton
Produced by The Production Workshop for the NCCI, (Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry) [Tx NBC]

“FUFILA” 5mins miniDV
A popular children’s game is captured on camera.
Produced by Mubasen for Promarte.

“IMITI IKULA” 26mins DVCAM, 2001
Memory is one of the 75,000 street kids in Lusaka, most of them orphans due to AIDS. Although she is hard, streetwise and ready to fight, she has a softer side which influences her daily living, like finding a way to watch the solar eclipse.  Part of Steps for the Future.
Directed by Sampa Kangwa Wilkie & Simon Wilkie
Produced by Mubasen & Day Zero [Tx SABC, & a number of European Broadcasters]
Selected for the Silver Wolf competition, IDFA Nov 2001
Best Film award of the Children’s Film Festival, Hamburg 2002.

The event is carried out in cooperation with Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the FNCC, & WhatsOnWindhoek.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Sun, 11 Sep 2011 23:51:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131575&cHash=a2a9b0c28b6f5715b0b9f08d2ac3e11d By Hans-Christian Mahnke. After having attended my last South African film festival, the Cape Wineland Film Festival 2011, as a judge, being assigned to watch more than forty films, the 32nd Durban... First, the Nigerian, New York based Filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu presented his film Restless City, which was produced for only 80.000 USD and shot in New York City in 18 days in the beginning of 2011. The film took my heart by storm. Definitely my personal discovery of the festival. I totally agree with the organisers of DIFF: Restless City announces Dosunmu as a major talent in world cinema. Every shot a beautiful photography, which doesn’t surprise if one knows that Dosunmu is a trained photographer. An incredible sensitive, passionate and engaging poetic film based on an everyday life story, catching the attention of the viewer from start to finish. Restless City tells the story of the young Senegalese immigrant Djibril in New York and how he tries to make ends meet. All his hopes rely on his belief of him being a great musician. When he falls in love with Trini, a prostitute, working for a local small-scale gangster and hustler, Djibril’s previously aimless existence in the Big Apple is suddenly given meaning anew. There is actually not too much happening in the film, but that doesn’t bother, it is miraculously entertaining. It somehow portrays a real life time story. The film director brilliantly allows us to be absorbed and taken along with the emotions of his characters. And as one critic said: “While Dosunmu’s film work feels vitally new, his emphatic decision to dwell in and on the moment – cinema’s purest joy – is something that mainstream American film used to be very good at indeed before it was killed by the Multiplex.” Nothing to add from my side. The second film, which I would also label as a diamond is the Afrikaans language film Skoonheid by Oliver Hermanus, which clearly will make some waves in Namibia too. The film tells the story of the main character Francois van Heerden, a repressed married 45-year old Afrikaner from Bloemfontein, who secretly outplays his homosexual desires in a conservative environment. He gets deeply attracted to the handsome adult son of old family friends, who doesn’t return his advances, the tragedy of his suppressed love unfolds and turns violent. The crime he commits keeps covered up, since the victim – one has to assume – prefers to keep silent out of fear of public humiliation.  
Skoonheid won the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Now at Durban, not only did Hermanus film win the award for Best South African Feature Film, the film also received the jury prize Special Mention Feature Film “for the courage to explore this taboo subject matter in Africa today through this powerful film”. Two prices he clearly deserves. And I am sure, the box office will prove a success too. After his debut feature Shirley Adams, which won the 2009 DIFF award for “Best South African Feature Film”, Hermanus establishes himself more and more as an inspired and inspiring storyteller, not just a filmmaker, but a brilliant narrator too. I hope for many more films to come from this remarkable and complex director.

Speaking about ”producing more”. The news stoke down like lighting. Gaston Kabore, acclaimed filmmaker, former decade long director of national cinematography of Burkina Faso as well as secretary general of the Pan-African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) from 1985 to 1997, revealed at a Master Class during the Talent Campus Durban, that he will shot the sequel to his two award winning films Wend Kuuni (1992) and the follow-up film Buud Yam (1997). In 1997, then 15 years after completing Wend Kuuni, Kabore shot Buud Yam as a sequel and the African film world had been waiting in excitement, when and if Kabore would ever make a third film, making it a trilogy of three films. During a master class of the Talent Campus Durban at DIFF Kabore announced he is currently writing the script for the third part and he will start shooting in 2012. An exciting news for African cineasts and something to look out for in 2012.
In the end, attending a film festival of the size of DIFF, is not only about networking and watching films. It’s about fun. And it’s business. It’s work. It’s tiring. Be it as it is, I took home an impression of a well organized and extra-ordinary film festival. So God will, I will be back next year for sure.]]> AfricAvenir Occasional Papers Publications Cinema News AfricAvenir Namibia Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:13:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131573&cHash=498e58be9b6d07abe49d9583c054716e In the framework of the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek on Saturday 3 September 2011 at 19h presents the Namibian Premiere of the movie “Viva Riva!”, written,... Saturday 3 September 2011 at 19h presents the Namibian Premiere of the movie “Viva Riva!”, written, directed, and produced by Djo Tunda wa Munga, 2010, Democratic Republic of Congo/Belgium/France, 96 min, Lingala and French, with English subtitles. Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str. Free entrance! The film is presented in cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, Indigenous Film Distribution, WhatsOnWindhoek, & the FNCC.

Date: 03. September 2011, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: Free entrance!

Notice: Age restriction! Only 16 years or older will be allowed access. Please bring your ID. The film contains violent and sexual explicit content.

The film will be released in cinemas on 16 September 2011 in South Africa and Namibia.

About the film
Congolese director Djo Tunda Wa Munga's feature film Viva Riva! was shot on location in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in both French and Lingala. Viva Riva! the first film shot in the Congo in 25 years after the industry was shut down by former president Mobutu Sese Seko.

The film is a visceral thriller about a charming small-time thug, Riva, who returns to his energy-starved hometown of Kinshasa after stealing a truckload of fuel from an Angolan crime lord named Cesar. His bounty is worth a fortune in the city which has run out of petrol. Not only is the sharply dressed Cesar hot on his trail, but Riva also runs into trouble with the tough mob boss Azor, husband of the beautiful Nora, a woman he meets in a nightclub.

Explosively violent, gritty and realistic, the film delves into the world of young smugglers working the Angola-Kinshasa trade – young men who care little about what happens tomorrow. It’s a tale of rival gangsters and corrupt officials, recounted against the sprawling background of Kinshasa.

Congo-born R&B singer Patsha Bay Mukuna stars as Riva. Making her screen debut as the beautiful night club denizen Nora, is the gorgeous Paris-based actress Manie Malone. Cesar is played by Hoji Fortuna, an Angolan born African Academy Award winning actor who lives in New York. Diplome Amekindra takes on the role of Azor.

Wa Munga’s Kinshasa is a seductively vibrant, lawless, fuel-starved sprawl of shantytowns, gated villas, bordellos and nightclubs and Riva is its perfect embodiment. In typical gangster film fashion, Wa Munga’s world is populated by underworld figures and ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and violently murdering their way through life. He glorifies Riva’s rise and fall against the backdrop of a crowded city and provides a no holds barred view of the secret world of the criminal: dark nightclubs, streets with lurid neon signs, fast cars, piles of cash, sleazy bars, contraband, and seedy living quarters. Like most film gangsters Riva is materialistic, street-smart, immoral, megalomaniacal, and self-destructive. His poor background makes him fall prey to crime in the pursuit of wealth, status, clothes, cars and girls because all other avenues are unavailable.

Official film website: www.vivarivamovie.com

Director’s Comment
“In making Viva Riva! I wanted to find a new way to talk about life in Kinshasa today – to describe how my hometown works and how it doesn't work. I also felt the time was right to depict aspects of life in the capital that everyone knows exist but no one has ever talked about publicly.

Riva returns home after a ten-year absence with pockets full of cash to do what every young Kinshasan man dreams of. He is king for one rollicking good night – and keeps that night going on and on, scoffing at the plain truth that in the light of day he is nobody. Where is he headed? The devil may care.

Over the past twenty years, Kinshasans have lived in bedlam, through every kind of spiritcrushing experience imaginable – war, crime, corruption, food and energy shortages, poverty and the breakup of the family structure – yet life goes on.
As word got out that a film was being made, people all around us in the community began to reach out and help us in ways large and small – any way they could. Shooting the film as we did, we were constantly on our toes, ready to shift the scene, take off or improvise solutions at a moment's notice. We sometimes let people know we were making the film and wanted to use their home, place of business or car. And almost all the time, the answer was "yes, please do." In how many other cities, I wonder, would we have found such cooperation?

There are no acting schools in the Congo, so we made a first round of casting in the very small circuit of local theatre companies, then a second round by casting a very wide net over the streets of the capital. We wanted to find Kinshasan actors who could bring something personal to the film – add some vital and sprightly energy to a film that was otherwise anchored in documentary realism. Twenty candidates were selected to participate in a workshop that stressed screen acting skills, and also included tai-chi, dance and other exercises to put the players in touch with the way their bodies moved. The work we accomplished led us to sharpen our casting of certain roles and invite some participants into a second workshop where. There, over two months, we went further into defining characters, without working on specific dialogue, lines for which came later.

Dialogue in the final film was entirely scripted – none of it was improvised.
All things were lining up so well on the production that we realised we had been offered a golden opportunity. It was time for us to envision a new world and to take a big step forward as storytellers. The actors, especially, took on the self-assured confidence of pioneers. One of the most challenging aspects of the production was the depiction of frank sexuality in a culture where nude scenes remain taboo and are never even implied. Our first thought was to bring in European or American actors; but then my second assistant, a young Congolese documentarian, pressed me to ask a number of local women to consider playing the part. I explained to them that I wanted to properly portray the city and its club life, where we all know what is going on behind the walls. I wanted the film to be real. However, once we all resolved that, first and foremost, we wanted to portray the city and its club life in a very real way, as it is today, nothing could stop us. The cast and crew gave it their all every step of the way and took the project to a new height. For that, I am more than grateful.

Our work on Viva Riva! was resolutely modern. The film dives into its depiction of tough situations so forthrightly that we hope it will help sweep away some of the old school perceptions of Africa and African art. Our aim was simply to work without fear or shame of who we are and the issues we face today. I hope, especially for young people, that this film will be a convincing argument that we can make it as a society – and that cinema can be part of our lives. Under the dictatorship, we were not allowed to even think about making films and several decades of Congolese filmmakers went into self-imposed exile. A young artist I met eight years ago dismissed me as mad when I told him I wanted to make films in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Then he visited the shoot of Viva Riva! to experience the energy of the cast and crew hard at work. He is now a believer. Our future can be different if we really want it to be.”

Awards/Festivals

Winner Africa Movie Academy Awards 2011
Best Film
Best Director – Djo Tunda Wa Munga
Best Supporting Actress – Marlene Longange
Best Supporting Actor – Hoji Fortuna
Best Production Design
Best Cinematography
Winner PAN African Film Festival 2011
Best Feature Film

Winner MTV Movie Award 2011
Best African film
2010 Toronto International Film Festival (Official Selection)
2011 Berlin Film Festival (Official Selection)
2011 South By Southwest Film Festival (Official Selection)
2011 Durban International Film Festival (Official Selection)

Media Statements
“Ask Arly Kosi, a good movie can accomplish many things. One of such feats is becoming the toast of leading film festivals around the world including the Berlin Film Festival (Germany), Toronto Film Festival (Canada) and the African Academy Movie Awards (AMAA). ….One of the most talked-about movies in global 'moviedom'.”                                - Femi Salawu, The Nation, Nigeria

“Gripping entertainment from start to finish, and the type of gangster film that Hollywood no longer knows how to make.”     – Andrew Grant, WorldFilm, USA

“Frenetic, sleazy, and entertaining as all hell…a stylish and multiplex-worthy crime drama.”                                            - Allison Willmore, AV Club, USA

About the director
Djo Tunda Wa Munga, born 1972, was raised in Kinshasa, where he spent his childhood. At the age of 10, he left for Belgium. Wa Munga’s first language was Swahili, after which he learned French, Lingala and English. He went on to study art, and later filmmaking at Institut National Supérieur des Arts du spectacle et des techniques de diffusion (INSAS) in Brussels. During his studies he directed his first short films. He worked for a few years in the film industry in Europe, and then went back to the DRC to work on documentary projects for the BBC, ARTE and Danish TV, among others. He also directed a number of documentaries for the local market. He went on to create the first film production company in the DRC, Suka Productions! and is currently focusing his energies on building up the film business in the DRC which, up to now, has been virtually non-existent, and where everything has yet to be invented.

Munga served as producer on Congo in Four Acts, a quartet of short films that exposed the distressing reality of everyday life in the Congo. Viva Riva! is Wa Munga’s first feature film and signals the beginning of the New Wave of Congolese Cinema. He was named the 2010 African Trailblazer by MIPTV. In 2011 he won the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Director. Viva Riva! won the award for Best Film.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:25:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131568&cHash=0ad0a88a6a5771ec0266cef36a5c1d03 Within the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents a movie evening with “Short Huebschles” - Selected short films by Tim Huebschle, on Saturday, 27 August 2011, 19h... Saturday, 27 August 2011, 19h at Studio 77. Filmmaker Tim Huebschle in attendance. Entrance: 20N$

"Beef" (2007)
"Behind the Scenes of Lady May - Chokola" (2008)
"Rider without a Horse" (2009)
"Orange Juice" (2010)
“Looking of Ilonga” (2011)

Date: 27. August 2011, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 20N$
Special guest: Filmmaker Tim Huebschle in attendance

About the films

"Behind the Scenes of Lady May - Chokola" (2008, 28 min)    
This 28 minute film, directed by Obed Emvula and Christjan Apollus, shows the making of Lady May’s award winning music video “Chokola”, directed by Tim Huebschle in 2007. The film follows the director Huebschle, the artist Lady May, and the film crew and shares with the viewer the pains, joy, and challenges encountered during the process of filming the video, which later won the prestigious Channel O Best Dance Video Award in 2008.

"Beef" (2007, 14 min)
Beef tells the story of a braai (BBQ) evening hosted by Marc, a somewhat peculiar perfectionist. Everything is planned to be meticulous. The serviettes matching with the plastic cutlery and cups – and of course the guests. His ex-girlfriend (who brings her new boyfriend along), two sisters (the one has a crush on Marc and the other is a Vegetarian!) and two strange men (one of whom seems to fancy Marc and the other just quietly digs into the food). Everything could have been so perfect, as Marc had planned - but the guests end up ridiculing Marc and reduce the host to a servant, but they forget that he who laughs last...

"Rider without a Horse" (2009, 12 min)
The story revolves around the German Rider of the Rider Monument in Windhoek - one of Namibia's most prominent historical monuments - coming to life in 2008, 18 years after Namibias independence, and being confronted with his own identity. In a funny but serious tale, the Rider's journey takes him through a changed world, as he stumbles upon the Independence Day celebration ceremony in the nation's capital. The Rider finds himself confronted by a modern reality made up of mixed race couples, rude taxi drivers, obnoxious prostitutes and dragqueens, and finally black men in uniforms. All the Rider longs for is something familiar...

"Orange Juice" (2010, 8 min)
On a fine day they met over a glass of orange juice. Destiny overwhelmed, they fell completely in love. However they each held a secret. A secret so threatening it would destroy their chance at true love. Years later, still as inseparable as on that one fine day and still very much in love, fate intervenes and both their secrets are revealed. Only the truth will tell the outcome.

“Looking of Ilonga” (2011, 18 min)
One day a man arrives at Simon's home and claims that his wife Elizabeth has borrowed a lot of money from him - and indeed she did. Simon is faced with one option only: he has to repay his family's debts. Ripped from his comfortable rural lifestyle, he travels far away to the big city, hoping to work off the debts. But from the moment he sets foot in the city, everything seems to be against Simon...

Director’s Comment
“With “Beef” I wanted to experiment with the unspoken. All characters have some or other connection to one another, either they know or know of each other. Marc faces all his insecurities at the BBQ. He is a nice guy and he is taken for granted. ....
I really just wanted to explore how people interact with each other in a social setting. The locked-off camera shots are emulating a fly on the wall approach. We are just eavesdropping on this strange place with these strange people who are all not really saying what they actually want to say to each other”, says director Tim Huebschle.

“To make “Rider Without A Horse” was a matter of the heart. The film follows the colonial Rider Monument coming to life in the post-independent Namibia. For many years the monument has been a thorn in my eye. It stands for all reactionary streams in my country and truly is a symbol of how gloriously the past of this country has been swept under the carpet. More than 20 years after Namibia’s independence, it is definitely time to deal with what was before. The tens of thousands of lives that were lost during the Herero and Nama wars between 1904 and 1907 need to be honoured. And so “Rider Without A Horse” makes a provision for that. I feel that the monument has grown to be a part of our country’s history, however, it only caters for the fallen German soldiers – and that is something that needs to be put into a broader context.” Huebschle continues.

“"Orange Juice" for me was about exploring how a man and woman feel the need to hold on to what was once before and never can be again. But I also didn't want to run the risk of telling a soppy, romantic, sentimental tearjerker. That's why I turned to an established genre such as film noir. The broken love is what I wanted to explore, but the reason for it breaking was not betrayal in the usual sense or the man and the woman just falling out of love. The love between them just happened, even though it was not supposed to. Then he chose to set things right, to do what he felt he ought to - as a man sometimes does. But will he be able to live with himself?”

On "Looking For Iilonga" Huebschle comments: “"Looking For Iilonga" posed a quite obvious challenge to me. I would direct actors in English and they would deliver their lines in a language that I don't understand, namely Oshiwambo. Yes, I have lived in Namibia for many years, but I never got proficient in Oshiwambo. It was not entirely unknown territory for me to make a film in a language that I don't speak, since I made many documentaries in vernaculars over the last 8 years. But when you are making a drama you ultimately want to have as much control as possible. The valuable lesson I learned from making "Looking For Iilonga" is that it is important to let go, to let things unfold as they are supposed to – and magically as is often the case in life, things do tend to fall into place.”

About the director
Tim Huebschle, born in 1978 in Reutlingen, Germany, moved to Namibia at a very young age. He finished his schooling in Windhoek and went on to study English & German Literature (including Film Theory) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Through his studies in film theory, he discovered the magical medium of film.
In 2001 Huebschle started making short films while working as intern and later assistant editor at production companies in Berlin, Germany. 2003 he returned to Namibia and began producing documentaries for the national TV broadcaster NBC, as well as TV advertisements and music videos for a vast array of clients and musicians. All the while he kept on following his passion, making short narrative films, preparing him for his first full-length film. From October 2011 he will shoot his next short film “The Grave at Dead River”, a filmic journey down memory lane through pre-independent Namibia. Currently Huebschle is developing his first feature entitled "Land of the Brave" following the story of Namibia's most notorious and gruesome serial killer, the B1-Butcher.

Filmography

• Savanna Stories, documentaries series for NBC, 2004/5
• including: Caprivi and the Darkness; Ngatu’s Homecoming; Life in Transit; the Cow, the Sheep and the East; His story of a Hat
• Beef, short film, 2007 (Merit Award for Directing & Special Mention of the Jury, Namibia Film Awards 2007, nominated for World Short Film Award, Best Live Action Short Film 2008)
• Mokasie, music video for Gazza, 2007 (Best Kwaito Music Video, Channel O Music Video Awards 2007, Sanlam/NBC Namibian Music Awards 2007)
• 100 Years of Etosha, documentary, 2007 (Audience Choice Award Namibia Film Awards 2007,
• Chokola, music video for Lady May, 2007 (Best Dance Video, Channel O Music Music Awards 2008)
• Ti Mama, music video for Afroshine, 2008 (Best Music Video, Namibia Film Awards 2008)
• Hope, music video for Afroshine, 2008
• Rider without a horse, short film, 2008 (overall winner Wild Cinema Shared Experiences Short Film Competition, winner Namibia Film Awards Best Director 2009)
• U my lady, music video for Ees feat. PDK, 2009
• Orange Juice, short film, 2010 (official selection at Zansibar International Film Festival 2011, official selection Contravision Film Festival, Berlin, September 2011)
• Looking for Ilonga, short film, 2011 (official selection Gold Lion Film Festival, Swasiland, October 2011)
• The Grave At Dead River, short film in development

Samples of Tim Huebschle’s work can be viewed on www.youtube.com/timbhuebschle and www.facebook.com/huebschle ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:51:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131565&cHash=f8b38e940b7084f92da883acbe0a5fc5 With local films enjoying a two night screening at one of the capital’s exhibition spots followed by a slow fading into celluloid obscurity at best, the founding and development of the Namibian Movie... “In making films, the Namibian people are able to tell their own stories and share many themes with viewers here or elsewhere,” said special advisor Mvula ya Nangolo on behalf of the Honourable Minister Joel Kaapanda upon his acceptance of the Namibian Movie Collection, on behalf the MICT, in the capital last week. “The medium of filmmaking is crucial in promoting the culture of the Namibian people within the country and outside the borders of Namibia.” However, despite local filmmakers’ best efforts to create stories relevant and reflective of Namibian life, there is the eternal obstacle of finding platforms for distribution, promotion and exhibition and for many the development and circulation of the Namibian Movie Collection is the first step towards the endurance of their cinematic identity. In as much and in a bid to encourage promotion of their film products, filmmakers agreed to grant non-commercial rights of their films to be part of the collection and the FNCC granted space in its Multimedia Library for public access. “Of course, this is a never-ending collection", says AfricAvenir Windhoek Representative, Hans-Christian Mahnke. “We are busy getting older Namibian films from the archives and we hope more filmmakers come on board and that new productions will be given to the collection in future.” Currently there is one collection in residence at the MICT, a collection will be donated to AfricAvenir Berlin, two full copies were donated to AfricAvenir Windhoek by the German Embassy in June and the complete collection can currently be rented from the Multimedia Library at the FNCC in the capital. Through this and via exposure on the AfricAvenir website, which enjoyed over 80 000 hits from visitors who browsed with an express interest in African Culture, art and film,  Mahnke hopes that “the number of Namibian filmmakers will grow, enabling Namibia to tell its own stories and present their Namibian perspective to the world.” For more information on the Namibian Movie Collection please visit www.africavenir.org
]]> AfricAvenir Namibia About AfricAvenir Media Coverage Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131558&cHash=d3141bb59cec9885cc3229afd402c61f On Monday, 18 July 2011, AfricAvenir, FNCC andJoe Vision Production has officially handed over a complete version of the Namibian Movie Collection to the Hon. Minister of Information and... |+| Speech (pdf)]]> AfricAvenir Namibia Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:25:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131557&cHash=df016db82818bb778f0a91079eb99619 As part of the Eden Street No 1 Exhibition, AfricAvenir and the Camel Stable Art Studio present the documentary: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ION B. The film will be shown on Wednesday, 17 August, 18h30,...
Romania: 2009, 60 minutes, PG
Director: Alexander Nanau
Awards: International Emmy 2010, Best Documentary Cape Winelands Film Festival 2011

Ion B. is a 62 year-old homeless man. His bed is a filthy foam mattress at the bottom of a garbage chute. Ion sorts through the daily household garbage of the block, avidly reading the books, magazines and newspapers he finds.
Since the 70's he has been creating collages from these books that he calls "my films". A few years ago, Ion Barladeanu was an inconspiculous homeless alcoholic with a stack of original collages who then could never foresee his unlikely rise to fame in the art circles.

In November 2010, Alexander Nanau's film received an International Emmy. It won the award for Best Documentary at the Cape Winelands Film Festival 2011.

This film screening is made available courtesy of AfricAvenir Windhoek.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia In Cooperation Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:19:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131555&cHash=d73c9924cde9ad14ec91159a72751626 From Monday, 1 August, 18h30, the FNCC Gallery will be presenting the exhibition "No. 1 Eden Street – A Home Décor and Design Exhibition". Imagine a home fully furnished with designer... Monday, 1 August, 18h30, the FNCC Gallery will be presenting the exhibition "No. 1 Eden Street – A Home Décor and Design Exhibition". Imagine a home fully furnished with designer objects and furniture, made in Namibia: Welcome at No. 1 Eden Street! A team of creative individuals, mostly members of the Camel Stable Art Studio, is presenting a home décor and design exhibition in the gallery of the FNCC. The gallery space will be divided into several “rooms” such as entrance hall, bedroom, lounge, kitchen and bathroom to display solid timber furniture, soft furnishings, lighting, designer objects and art as well as clothing and jewelry. Exhibitors include Stephan Eins, Alpheus Mvula, Thomas Pancak, Ina-Maria Shikongo, Peter Kewowo, Foibe Amundaba and Gisela Farrell. As part of the exhibition, the complete "Namibian Movie Collection", a joint project by  the FNCC, AfricAvenir, and Joe Vision Production, will be showcased in the "Lounge" of the exhibition. The films will be shown on a TV set installed in the "Lounge", creating a home cinema atmosphere. On 23 August the Free Your Mind comedy team will move into the “house” at No. 1 Eden Street for a once-off performance of their commissioned show “It’s a Family Affair”. Venue:
FNCC Gallery Price:
Free Entry AfricAvenir is supporting this event as media partner.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia In Cooperation Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:56:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131556&cHash=25c49530dca8dbd7171d52b2ac7e0dee On Tuesday, 23 August, 18h30 the FNCC will be presenting “It’s a Family Affair”, a guest performance by the Free Your Mind! Comedians, commissioned for “No. 1 Eden Street” – a home décor and design... “More” on the Adams family at their residence on No.1 Eden Street, FNCC, on the 23rd of August. Venue:
FNCC Gallery
Price:
N$ 40 in advance, N$ 50 at the door AfricAvenir is supporting this event as media partner.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia In Cooperation Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:07:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131552&cHash=6e4ee3bd5f7417fe41412147fe34cb14 In 2009, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, Joe Vision Production, and AfricAvenir Windhoek, launched the Namibian Movie Collection, NMC, consisting initially of 24 Namibian films. The NMC is part... www.africavenir.org.

In June, 2011, the German Embassy in Windhoek has donated two complete reproductions of the Namibian Movie Collection to AfricAvenir Windhoek. In order to extend the circulation of the Namibian Movie Collection these two collections will be donated to AfricAvenir Berlin and the Namibian Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies.

AfricAvenir Windhoek, the FNCC, and Joe Vision Production will donate one complete collection to Honourable Joel Kaapanda, Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies. The handing over will take place on

Monday, July 18, 2011, 12h00,
at the Press Conference/Media room
of the
Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies,
2nd Floor Government Offices.

The handing over will include a short presentation of trailers of some of the films included in the Namibian Movie Collection.

The three organisation want to highlight to the Ministry the work Namibian filmmakers have done and want to show them, that this medium is a crucial medium to form a national identity and that film products can be used as promotional cultural items, with which Namibia can generate national revenue and promote Namibia internationally.

Inquiries: Hans-Christian Mahnke, africavenir.whk@googlemail.com, 0855630949]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia News Cinema News Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:10:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131551&cHash=68c9918aea594147d770e3d3dee06d54 In the framework of the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie “Odd Number” by Marius van Straaten, 2010, South Africa, 48 min on Saturday, 30. July... “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie “Odd Number” by Marius van Straaten, 2010, South Africa, 48 min on Saturday, 30. July 2011, 19h00 at Studio 77, Entrance: 20N$. Special guest: Representative of CHANGE (former C.R.I.S., Criminals Return into Society). In cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, WhatsOnWindhoek, & the FNCC. About the film
Odd Number is a story of redemption set in South Africa‟s Cape Flats, a low lying area south west of Cape Town, a human dumping ground for Apartheid era‟s forced removals of „black‟ and „coloured‟ people from 1948 to 1993. During this time, hundreds of labelled „non-whites‟ were forced from their homes into undeveloped, dusty pieces of land. With little or no education, and no existing infrastructure or local economy, these areas withered. For years the Cape Flats have been ravaged by gang violence, drugs and crime, as some of South Africa's poorest do what it takes to survive. Two rival gangs control the Cape Flats, of South Africa‟s most notorious „coloured‟ communities, where it seems inevitable that countless youths are sucked into joining either the Americans or the Hard Livings gangs. Young people see the extravagant gangsters as role models, and many join gangs find a sense of belonging, while more still join to find safety in numbers. Odd Number tells the story of one such man‟s decline into gangsterism and eventual redemption as he starts a new life as an artisan plumber. The documentary focuses around the dramatic turnaround in the life of Rashaad Adendorf, who discovered his faith whilst in jail for murders he committed as a gang hitman. The story is driven by Adendorf‟s recounting and reenactment of pivotal events in his life. Reenactment tends to be a risky strategy in filmmaking, but in Odd Number, these scenes are performed by Adendorf himself, which not only lends a sense of genuineness to the film, but brings a raw, believable quality to the already shocking scenes. The film explores the oxymoronic humanity of gangsters, and leads the audience through the constant contrast of the current, gentle Adendorf, who narrates the film, and the violent, unfeeling Adendorf whose story unfolds.
More on the film and background: www.oddnumberfilm.com Director’s Comment
„The Odd Number documentary was my first attempt at directing. Previously trained as a cinematographer I had experience of the filmmaking process, but not as a director of documentaries. After being friends with Rashaad Adendorf, the main protagonist in the film for six years, I approached him with the idea of making a documentary of his life. I found his life story fascinating and thought that more people need to hear the story of Rashaad‟s change and redemption. Initially reluctant, Rashaad then agreed under the condition that he would have input and a mandate to approve the final film. The fact that I was busy with a creative Masters degree in film and media at the University of Cape Town created additional motivation for me to pursue the idea as there was a definite deadline for the submission of the documentary. I work better with deadlines. I conceptualised, scripted and directed the film. As with all small documentaries the crew did much more than their working titles required and I appreciated the enthusiasm and commitment from the crew. My cinematographer Laura Meriläinen was amazing and did a fantastic job. Odd Number gave me a huge amount of satisfaction and I realised making films for disadvantaged communities and individuals that often don't have a platform or access to the media is my mission. As we got to know each other better, Rashaad gradually revealed more about his life. He was an assassin for the American gang and lived a hard life as a gangster on the Cape Flats, filled with drugs and violence. On a late afternoon in 1991, Rashaad was walking in to a rival gang‟s backyard armed with two Glock 9mm pistols to assassinate Face, the gang leader of the Hard Livings gang. The American gang‟s primary opponent is the Hard Living gang. Unknown to Rashaad the Hard Livings knew Rashaad was coming and set an ambush for him. After a short, but brutal gun fight, Rashaad was shot 12 times, but managed to run in to a neighbour‟s driveway. “I entered life violently and lying there with 12 bullets in me, I realised I don‟t want to leave violently” (Adendorf, 2010). Before the Hard Livings Gang could kill Adendorf, the police arrived and he was arrested and taken to hospital. After a painful four month recovery in the prison hospital he spent the next five years in the overcrowded Pollsmoor prison during which time he made repeated court appearances. About the director
After completing a BCom degree in Marketing and Financial Management at the University of Pretoria, Marius could no longer ignore his creative urges and completed a Higher Diploma in Film & Video Technology at the Pretoria Film School. He then spent more than 10 years freelancing in the camera department on 16mm and 35mm film as well as shooting on various analogue and digital video formats. He has acted as the technical director on international projects such as Fear Factor, The Batchelor, Scream and the Red Bull Music academy. He was the Digital Image Technologist on the first HD feature produced in South Africa, Promised Land, as well as numerous commercials shot on HD. In 2000 Marius completed the Management Development Program at the Business School of the University of Stellenbosch where he won the Director‟s Prize for best student in the course. He focused on the application of the Digital formats in a Portable Production Unit environment. A year later he completed an advance darkroom course at the Cape Town School of Photography. Odd Number was Marius‟s directing debut. “I love cinematography, but I have found my passion in directing. I aim to make socially relevant films that will highlight the plight of the unseen and unheard.”]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:47:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131527&cHash=92348fa608ecb0372283616f35ee770e In the framework of the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie, winner of the Best Documentary at the Cape Winelands Film Festival 2011, “Afrikaaps” ... winner of the Best Documentary at the Cape Winelands Film Festival 2011, “Afrikaaps”  by Dylan Valley, 2010, South Africa, 60 min,  Original (Afrikaans/Afrikaaps) with English subtitles. Special guest: Dr. Rebecca Ndjoze-Ojo. In cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre,

Date: 25. June 2011, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 20N$
Special guest: Dr. Rebecca Ndjoze-Ojo

About the film
In his debut documentary, “Afrikaaps”, Dylan Valley explores the untold Creole history of Afrikaans, using what he knows best: HipHop, humour and personal perspective. The film follows a group of local artists creating the stage production, AFRIKAAPS, as they trace the true roots of Afrikaans to slaves in the Cape. It features the musical greats, Jitsvinger, Kyle Shepard, Emile (black noise), Moenier Parker, Shane Cooper, Blaq Pearl, the powerhouse b-boy, Bliksemstraal, and the poetic genius of Jethro Louw.  The film reclaims and liberates Afrikaans from its reputation as the language of the oppressor, taking it back to the people who own it. “Afrikaaps” premiered at Encounters documentary festival in August 2010 and screened to sold out houses at the V & A Waterfront’s Nu Metro Cinema in Cape Town. It received the runner-up audience award for best South African documentary. It has since screened at the Tri-Continents documentary festival in Johannesburg, the Cultavaria festival in Paarl and is currently screening on Mnet’s Msanzi Magic Channel. In March 2011, it won the Best Documentary at the Cape Winelands Film Festival.

Director’s Comment: Dylan Valley on the film “Afrikaaps”
“I had written an article with my sister, Greer, about Afrikaans hip hop and the origins of Afrikaans in the Cape just before I met Catherine (Henegan) and Aryan (Kaganof), the dramaturg. The timing was just perfect and we really clicked. I learnt a great deal in the process as well. Some of the history we learnt really blew my mind.” “I always thought the film would end up resembling “The Buena Vista Social Club” by Wim Wenders. I’m a huge fan of the film, and I referenced its style and structure a lot in my initial documentary proposal. Because I had around ten characters in my film, I needed to reference a successful musical documentary film that had quite a large cast. The film ended up being quite different from what I had initially planned.”

“We decided to not have the theatre show dominate the screen time. Instead, we used songs from the show to punctuate different points in the narrative. For example there is a scene in the film where one of the cast members gets arrested; we cut that together with a moving ghoema song in the show that deals with the historically unfair judicial system in South Africa. We had a lot of great music to choose from, so that made it so much easier.”

“I think it appeals to both a local and international audience, as it deals with universal themes. However, I think that young South Africans especially will enjoy it, particularly the “coloured” community as it might reveal parts of their heritage they have never known about. I myself certainly never knew the extent to which the Malays, the Khoi and the San had shaped the language until I started researching this for myself.” Valley hopes, that the film “gets people to think about Afrikaans in a different light. There is a whole different side to languages, their origins and adaptations, especially in Cape Town.”

Press
“The film follows a group of local artists creating the critically acclaimed stage production Afrikaaps, as they trace the true roots of Afrikaans to slaves in the Cape. Both funny and moving, the film goes beyond what happens on stage to reflect how this history informs the cast’s personal lives today.“ Mail & Guardian

“The untold story of Afrikaans may seem rather academic and hard to translate to film. Add to this the story of a theatre troupe and their production, ‘Afrikaaps’ that they use to tell this untold story, and you have quite a challenge ahead of you if your job is to make the film about all of this. Dylan Valley, however, first time documentary filmmaker was admirably up to the task. Together with editor, Khalid Shamis, he crafted a story that entertains, informs and – for those whose dialect is explored – even vindicates.” Tina Luise Smith

“On the surface, Afrikaaps appears to be a theatre piece within a film, based as it is on the creative processes and performances of the critically acclaimed stage production of the same name. But rather than depending on the drama on stage and the production’s prominent characters to carry the narrative, Valley finds revealing moments from the cast’s and production crew’s personal narratives that transcend what happens on stage. Afrikaaps, the film and the stage play, breaks ground by boldly attempting to reclaim Afrikaans – so long considered a language of the oppressor – as a language of liberation.” The Bioscope

About the director
Capetonian born Dylan Valley studied Film and Media at the University of Cape Town and interned for 2 months at E-TV news. As his final research project in 2005 he directed a 10 minute documentary on the history and current tensions in the Cape capoeira (Brazilian martial arts) scene. At UCT he was a DJ on UCT Radio and was an active member of the universities TAC branch as well as the UCT Film Society. In 2006 he obtained his Honours degree in Film Theory and Practice from UCT. “Lost Prophets”, a film about the personal stories of South Africa’s hip hop pioneers Prophets of da City, and where they are now, was his honours thesis project in partnership with co-producer and collaborator Sean Drummond. The film was selected for the Encounters documentary festival in 2007.

In 2007 he joined the Plexus Films Headwrap team as a researcher and Trainee Director, where he was quickly promoted to Director. He has subsequently directed some of the series most inspiring episodes including "Hip Hopera" and "Awareness Thru Colours". He later acted as UCT term tutor in Documentary Filmmaking along with acclaimed director Francois Verster. In 2006 and 2008 he tutored a 1st year course for the UCT Film and Media Department. In 2009 he was featured in the Mail & Guardian 300 young South Africans to take to lunch. He is currently on the DFA Board as joint blog administrator and heads up the youth portfolio. In 2009 worked as camera operator on WHERE DO I STAND? - a documentary about South African children and the responses to Xenophobia. He also worked as Camera operator and Director for the AMAZING TIME DECTECTIVES an SABC children’s production by Afrosoul Productions. Under his trademark "Be Phat Motel" Dylan is currently developing the documentary INCARCERTAED KNOWLEDGE along with Producer Lauren Groenewald from Plexus Films. In 2010 Dylan’s debut feature documentary, “Afrikaaps”, was produced by Plexus Films.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:18:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131514&cHash=3388ff0a838057d22eb744c842dc4bae In 2009, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, Joe Vision Production, and AfricAvenir Windhoek, launched the Namibian Movie Collection, NMC, consisting initially of 24 Namibian films. The NMC is part...
Furthermore, the information on the films in collection is available to the international community via the website of AfricAvenir, www.africavenir.org.

Recently the collection has been reproduced for the public library of the Berliner Entwicklungspolitisches Bildungs- und Informationzentrum (EPIZ, Berlin Center for Global Education) in Berlin, the Directorate of Arts of the Namibian Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports, and Culture, as well as to the Katutura Community and Arts Centre.

The organisations have received several other international requests, to distribute the NMC on a non-commercial basis to the respective institutions.

These requests and offers will be attended to.

Nonetheless, there are also commercial requests forwarded to the organisations, and hence, the Filmmakers Association of Namibia, has been won as partner, in order to promote the work of its members, who make the majority of the films included in the NMC, and who hence benefit the most from any commercial endeavour of the NMC.

Since AfricAvenir, Joe Vision Production, and the FNCC, have entered into agreements with filmmakers on a non-commercial basis, we would like to call members of FAN and interested individuals in Namibia in general, to establish the economic aspects and potentials of the NMC, and hence, become kind of an agent for the commercial aspects of distributing the Namibian Movie Collection and Namibian films in general in Namibia and abroad.

Yours in film,

Joel Haikali                         Hans-Christian Mahnke
Joe Vision Production          AfricAvenir Windhoek]]> AfricAvenir Namibia News Cinema News Fri, 27 May 2011 00:54:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131506&cHash=b47b78ad6fdb8166f8f37965948e1d48 Director Camille Mouyeke was born 1962 in Congo. He studied Cinema at the University of Paris VIII and obtained a Masters in film school in 1993. He made many short films, like “Police Violence”...
AfA: Dear Camille, can you tell us a bit about your current projects? You are currently developing a cinema project called “Namib Cinema” in the city of Point Noire, Congo, in a country where all official cinemas have been closed since 1984, since 26 years! Can you give us some background on this project?
CM: The general problem of the absence of a cinema doesn’t only concern Congo, but also other African countries alike. While we had cinemas in our cities, now former cinema places are rented out and become churches, market halls etc.. The current problem in Africa is that a movie from Senegal is only seen in Senegal. A movie made in Burkina Faso only seen in Burkina Faso. A film made in Namibia is only shown in Namibia. To show an African movie only in the country of its origin is too short-sighted. The films do not travel outside the country. It is true, filmmaking takes time and resources, and hence one needs to seek funding from external sources outside Africa. But a local industry exists. The film industry is an industry with specific chains of productions. First comes the artistic phase, then the actual creation of the production, and in the end, distribution. For too long we have only been talking about distribution. All practical efforts have been put into production, not into distribution. So my idea to create a cinema in Pointe Noire is to answer to this call and find solutions for distribution chains, to find answers to the need of distribution, to start to develop distribution. First I want to start with building one cinema in Pointe Noire, with a couple of auditoriums. Later on the basic idea is to create a network of distribution spaces, in the form of three to four cinemas in each sub-region of Africa, three to four in West Africa, three to four in East Africa, three to four in Southern Africa, three to four in Central Africa. By this you would create a distribution network, allowing filmmakers to distribute their movies beyond their own boarders, into these cinemas. By this way, I hope that the filmmaker will benefit financially and that he can use this money to reinvest into new productions.

AfA: How do you see in general the ability of film as tool to benefit levels of development of a country, it’s cultural reconstruction,  progress, and eventually prosperity? And how do you see this in particular in the case of Congo?
CM: I strongly believe cinema and the film industry in general can participate in building a country, and contribute towards prosperity, because it creates jobs. And while you are working on a production, you are earning money which will be injected into the national economy. Just to give the example of Nigeria. I went to Lagos recently and discovered that the Nigerian film industry is producing a benefit of 7 Billion US-Dollars per year just with national distribution within Nigeria alone. I think if we look at the economic aspects of filmmaking, that the film industry creates jobs and brings food on the table, we have to realize the fact that people working in the industry reinvest their income in the local economy. Acknowledging this fact already creates a positive image of its own and also helps people to reconstruct their culture. And, the fact that you create your own cultural images will help countries with such difficult histories like South Africa, Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo, Namibia etc., to heal, because culture brings people together, much more than any policies and politicians succeed to do. But in the case of Congo I must say that we lack cultural policies to use film in such a way now. Film won’t have an immediate impact, since it was neglected for too long. Surprisingly compared to literature and theatre, cinema in Congo is dead since 30 years. The first and last feature was done in 1979, “La Chapelle”. After “La Chapelle” I myself was the last Congolese to get a scholarship from the government to be trained in cinema and to go to study film. After I had left Congo to study film abroad in France - Congo at that time found itself in a specific historical transition period – a national film body was created. But I knew, upon my return, I would have to be not only a film director, but also a distributor, administrator etc. I had to become a jack-of-all-trades concerning every aspect of filmmaking. So parallel to cinema, I studied business, to learn all aspects of the economics behind filmmaking. After I had finished my studies I went back to Congo in 1993, but the old communist regime had collapsed after 1990. Ending a long history of one-party Marxist rule, a national conference in 1991 was held and laid the foundations for the introduction of a multi-party-system in Congo. The transitional process was not smooth and the country encountered several severe challenges. So I arrived back in a country which had no jobs to offer, no salaries to earn, and I went back to France. Instead of wasting my time in Congo, I decided to go back to France and build a network, which one relies on especially in the film industry, in order to make use of this network at a later stage in Congo. But then my personal life changed, I fell in love in France, and decided to stay.

AfA: Can you tell us a bit about the industry in Congo? Is is viable for someone to make films in Congo? Or to be an actor? CM: In 2001 I went back to Congo. For two years I worked in the area which had to be the first priority: Training. I obtained a fund from the OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie) and focused on training youth in the field of filmmaking. For this group of youth there were immediate results. One started to study film in France. And out of the group, three or four have realized three to four feature films, one of them premiered in Cannes this year.
During my time back in Congo I established the production company Hortense Films, where the youth were trained on the job, in the field of directing, script-writing, technical skills, and administrative areas. Those trainees took this knowledge from this training experience and created their own companies. So in a way, they copied my model and were successful with it. The companies which followed Hortense Films still exist today and are operational. Since they didn’t have any formal training in film or scholarship opportunities, they learnt the industry hard way – learning by doing. I am quite proud of the pioneering experience and the skills Hortense Films produced. In 2006, to give an example, all those companies who followed as off-spring of Hortense Films, raised funds amounting to 100.000 Euro which then were used and invested into the Congolese industry.
But in general, to make a living from being a film director in Congo is still not easy. The situation is better for actors and technicians, though.

AfA: What is the relationship between the film industry in Congo and the Congolese public? CM: It is difficult to establish the relationship between the film industry and the Congolese public, because there is no specific space for cinema. When a film is shown, it is shown for specific audiences only and or on special occasions, at Foreign cultural institutions etc.. It is hence difficult to measure the real impact and the relationship. Furthermore the economic impact cannot really be established, e.g. via the entrance sales. There is no regularity, no habit of the public to see Congolese movies. A majority of Congolese never have seen a Congolese movie. There just don’t have access to it. Parallel to the fact that there are only a few Congolese who have access to Congolese movies, there just is no screening culture in our country, like in a lot of African countries. There exists something called “Cine Clubs” in Congo, which are illegal and informal video-renting and screening places. Here our children in Brazzaville watch films which are not African, not educative, with pornographic or violent images, most often shown from pirated dvds. This makes it difficult to teach the young generation of video clubs to appreciate and understand African film language and its images. It also makes it difficult for this youth to select appropriate film products.

AfA: What kind of exhibition models to you foresee for the future for your country, where there hasn’t been an established cinema for nearly 26 years?
CM: I think the first thing is we need it to adapt to technical developments. We experienced difficulties in the past, because we maintained to screen from 35mm projectors. We have to forget 35mm. Forget it. Think only about the cost implications. This is just not viable. We had and have to find new ways of exhibiting our products. All the abandoned former screening places have to be rehabilitated and reequipped with new techniques. And to re-establish cinema to claim its place in society, the cinema needs to go and meet its audience and not wait for the audience to come to the cinema. The cultural and entertainment offer is just to vast. Cinema has to adjust to this situation and go and meet the people. This goes hand in hand with educating the people, how to interpret cinema and read its images. I am optimistic that African cinema will blossom. If I look at counties like China, Brazil, India, which had a growing economy, their cinemas followed suit and prospered. But in order for this to happen in Africa too, cinema needs to use the new technologies efficiently and see them as tools to reach a certain aim. We have to get rid of the outdated equipments. We should go digital and use the technologies of the future, which is going digital.   

AfA: Since you are involved in FEPACI and know the situation in other countries equally, what do you make of the screening facilities in Africa in general?
Is there something wrong with the distribution channels in Africa? CM: One error definitely is our habit to stick to 35 mm. The other error is, and here I use the example of Congo, that film during the communist era was nationalized. But the state doesn’t understand film. And this is also the case in other countries like Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon etc. In our case, the Congolese state had a stock of film material but had no access or failed to access new material. They played the old stuff over and over, until the public turned away, turned away from cinema. But without audiences, cinema is dead. What had to happen, happened: The cinemas in Congo went bankrupt. The control by the state hindered our cinema. The state should only be the regulatory body. But the state should not interfere in saying, what to watch, and what to produce.

AfA: Camille, you have used the term African cinema. Is there actually something like an African cinema? And if so, while Manthia Diawara’s term of a “calabash cinema” still holds validity for some, is there now something which can be labelled a new “Art wave” in African cinema, not necessary opposing American and European cinema languages, but rather using foreign influences and assimilations, leading the African filmmaker to claim his place in World Cinema? CM: I do think, there is an African cinema. There is a German cinema, there is a British cinema, there is a French cinema, and so forth. I am Camille Mouyeke. I am an African filmmaker. Why shouldn’t I call for this identity? When the first African movies were made and presented to European audiences in Cannes, Berlin etc., African cinema was labelled “Calabash Cinema”. But “Calabash Cinema” was not a label decide upon by the creators of these products. The artists did not decide on this label. It is not a movement nor a school, like e.g. Surrealism or New Wave. Here the artist themselves labelled themselves. “Calabash Cinema” is a negative label Europeans gave African cinema. For this also implicates, that critics were not looking and able to accept the filmmakers individuality, culture etc.. The Europeans critics ignored the cultural diversity and generalized. My generation started to do movies which were more universal, sometimes called “modern”, and we were accused of not representing African societies, cultures, and traditions. Ironically African film critics then were saying, my generation wasn’t doing “Calabash Cinema” and we were then criticised because we did not stand in that continuity and were not “traditional” enough. But in my opinion, there never actually existed a “Calabash Cinema”. The term existed and certain films were applied with this label. But the label never was chosen and accepted by the artist himself. It was always used pejoratively. At one time, there was a change from the so called “Calabash Cinema” to something new, a new wave if you want to call it like that, because filmmakers where travelling, seeing other films from other countries and continents, getting other influences from overseas foreign films. This subconsciously and consciously changed their way of making movies. But some funding institutions want African filmmakers to be reduced to “Calabash” and if we don’t fit into this schema of “Calabash Cinema”, we get no funding. Categorisation is harmful for some of us, who do not want to depend on the terms set by the donor or funding institution. We want to experiment, but are held down by their funding conditions.   

AfA: Parallel to you plans to establish a cinema in Brazzaville, you are starting to shot a film in Namibia. I hear, it is again something like a road movie, a bit like your film “Voyage a Ouaga”. Why did you decide on a film and a story set and centred around Namibia, a story centered around the ovaHimba in particular? CM: Movies and the desire to make movies make me travel. It blew my mind, when I first came to Southern Africa. The culture, the music, the landscape. The beauty of Namibia struck my heart. I wanted this to be much more shown to more people. The reason then, why I choose a story with ovaHimba, is because the situation of them as a minority touched me very much. The fragility of this situation is something very important. We have the duty to give testimony and record our world as we find it. A film on the ovaHimba people should not change the ovaHimba people. But our perception on them must change. I am of the belief that they are an endangered people. A lot of pressure is put on them.

AfA: “Voyage a Ouaga” was shot in various countries, like Benin and Burkina Faso. You yourself are Congolese. And now, you are shooting in Namibia. Besides, is there a trend you also see with other African filmmakers, to explore the continent, and create a pan-African film industry? CM: I believe my current project, where I am working with a Namibian producer, Abius Akwaakwe from Optimedia, marks a political act. We have no choice as African filmmakers to not build solidarity amongst one another. We somehow speak the same language on the continent, but still politicians don’t understand each other. But we as filmmakers speak the same film language, and I don’t see a reason then why not work together across the continent. One aspect here is also very important if not a priority: Skills and knowledge transfer. So Abius and myself will work together and learn from each other. The fact that I work with Abius and Optimedia, and will shoot a movie in Namibia, means also, that we are building a bridge between the ovaHimba and the outside world. Speaking about Namibia for me is speaking about the ovaHimba. I think with this political act we are contributing to build a pan-African film industry. Political Cooperation between Congo Brazzaville and Namibia started already before independence. Maybe the Namibian youth does not know about it and elders have forgotten but I have to say that there are strong political links between both countries, and this relation between both countries is still very strong and is strengthened by our Ambassador in Namibia, Her Excellency Madame Marie-Therese Avemaka. She is accomplishing a great work in order to develop political, economical and cultural relationships between the two countries. Consequently, for me, to work on this feature film in Namibia participates in this effort. This week, I will meet with the director of the Directorate of Arts from the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports, and Culture, and I am going to present her the cultural bridge that Optimedia (Namibia) and Horten’s Films (Brazzaville) have created by deciding to work together on a feature project.
I have already approached the Congolese authorities and they support my project. I hope that the Namibian authorities will demonstrate their full support. As you know, a feature requires a lot of funds and I expect that Namibian and Congolese authorities come together to celebrate the cultural cooperation agreements between both parties. In line with their cultural co-operation framework, Abius and I will propose to them an ambitious feature project which will contribute to the influence of cultural cooperation agreements of two countries from the Southern part of the world. We cannot do better than bring real proof of this  “South–South” cooperation. Arts and culture is an incredible tool for social cohesion, a window open to the world that can create many job opportunities and inspire creativity. The whole budget of this movie will be reinvested into the local economy. And this is my vision of an pan-African film industry. It is only through practical actions that Africa will achieve her cultural, economical, social and political goals.
 
AfA: As a last question; what happened to the boy who played “Sekou” in “Voyage a Ouaga”? Ten years later, is he still acting? CM: The boy who played “Sekou” is Burkinabe. I casted around 100 kids for the role. I gave each kid three dialogues to practice and remember for the rehearsal the following day and give it its own interpretation. That boy was the only one who was able to remember the dialogues and give it an interpretation through his acting. Currently, I assume, he is doing his final exams in school. As a director, if you find a kid with the personality like “Sekou” you are very happy, because the work is half done.   

AfA: Camille, thank you for your time and answers.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Publications interviews Cinema News Wed, 18 May 2011 23:46:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131505&cHash=00d7aaf1498bc4d60c0a440b1f61c4d1 On Saturday, 21. May, 2011, 19h AfricAvenir in cooperation with Allison Productions, OptiMedia, the Congolese Embassy in Namibia, and the Goethe-Centre/NADS is proud to present “Voyage a Ouaga” in... Saturday, 21. May, 2011, 19h AfricAvenir in cooperation with Allison Productions, OptiMedia, the Congolese Embassy in Namibia, and the Goethe-Centre/NADS is proud to present “Voyage a Ouaga” in attendance of director Camille Mouyeke (Congo), 2001 Voyage à Ouaga
Director: Camille Mouyeke, Producer: Elena Zoubkou, Sekou Traore Congo-Brazzaville 2001, 90 min., Original with English subtitles
When: Saturday, 21. May, 2011, 19h00
Where: Goethe-Centre/NADS, Fidel Castro Ave 1-4
Entrance: Free

Not to be missed:
Director Camille Mouyeke will be attending the screening!

A Q-&-A session after the screening will follow.
Beverages courtesy of the Congolese Embassy in Namibia.

Director
Director Camille Mouyeke was born 1962 in Congo. He studied Cinema at the University of Paris VIII and obtained a Masters in film school in 1993. He made many short films, like “Police Violence” (1993), “The Fire Proof” (1995), and “The Mavericks” (1998), before making “Voyage a Ouaga” (2001). “Voyage a Ouaga” was his first feature film and was part of the official selection at FESPACO 2001.

Synopsis
Lionel, a young Frenchman, who has just arrived in Cotonou, Benin, loses his car, airplane ticket and passport and his hopes in riots in the city. Zao, an African with his wife Loutaya and their little girl. In spite of his qualifications Zao can't find work. With young Sekou, his friend, they make a living by doing odd jobs, Zao dreams of going to Ouagadougou, the African film city, to join his father whom he has never known. Meanwhile Loutaya provides solace. Lionel and Zao meet and become friends. In search of new dreams they travel across the country to Porto Novo.
This is a humours road-movie mocking European and African prejudices.

Awards/Prizes/Festivals

• 2001 Audience Award and Special Commendation from the European Community, at FESPACO

]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 18 May 2011 23:26:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131504&cHash=489abcfa9e322beab707456d75b77873 In the framework of the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie “Baara– The Porter” on Saturday, 28 May 2011, 19h00 at Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex,... “Baara– The Porter” on Saturday, 28 May 2011, 19h00 at Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str., Entrance: 20,- N$. In cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the FNCC.

“Baara– The Porter”
By Souleymane Cissé
1978, Mali,
Orig. (Bambara) with English subtitles, 90 min.

A short interview with Souleymane Cissé will be screened before the film.

Date: 28 May 2011
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$
Special guest: Marius Kudumo, former trade unionist, and currently Secretary General of the Namibia National Commission for UNESCO

About the film
The film grapples with the greed and corruption of the business elite and highlights the emerging social awareness of workers and women.
A young Malian country boy works as a baara, a porter in Bamako. One day he makes friends with a young engineer, Balla Traoré, who takes him under his wing and help him out in trouble with the police and finds him a job in the factory. Balla, who studied in Europe, tries to apply his liberal ideas in the factory. He takes on the union under the factories owner's control, and enters into conflict with the factory management. He decries the economic exploitation in the textile factory he supervises and the corruption of his manager who will eventually have him murdered.

Baara is very much a film of its time. Its portrait of the new, Western-educated managerial class vacillating between "selling out" and adhering to their ideals; the new bourgeoisie; the 70s clothing; the new office buildings and factories built on a growing mountain of debt; the new proletarian class of factory workers; shifting domestic relations—give us a snapshot of a particular moment and social dynamic. The first great African movie dealing with the proletarian class, Baara is the most Marxist of Cissé's movies, both in its liberal form and its topics.

Awards
1979 : Etalon de Yennenga, FESPACO
1978 : Tanit d'argent, Journees cinematogrpahiques de Carthage
1979 : Grand prix des Trois Continents, Nantes
1978 : Grand prix de la meilleure photographie, Festival International du Film de Locarno

About Cissé

The 1940 born Souleymane Cissé is a Malian filmmaker and was, next to Ousmane Sembene, the most recognized African filmmaker of the twentieth century. During his adolescence he lived in Dakar, Senegal. After his return to Mali in 1960 from secondary studies in Dakar, his passion for films developed into his life vocation. He obtained a scholarship and went to the VGIK in Moscow (State Institute of Cinema) where he was a projectionist before pursuing film-making.
In 1970, he became a camera operator for the Malian Ministry of Information. Two years later, he directed Five Days in a Life, which received a prize at the Carthage Film Festival. Two of his movies Baara (Work) and Finyé (The Wind) received the Etalon de Yenenga prize at FESPACO. Yeelen (Light) and its 1987 Cannes Jury Award revealed Souleymane Cissé to the main audience.
A dedicated film-maker, Souleymane Cissé is the President of the Union of West African Cinema and Audiovisual Designers and Entrepreneurs (UCECAO). In recognition of his work, he was made a Commandeur de l'Ordre National of Mali in 2006 and Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres of France.
His latest film, Min Ye premiered at Cannes 2009.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 17 May 2011 10:12:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131492&cHash=59a4c595c022372c7684ac62bb116a9c In 2009, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, Joe Vision Production, and AfricAvenir Windhoek, launched the Namibian Movie Collection, NMC, consisting initially of 24 Namibian films. The NMC is part... Namibian Movie Collection, NMC, consisting initially of 24 Namibian films. The NMC is part of a wider project to promote and develop Namibian film productions. Now, 18 month later, the NMC consist of more than 40 films, available for the Namibian public to be rented out at the Multimedia Library of the FNCC. Furthermore, the information on the films in collection is available to the international community via the website of |+| AfricAvenir.

Recently the collection has been reproduced for the public library of the Berliner Entwicklungspolitisches Bildungs- und Informationzentrum (EPIZ, Berlin Center for Global Education) in Berlin, Germany, and is now available to the Berlin public for renting out, www.epiz-berlin.de.  This extension to EPIZ is seen as a necessary step to promote and make accessible Namibian film products to an international audience.

In addition, the three organizers welcomed the succeeding request by the Directorate of Arts of the Namibian Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports, and Culture, to also make available a copy of the collection to the library of the Directorate of Arts as well as to the Katutura Community and Arts Centre. It is envisioned, that the Directorate will have two set of copies available within the next two weeks.

The three institutions hope, that more Namibian film products will be included in the NMC in the near future. Joe Vision Production, Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre & AfricAvenir International Windhoek]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia News Cinema News Wed, 04 May 2011 10:43:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131491&cHash=a30d6302e32a8c6dffc65b55b6e2f52e History is always an exercise in looking back through glasses clouded with the dirt of our present moment. Despite differences, both historians and filmmakers approach the materials of the past with... Acknowledging this means, to also accept the fact, that film products by Europeans and Africans must look different, considering they different backgrounds, cultures, value systems, e.g.

In 1990, Theo-Ben Gurirab, then President of the 54 session of the United Nation General Assembly, urgently appealed to the UN member states in New York: “The horrors of slavery and destruction wrought upon Africa and its peoples cannot be forgotten. Now is the time for reconciliation and healing. Such an act of mutual affirmation will never be truly complete unless Africa’s sacred relics, icons, art works and other priceless cultural objects are returned lock, stock and barrel to their rightful owners. Today these stolen African treasures adorn public museums, libraries, art galleries and private homes in foreign lands. They must come home to assuage the pain and anger in the hearts of the succeeding generations of Africans.” Twenty years later his calls were heard.
    
End of May 2011, some of the numerous Namibian skulls, having been stored and kept in Berlin for no rational reason since their theft during and after the colonial wars of the German Kaiserreich, will be brought home by an important Namibian delegation consisting of Government officials, relevant traditional authorities, and royal houses. The delegation will hold certain ceremonies in Berlin, to give justice to this important step in the national liberation and decolonisation process, a process which didn’t just end with Namibia’s official independence in 1990 but is an ongoing process until today.
 
German and maybe other international TV stations like ARD, ZDF, and BBC will follow the handing over procedures and will interview key members of the Namibian delegation. These dominant European media will interpret this milestone of Namibia’s decolonisation process according to their attitudes, assumptions, and beliefs. Can Namibia, as a nation willing and in need of reclaiming and rewriting its own history, afford to rely only on these interpretations by German TV stations? Is this sufficient for a nation, which just launched a National Pride campaign last week? Clearly not! There is a need for a Namibian TV crew, be it from NBC or One Africa, and or a Namibian documentary filmmaker, with a proven track record like Cecil Moeller, Tim Huebschle, Richard Pakleppa, and Hidipo Nangolo amongst others, to accompany the Namibian delegation. This Namibian TV crew or filmmaker shall document a Namibian interpretation of these procedures of such historical dimension. Future generations of Namibians have the right to know and learn from a Namibian interpretation of these developments. It’s their history too!

I want to call into our memory the great achievements of the South African filmmaker Zola Maseko, who made the two critically acclaimed documentaries “The Life and Times of Sara Baartman” (1998) and “The Return of Sara Baartman” (2003). These two film not only shines the spotlight on the topical issue of the repatriation of body remains and artefacts forcibly removed by the European explorers and colonialists, but also the strident pseudo-scientific mythology of race which became the vital ingredient in European imperial theory. "I think Sara Baartman, for me, is sort of symbolic of what happened to Africa as a whole. She was a physical exhibit and proof that they looked at us and decided that we were less than human and therefore they could enslave and do anything they wanted with us," says Maseko. His two moving chronicles are milestones in the history of South Africa’s documentary filmic memory.  One even won “Best African Documentary“ at the 1999 FESPACO African Film Festival, the most important film festival on the African continent.  Until today both films play an important role in South Africa’s efforts to rewrite its own history, giving it a true South African interpretation.

I therefore hope, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Technologies, the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports, and Culture, NBC, or One Africa, have made provisions for a Namibian TV-team and/or Namibian filmmaker to accompany the official delegation to Berlin, in order to secure a Namibian interpretation of these important events. This interpretation has validity and must not be forgotten when preparing for Berlin. Dear Namibian officials, keep in mind our needs and the rights of future generations. We all need a balanced record of the events in Berlin. Don’t let us only rely on the West and it’s images. We owe this to the victims of the colonial wars and its concentration camps. But we also owe this to future generations of Namibians. It is an urgent necessity, yes, even an imperative.

Believing in the possibility of decolonizing the TV and cinema screens,

Yours,
Hans-Christian Mahnke
AfricAvenir Windhoek
www.africavenir.org ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Publications Occasional Papers Cinema News News Restitution Namibian Skulls Wed, 04 May 2011 10:19:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131446&cHash=2f0e1ed310213e1e4f63f4b08d0199fd On Saturday 26 March 2011 at 19h00 AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie, winner of the Silver Stallion at FESPACO 2007 “Les Saignantes” by Cameroonian filmmaker Jean-Pierre Obama Bekolo at Studio... Saturday 26 March 2011 at 19h00 AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie, winner of the Silver Stallion at FESPACO 2007 “Les Saignantes” by Cameroonian filmmaker Jean-Pierre Obama Bekolo at Studio 77 in Windhoek. In cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre.

Les Saignantes
By Jean-Pierre Bekolo Obama, 2005, Cameroon/France,
French with English subtitles, 92 min.

A short interview with Jean-Pierre Bekolo Obama will be screened before the film.

Date: 26 March 2011, Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$

About the film
After eight years of absence, maverick Cameroonian director Jean-Pierre Bekolo Obama (“QuartierMozart”, “Aristotle’s Plot”) returned in 2005 with his magnum opus, “Les Saignantes/The Bloodettes”, a superbly photographed, stylishly edited and tastefully scored film about two young femmes fatales who set out to rid a futuristic country of its corrupt and sexually obsessed powerful men. In this stylized sci-fi-action-horror hybrid, Majolie and Chouchou, exquisitely played by Adèle Ado and Dorylia Calmel (both budding stars to look out for), navigate a sordid world where sex, money, politics and death are perniciously imbricated. Young, attractive, fashionable and lethal, they are on a mission to change the destiny of their country. But their task is made difficult by a formidable foe. Also embedded into the film is the Beti-ritual called Mevungu, which is traditionally performed by women’s secret societies, only in times of deep social crisis. Africa and particularly Cameroon, says Bekolo, is facing such a deep social crisis that it was high time to perform this ritual. Revealing in its display of excess, committed to aesthetics of “cool”, “Les Saignantes” is one of the first science fiction films to come out of Africa. It is a film with attitude, a film that poses questions about relationships between men and women, about the destiny of a continent, about the nature and future of cinema… The film nearly fell victim to censorship in Cameroon. In the film, Bekolo raises questions which are much broader than just the themes covered in the actual plot. “How can you make an anticipation film in a country that has no future? How can you make a horrorfilm in a place where death is a party? How can you make an action film in a country where acting is subversive? How can you film a love story in a society where love is impossible? How can you make a crime film in a country where investigation is forbidden? How can you watch a film like this and do nothing after?”

Director’s Comment
"There is a connection between the idea of human corruption and girls, because at an early age they have the experience – earlier than boys – of deciding that, although I don’t love this person, he has something that I want, and I can sleep with him and get what I want. They feel this at an early age: sometimes thirteen, sometimes sixteen. They are under the pressures of competition; they have to be socially competitive. So, for me it was important to deal with corruption from that angle."

Press
“Along with the intertitles, the abundance of crooked politicians and the trading of sexual favors all point to Bekolo’s radical political commentary, an aspect that has gotten the film into trouble with Cameroon’s censorship board.” Marjorie Baumgarten, The Austin Chronicle The film critique Aboubacar Sanogo qualifies „Les Saignantes “ as avantgarde in any sense of the term, particularly in its narrative methods and its approach. For him, the film symbolizes the birth of a « cinéma du corps » (cinema of the body) in Africa as well as of an African science-fiction genres. The idea to stage two modern young women as the avengers of the whole continent against a corrupt political elite is just ingenious, writes Sanogo. “In his third feature film Bekolo remains faithful to his inclination towards provocation, mockery and social satire. (…) With beautiful colours, fantastic actors/actrices, „Les Saignantes/The Bloodettes“ is perhaps more magic than futuristic. More than once the action goes against any logic and rationale.” Francis Mbagna, written in the context of a workshop at the 10th Festival Ecrans Noirs, Yaoundé.

About the director
Jean-Pierre Bekolo Obama was born in Cameroon in 1966 and currently lives in Paris and Johannesburg. He has made several short films including “Boyo (1988), “Un Pauvre blanc” (1989), “Mohawk People” (1990), “La grammaire de grand-mere” (1996), and “Original Sin Toronto” (1998). Bekolo’s debut feature film, “Quartier Mozart”, received the Prix Afrique en Création at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. His second film “Aristotle’s Plot” was one of several films commissioned by the British Film Institute to celebrate the 100th anniversary of cinema and included works by Martin Scorsese, Jean-Luc Godard, and Bernardo Bertolucci. Then Bekolo released “Les Saignantes”, which premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival and won the Silver Stallion (2nd prize) and Best Actress Award at FESPACO 2007. In 2007 he made “Une Africaine dans l’espace/An African woman in space” for the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. Bekolo studied film semiotics under Professor Christian Metz in Paris and taught film for UNESCO, at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Duke University. In 2009 he published the book “Africa For the Future – Sortir un noveau monde du cinema”.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:14:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131420&cHash=31dc108555757946b059ec213f3cddd1 On 26 February 2011 at 19h00 AfricAvenir Windhoek in the framework of the monthly film series "African Perspectives" presents the movie “Finyé – The Wind” by Malian filmmaker... 26 February 2011 at 19h00 AfricAvenir Windhoek in the framework of the monthly film series "African Perspectives" presents the movie “Finyé – The Wind” by Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé. A short interview with Souleymane Cissé will be screened before the film. Studio 77, Entrance 20,- N$. In cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, WhatsOnWindhoek, and the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre.

Date: 26 February 2011
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$

About the film
Finyé is one of the finest and densest movies made on the African continent. Finyé tackles the friction between tradition and modernity in African society. The film is centered around a love affair between two university students with very different backgrounds. The father of one is a traditional chief and that of the other a military governor. The students join a mass protest against the falsification of exam results and are later supported by the chief who renounces his power and allies himself with the youth. Meanwhile the military governor, whose authoritarianism bears some similarities to Moussa Traoré’s politics as ruler of Mali from 1968 to 1991, remains firm in his defense of the government. In the end, Cissé succeeds in illustrating the power of mass protests against the government. Finyé offers a complex reflection on African culture and politics, combining scenes of everyday life with dreamlike sequences or magic rituals.

Director’s Comment
"In the life of every human being there are always moments when you have to pause in order to find out what has been done and what still remains to be done. Finyé poses this twofold question." Awards

• Grand Prize - Etalon de Yennega (FESPACO)
• Tanit d'or au Festival de Carthage (Tunisia)
• Certain Regard Section (Cannes)

About Cissé
The 1940 born Souleymane Cissé is a Malian filmmaker and was, next to Ousmane Sembene, the most recognized African filmmaker of the twentieth century. During his adolescence he lived in Dakar, Senegal. After his return to Mali in 1960 from secondary studies in Dakar, his passion for films developed into his life vocation. He obtained a scholarship and went to the VGIK in Moscow (State Institute of Cinema) where he was a projectionist before pursuing film-making.
In 1970, he became a camera operator for the Malian Ministry of Information. Two years later, he directed Five Days in a Life, which received a prize at the Carthage Film Festival. Two of his movies Baara (Work) and Finyé (The Wind) received the Etalon de Yenenga prize at FESPACO. Yeelen (Light) and its 1987 Cannes Jury Award revealed Souleymane Cissé to the main audience. A dedicated film-maker, Souleymane Cissé is the President of the Union of West African Cinema and Audiovisual Designers and Entrepreneurs (UCECAO). In recognition of his work, he was made a Commandeur de l'Ordre National of Mali in 2006 and Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres of France. His latest film, Min Ye premiered at Cannes 2009.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:52:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131415&cHash=a58a2e3e570940278d36983becc6ffc2 Am Donnerstag, 3. März 2011 um 19.15 Uhr präsentieren AfricAvenir Windhoek und das Goethe-Zentrum Windhoek mit freundlicher Unterstützung von dctp.tv den Film "Die Welt braucht Afrika – Prinz... Donnerstag, 3. März 2011 um 19.15 Uhr präsentieren AfricAvenir Windhoek und das Goethe-Zentrum Windhoek mit freundlicher Unterstützung von dctp.tv den Film "Die Welt braucht Afrika – Prinz Kum'a Ndumbe III. über das spirituelle Geheimnis Afrikas und was Hitler dort wollte" im Goethe-Zentrum in Windhoek. 

Datum: 03 März 2011
Zeit: 19h15
Ort: Goethe-Zentrum Windhoek/NaDS, 1-5 Fidel-Castro St
Eintritt: frei
Sprache: Deutsch

Gäste:
Werner Hillebrecht, Historiker, Leiter Nationalarchiv Namibia
Dipl.-Pol. Hans-Christian Mahnke, Vorstandsvorsitzender AfricAvenir Windhoek

Die Veranstaltung präsentiert das Fernsehinterview zwischen dem bekannten deutschen Schriftsteller, Film- und Fernsehmacher Alexander Kluge und dem kamerunischen Historiker, Schriftsteller und Gründer von AfricAvenir International, Professor Prinz Kum’a Ndumbe III., als Public Viewing. Die beiden Gesprächspartner werden im Rahmen des Gesprächs auf die deutsche Kolonialgeschichte in Kamerun, die Frage "Was wollte Hitler in Afrika?", gleichzeitig Titel eines Buches von Kum’a Ndumbe III., sowie den spirituellen Reichtum Afrikas eingehen.

Professor Prinz Alexandre Kum’a Ndumbe III., in eine kamerunische Königsfamilie hineingeboren, kam 1961 zum ersten Mal nach Europa und absolvierte sein Abitur in München. Nach Abschluss seines Studiums der Literatur- und Humanwissenschaften in Lyon übte er dort für einige Jahre eine Lehrtätigkeit aus und promovierte zur Afrikapolitik der Nationalsozialisten. In den 1980ern leitete er das Institut für Deutschsprachige Studien an der Universität von Yaoundé in Kamerun und habilitierte schließlich an der Freien Universität Berlin über die Deutsche Afrikapolitik nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. 2002 kehrte Kum’a Ndumbe III. erneut nach Kamerun zurück, wo er an der Universität Yaoundé lehrt und die Stiftung AfricAvenir International in Douala leitet. Eine Anthologie seiner deutschen Werke erschien im Verlag Editions AfricAvenir/ Exchange & Dialogue (http://exchange-dialogue.com/) und besteht neben Sachbüchern zu Geschichte und Politik auch aus Vortragsbänden und Theaterstücken. Vor allem aber gilt Kum’a Ndumbe III. als “kultureller Brückenbauer“, Verfechter von Gleichberechtigung und Frieden sowie als eine der führenden Intellektuellen bei der kritischen Geschichtsaufarbeitung des afrikanischen Kontinents.

Alexander Kluge erhielt neben dem Großen Bundesverdienstkreuz (2007) mehrere Auszeichnungen auf den Gebieten Film, Fernsehen und Literatur, zuletzt den Deutschen Hörbuchpreis und Adolf-Grimme-Preis (2010). Neben seinen Filmanalysen und –theorien beinhaltet Kluges schriftstellerisches Werk zum größten Teil Kurzgeschichten und Erzählungen wie “Geschichten vom Kino“ (2007) und “Das Labyrinth der zärtlichen Kraft“ (2009).

Die Veranstaltung wird mit einer kurzen Einführung in die Arbeit von AfricAvenir International und das Leben von Professor Prinz Kum’a Ndumbe III. beginnen. Nach der Filmvorführung besteht die Möglichkeit zur Diskussion mit Herrn Hans-Christian Mahnke sowie Herrn Werner Hillebrecht.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Kum'a Ndumbe III Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:51:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131405&cHash=1e2a00a5eb8b93185db3d836c5b4d267 In the framework of the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie “Guimba – A Tyrant and His Era” by Cheick Oumar Sissoko on Saturday, 29 January 2011 at... Saturday, 29 January 2011 at 7 p.m. A short interview with Cheick Oumar Sissoko will be screened before the film.

Date: 29 January 2011
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$

About the film
This Malian film is truly unique. Winner of the most prestigious award in African cinema, the Grand Prize at FESPACO 1995, Guimba has been acclaimed as one of the most visually ravishing African films ever made. This epic allegory contrasts Africa's tremendous wealth and potential with its present poverty and plunder. “Guimba the Tyrant” is set in a fabled Saharan kingdom called Sitikali, a gorgeous, arid city-state of palaces and labyrinthine streets that form a civilized oasis in the desert. The inhabitants are fashion plates in their robes, headgear and trousers of exquisite African textiles. But there is trouble in this precolonial paradise. Mixing drama and comedy with a touch of the epic, the film tells the story of Guimba, a ruthless ruler who runs Sitikali like a dictator, surrounded by armed thugs. From his throne, where he sits wearing a tall square hat covering his eyes from the sun, he watches wrestling matches and whips the loser. If any citizen steps out of line, Guimba kills him. His little empire cowers.

Guimba's authority begins to crumble when he demands that a nobleman divorce his wife so that his own son, the physical and moral dwarf, Janginé, can marry her. This ludicrous demand reveals him to the townspeople as a unrestrained beast not a prince; they jeer and defy him and abandon the city to join a rebel force. Isolated, his magic powers exhausted, driven-mad, Guimba is left with no alternative but to commit suicide.

Guimba is thus a story of the restoration of truth and legitimate authority to Djenné, the legendary city where the film was shot, and, allegorically, of democratic, "transparent" government to present-day Africa. In its opulence and epic scale, Guimba recalls and calls for the return of the continent's own former greatness and prosperity.

Comments by the press
"The highest quality ever seen in an African film...The atmosphere is pure magic...In a class by itself."    Variety

"Remarkable for its elegant simplicity...Deserves to be seen and savored by a large audience."    New York Post

"Not to be missed. The costumes are so eye-popping, the performances so full of life, the music so gorgeous that Guimba comes off the screen like a wave of pure pleasure. See Guimba!"     The Nation

"The visual style is glorious and there is boundless energy and optimism in this fable of a tyrant overthrown."     Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

Awards

• Grand Prize - Etalon de Yennega FESPACO 1995
• Nomination for the Golden Leopard at Locarno International Film Festival
• Swissair/Crossair Special Price

Sissoko and this film
Director Cheick Oumar Sissoko comments, "Guimba is a political film, a fable about power, its atrocities and its absurdities. I was personally influenced by what I experienced not long ago in Mali, but the ravages of power are, unfortunately, universal." The story has obvious parallels with the 1991 overthrow of Malian dictator Moussa Traore in which Sissoko was active.
Sissoko notes that in Guimba he adapted to film two traditional Malian types of discourse used to "speak truth to power:" kotéba, a popular form of satiric street theatre, and baro, a virtuoso kind of public oratory. Thus Sissoko creates through his film not just an allegory of present-day African politics but a community of viewers prepared to mock illicit power whatever its trappings.

In interviews Cheick Oumar Sissoko has said his purpose was not to make a good American film or a good French film, but a good African film, and he describes the African tradition of discursive narrative as his inspiration. A good storyteller does not stay in the same tone throughout his tale, but is serious, sarcastic, fanciful and absurd as the spirit moves him. The film is told in the same way. Some scenes are played straight, some are fantasies, some are riotous action, some are comic, some are bluntly realistic. The result is a film that is confusing at times, but becomes clear at the end, after you see where all the pieces fit.

About Sissoko
1945 Cheick Oumar Sissoko is born in San, Mali. At first he studies in Paris and finishes in sociology and history. Then he continues to study film at the École nationale Louis Lumière and briefly works with the French filmmaker Jean Rouch. Back in Mali from 1981 he works as a filmmaker and director of the Centre National de production Cinématographique and makes his first film „Sécheresse et exode rural“. In 1995 he directs „Guimba“ and in 1999 „La Génèse“, which both get awarded at FESPACO, followed by the film „Battu“, a film based on a novel by Aminata Sow Fall, for which he receives the RFI-price at FESPACO in 2001. He establishes the film production company „Kora Film“ in Mali.
As President of the political party Solidarité africaine pour la démocratie et l'indépendance (SADI) Sissako gets appointed Minister of Culture in 2002. In September 2007 he resigns form this position.

Sissoko’s Filmography

• Ecole malienne (1982),  
• Les audiothèques rurales (1983),  
• Sécheresse et Exode rural (1985),  
• Nyamanton, la leçon des ordures (1986),  
• Finzan (1989),  
• Etre jeune à Bamako (1992),  
• L’Afrique bouge (1992),  
• Problématique de la malnutrition (1993),  
• Guimba (The tyrant) (1995),
• La Genèse (1999),
• Battu (2000),
• Scenarios from The Sahel (2001- with Idrissa Ouedraogo)

]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:23:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131360&cHash=a3bb28bf5088f2b6eadb0fb9b2f3d66d On Saturday, 27 November 2010 at 19h and in the framework of the filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the Namibian premiere of the movie “Souls of Black Girls",... Saturday, 27 November 2010 at 19h and in the framework of the filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the Namibian premiere of the movie “Souls of Black Girls", written, edited and produced by Daphne S. Valerius. "Souls of Black Girls" is a provocative news documentary that takes a critical look at media images, and how they are instituted, established, and controlled. Venue: Studio 77. Entrance: 20,- N$. In cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the FNCC, Pro Helvetia Cape Town, WhatsOnWindhoek, & Hendrik Ehlers Consulting,

Date: 27. November 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$ About the film
“Too often our girls do not rise to their full potential because they are so affected by the image that others project of them... This film was the answer to a prayer.” - Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, president of National Council of N... Women 1957-1997, leader of the African American and Women Rights movement, grande dame of the Civil Rights Era, USA.
 
“An overdue debate about who gets to define what is beautiful” - Kam Williams, Film Review

“The Souls of Black Girls”, named after W.E.B. DuBois famous book “The Souls of Black Folks”, is a provocative news documentary that takes a critical look at media images, and how they are instituted, established, and controlled. The documentary examines the relationship between the historical and existing media images of women of color and suggests that African-American females are suffering from a self-image disorder as a result of trying to attain the standards of beauty that are celebrated in media images. The documentary features candid interviews with young African-American women discussing their self-image and social commentary from actresses Regina King and Jada Pinkett Smith, PBS Washington Week Moderator Gwen Ifill, Cultural Critic Michaela Angela Davis, and Darlise Blount, 106 & Park producer at BET, Black Entertainment Television, African American history scholar Dr. Edmonds, and “Public Enemy” rapper and political activist Chuck D.

The “Souls of Black Girls” is a piece that attempts to provoke honest dialogue and critical thinking among women of color about media images and our present condition—internally and externally.

Awards/Festivals

• Winner – Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival
• Winner – Urban Mediamakers Film Festival
• Official Selection Pan African Film Festival
• Official Selection Roxbury Film Festival
• Official Selection Reel Sisters Film Festival
• Official Selection H20 International Film Festival
• Official Selection Harlem Film Festival

About Daphne S. Valerius – Producer, Reporter, TV Host, Actress
Meet Daphne Valerius, one to watch as the era of women of color redefining the landscape of media images –in front and behind the camera—begins to unfold.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Valerius had dreams of becoming a Flyy Girl on FOX’s In Living Color or a back-up dancer for singer Janet Jackson. But the relocation of her family to the state of Rhode Island unknowingly placed her on a path towards embarking on a journey to define her own destiny. The daughter of Haitian immigrants and the eldest of three children, graduated from Cranston High School East knowing that pursuing an education at any cost was the only way to redefine life as she knew it for herself and future generations of her family. The recipient of several academic scholarships, Valerius went onto St. John’s University in New York majoring in Mass Communications and marked the beginning of her production career, as the Director and Co-Producer of a play entitled, The Revolution Continues: Changing Times Call for Changing Minds during her sophomore year. Graduating Magna Cum Laude and a Ronald McNair Scholar, under the guidance and mentorship of Dr. Lez Edmond, Valerius studied media images in a research project entitled, Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence: The Effects of Mass Media on Women of Color…Forgotten. This research marked the beginning of Valerius’ critical examination of her personal self-image issues and how they had been influenced by society, specifically media images. Upon graduation she immediately enrolled into the Broadcast Journalism Graduate Program at Emerson College. Never losing sight of her aspirations to “perform” in front of the camera, Valerius completed acting work in independent film projects such as The Plague, Daddy’s Girl and more recently, Kwanzaa with the Jones’s. It was also during this foray into acting that Valerius was awarded an Associated Press Award for Public Affairs for the production of a news program entitled, The Film Life, a television show that took a look at the entertainment industry in and around Boston, MA. This also marked a time when Valerius’ critical and socially relevant undergraduate research came to life as the foundation of her award-winning final Master’s project, the documentary The Souls of Black Girls. For Valerius the production of The Souls of Black Girls, which she also wrote, edited and produced, marks the beginning for “my sisters, my aunts, my nieces, my cousins and my daughters who stand beside me to have a better understanding of why and how media images affect our self-image and self-esteem.” Talented, passionate and committed Valerius aspires to influence, inspire and uplift women of color through positive, educational and healing television and film projects—in front and behind the camera. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Valerius remains active within her community, travels throughout the country to promote the message of self-love and self-acceptance depicted in The Souls of Black Girls while focusing on her upcoming production projects.

“I will always remember Halle Berry’s acceptance speech for her Academy Award, ‘it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance.’ that was my inspiration.” ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:31:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131344&cHash=e63cb43df94fbb52d88c0a20e57103de On Thursday, 28 October 2010 at 20h, Joe Vision production and the Namibia Film Commission proudly present “My Father’s Son” by Joel Haikali. In a comic way “My father’s son” negotiates the sometimes... Thursday, 28 October 2010 at 20h, Joe Vision production and the Namibia Film Commission proudly present “My Father’s Son” by Joel Haikali. In a comic way “My father’s son” negotiates the sometimes absurd relations between urban worlds of modern Africa and its traditional roots. Venue: NTN. For tickets contact NTN box office 234633.

In partnership with the NTN, AfricAvenir and the Franco Namibia Cultural Centre. My Father's Son
By Joel Haikali, 2010, Namibia, 82 min, (English, Oshiwambo and Afrikaans) with Engl. Subtitles

For tickets contact NTN box office 234633

What: Movie Premier of “My Father’s Son”, concert of the Acoustic Formula band
Date: 28. October 2010
Time:  19h00 for 20h00
Venue: NTN
Entrance: N$50 ADV & N$60 at the door

About the film
With Namflava and lots of humour the film tells the story of 2 brothers, one in the village as a cattle herder and the other living Windhoek city life. When the city brother returns to the village after 21 years with his ‘colored’ wife to ‘free’ his brother from ‘backward life’, he did not expect the resistance and conflicts, which force him to confront his own stereotypes and cultural identity. In a comic way “My father’s son” negotiates the sometimes absurd relations between urban worlds of modern Africa and its traditional roots.

About the director:
With ambition, passion, determination and skill Joel Haikali secured his place at the forefront of Namibia’s film industry. Since his humble beginnings 10 years ago, Haikali has directed, written and produced several short films, music videos and now presents his first feature film production My Father’s Son. He is the co-founder of Joe Vision Production cc and his writing & directing credits include: The world of Today, Cul de Sac and the award winning short film Differences, with which he was invited to the Berlinale Talent Campus 2009. In 2007 Haikali acted along renowned actors Danny Glover and Carl Lumbley in the award winning feature Namibia the Struggle for Liberation directed by Charles Burnett.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:19:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131343&cHash=96d8819bc7ddaa0ef15b58245854db1e In the framework of the filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the Namibian premier of John Kani's movie “Nothing but the Truth”, a forthright indictment on the Truth and... “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the Namibian premier of John Kani's movie “Nothing but the Truth”, a forthright indictment on the Truth and Reconciliation process in post-Apartheid South Africa as well as as a poignant memoir of a fractured family trying to come to terms with the past and present. Special Guest: Ellen Namhila, author and UNAM chief librarian. Venue: Studio 77, Entrance: 20 N$.
 
Nothing but the truth
2008, South Africa, Orig. with Engl. Subtitles, 118 min.
directed by John Kani, featuring John Kani

Date: 30. October 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$
Special Guest: Ellen Namhila, author and UNAM chief librarian This movie is presented in cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the FNCC, Pro Helvetia Cape Town, WhatsOnWindhoek, & Hendrik Ehlers Consulting,

Synopsis
“A deeply felt portrait that delicately weaves the extraordinary and the ordinary in its characters' lives.” - New York Times

Sipho Makhaya, a skilled 63-year-old librarian denied promotion and who believes that post-apartheid freedom's dividends have not been realized yet, prepares for the return of the ashes of his brother Themba, recently deceased while in exile in London after gaining a reputation as a hero of the anti-apartheid movement. What should be a dignified funeral soon turns into something altogether different as dark secrets from the past re-surface.
 
An impassioned and compelling debut feature film from award winning South African actor and writer John Kani. This gripping story is a forthright indictment on the Truth and Reconciliation process in post-Apartheid South Africa, yet also serves as a poignant memoir of a fractured family trying to come to terms with the past and present.

At first Nothing but the Truth was Kani’s debut in 2002 as sole playwright and was first performed in the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. The play takes place in post-apartheid South Africa specifically portraying the rift between black people who stayed in South Africa to fight apartheid, and those who left only to return when the hated regime folded. It won the 2003 Fleur du Cap Awards for best actor and best new South African play. In the same year he was also awarded a special Obie award for his extraordinary contribution to theatre in the USA.
In 2008 Nothing but the Truth was adapted for the big screen marking Kani’s directorial and screenwriting debut. The film has been widely received and scooped several awards including the coveted Silver stallion award at Pan African Film and Television awards of Ouagadougou (Fespaco).

Awards

• 2009: Fespaco - Silver Stallion Award & Inaugural Ousmane Sembène Award for Peace
• 2009: Milan International film festival - Best African film
• 2009: Milan International film festival - Catholic Church peace prize
• 2009: Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) - Best film; Best actor
• 2009: Yaounde film festival - Best Film

About the director
Dr. John Kani is known as a pioneer of theatre in South Africa and is one of the most important actors, playwright and director in the country. He is also a political activist and has been Former President Nelson Mandela’s advisor in charge of Arts and Culture in South Africa. Born in South Africa in 1943 and having grown up a township near Port Elizabeth, Dr. Kani dreamed of becoming a lawyer. But after his brother was sent to Robben Island as a political prisoner, Kani’s father feared losing another son, and would not allow him to attend University. His determination to succeed eventually led him to the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. It is there that Kani met celebrated playwright and novelist Athol Fugard. Along with other artists, the two collaborated on Master Harold…and the Boys; Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island, for which Kani won a Tony award for Best Actor in 1975. Days after receiving his Tony Award, the South African government detained Kani without charge for 23 days. Several years later, Kani starred in a production of Miss Julie at Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre. But moments after he gave his white co-star a kiss, half of the audience stood up and walked out. As if all of this wasn’t enough, Kani was later stabbed 11 times. Nothing but the Truth marks Kani’s debut as a director.

Kani is executive trustee of the Market Theatre Foundation, founder and director of the Market Theatre Laboratory and chairman of the National Arts Council of SA.

Kani has also received the Avanti Hall of Fame Award from the South African film, television and advertising industries, an M-Net Plum award and a Clio award in New York. Other awards include the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation Award for the year 2000 and the Olive Schreiner Prize for 2005. He was voted 51st in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004. In 2006 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Cape Town.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:09:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131320&cHash=2911c4c195e17c94673d3751427740ca In the framework of the filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek will be presenting the Namibia-Premiere of the movie “Mizewochu – The best man” on Saturday, 25 september 2010 at 19h... Namibia-Premiere of the movie “Mizewochu – The best man” on Saturday, 25 september 2010 at 19h at Studio 77. Entrance: 20,- N$

2008, Ethopia, Orig. with Engl. Subtitles,
directed by Abraham Gezahegn,
produced & written by Aron Yeshitila

Date: 25. September 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$

Synopsis
A man between two women: Young architect Solomon is afraid to lose his freedom and individuality, if he marries his girlfriend Adey. She insists on a marriage, even if this would mean to leave the country and marry someone else for a visa. If this wouldn’t be troublesome already, Solomon meets another woman, which later unfolds to be the daughter of his new boss. As Solomon and Adey get close again and finally plan to marry, Solomon is caught in-between the planned marriage with his girlfriend and his affair. The drama „Mizewochu“ deals with the life of urban ethiopian youth and their struggle to come to grips with the tensions that exist between a "modern" individualist lifetsyle and the virulent social pressure of more traditional values.  In cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the FNCC, Pro Helvetia Cape Town, WhatsOnWindhoek, & Hendrik Ehlers Consulting.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:45:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131303&cHash=8da67036e01fa7ebd1e08b741b954f93 On Saturday, 21 August 2010 at 7 p.m. AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie “From A Whisper” by Wanuri Kahiu (2008, Kenya, 79 min, Orig. with Engl. Subtitles) in the presence of Zimbabwean... Saturday, 21 August 2010 at 7 p.m. AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie “From A Whisper” by Wanuri Kahiu (2008, Kenya, 79 min, Orig. with Engl. Subtitles) in the presence of Zimbabwean novelist, filmmaker and women rights activist Tsitsi Dangarembga. On the occasion of her visit to Windhoek, AfricAvenir aso organises two Round Tables. |+| Round Table: “Regional Networking of National Film Industries” with Zimbabwean novelist, filmmaker and women rights activist Tsitsi Dangarembga

|+| Discussion: "Role/Importance of Films for Women Activism" with the Zimbabwean novelist, filmmaker and women rights activist Tsitsi Dangarembga The film is presented in the framework of the filmseries “African Perspectives”, in cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the American Cultural Centre, Kalahari Sands Hotel &Casiono, WhatsOnWindhoek, Hendrik Ehlers Consulting, the FNCC, & Pro Helvetia Cape Town. Date: 21. August 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$
Special Guest: Novelist, Filmmaker and Women Rights Activist Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe)

Note: Different to our normal screening schedule, this screening will not take place on the last Saturday of the month, but on 21st of August. About the film
Waniru Kahiu’s movie 'From a Whisper' is a two parallel story about the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. The movie follows Tamani, a young woman who lost her mother in the attacks, and also Abu, who’s best friend Fareed was one of the bombers. “From a Whisper” shot in Kenya, is not all about the terrorist bombing. The movie draws on the power of fiction to tell a most realistic story of the bombing aftermath by capturing the lives of the victims and their families who had to pick-up the pieces of their lives shredded by the blast.

Awards/Prizes/Festivals

• African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Nigeria 2009, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Original Soundtrack and AMAA Achievement in Editing awards
• African Film Festival (AFF), New York 2009

About the Special Guest: Tsitsi Dangarembga
“The role of African women has not changed much. We bear children, make and manage homes, earn our living, contribute to the running of society. [...] Traditionally women have been excluded from economically viable positions in society, and women are having to challenge this exclusion constantly. [...] I think one problem is a lack of unity amongst women. Women are still very afraid to raise their voices for fear of victimisation, or when they speak, they do not speak from their personal woman's truth but say what they think possessors of needed resources would want them to say.” Tsitsi Dangarembga in an Interview with the BBC on 26/03/2005

Tsitsi Dangarembga is a writer and director, born 1959 in Mutoko, Zimbabwe. She studied at Cambridge University (Medicine) and when Zimbabwe was about to become independent in 1980, she returned to Harare to study at University of Harare (Psychology). Later she made her Diploma at the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (German Film & Television Academy Berlin), from 1989-1996, completed with distinction. Tsitsi Dangarmebga’s writing debut “Nervous Conditions” was the first novel to be published in English by a black Zimbabwean woman and won her the African section of the Commonwealth Writers prize in 1989. In 1992 she started Nyeria Films, a film production company in Harare, which she heads until today. She is the founder and director of International Images Filmfestival for Women, Harare, and member of Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFZ). She completed her doctoral studies in the Department of African Studies at the Humboldt University Berlin. Mrs. Dangarembga is well known around the world for her outspoken fight for women rights, women empowerment and her support for the civil society in Zimbabwe. In her work and her public talks around the world she constantly campaigns against domestic violence, abuse of women, and stigmatisation of HIV-positive people.

In 2007/8 Tsitsi Dangarembga created a pan-African short film project for young filmmakers which then was carried out by the Goethe Institute. Two beneficiaries from this project were Oshosheni Hiveluah and Wanuri Kahui, who presented their results at the recently held Berlinale 2010. As the brainchild of this project, Tsitsi Dangarembga is closely linked to the filmmaker Kahui, who’s film will be presented by AfricAvenir Windhoek on 21.08.2010 at the Studio 77.

Works:

• Nervous Conditions, book, 1988
• Passport to Kill, film, 1993
• Neria, script for movie by Godwin Mawuru, 1992
• Everyone’s Child, film, 1996
• The Puppeter, film, 1996
• The Elephant People, film, 2000
• On the boarder, film, 2000
• High Hopes, film, 2004
• Kare Lare Zvako, film, 2005
• Growing Stronger, film, 2005
• Pamvura (At the water), film, 2005
• Bira. Stopping the time (The book of NOT), book, 2006
• Peretera Maneta (Spell my name), film, 2006
• High Hopes, film
• Hard Earth – land rights in Zimbabwe, film
• On the boarder, film
• Mother’s Day, film, 2006
• Nyami-Nyami, film, 2010

Prizes/Awards:

• Commonwealth Writers Prize, 1989 (for her book “Nervous Conditions”)
• Winner of UNESCO Children’s and Human Rights Award, 2006 (for her film Peretera Maneta)
• Winner Zanzibar International Filmfestival, 2006 (for her film Peretera Maneta)
• Winner Gender, Equality & Media Award, South Africa, 2006 (for her film “Growing Stonger”)
• Winner of Golden Dhow Zanzibar, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Winner of Short Film Award Cinemaafricano Milano, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Short Film Award ZIFF, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Special Jury Mention Amakula International Filmfestival Kampala, Uganda, 2005, (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Special Jury Mention Slowfood on Film – Corto in Bra Filmfestival, Italy, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)

]]> AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Reminder Nothing but the truth Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:43:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131302&cHash=6da5018350c410534fbe6308f9a3634e On Friday, 20 August 2010 at 2.30h p.m. Filmmakers, people related to the film industry in Namibia, and the media are herewith invited to a round table discussion with the Zimbabwean novelist,... Friday, 20 August 2010 at 2.30h p.m. Filmmakers, people related to the film industry in Namibia, and the media are herewith invited to a round table discussion with the Zimbabwean novelist, filmmaker and women rights activist Tsitsi Dangarembga. Date: 20. August 2010
Time: 14h30
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, behind Arts Craft Centre

The discussion round with Tsitsi Dangarembga and local filmmakers will focus on the topic “Regional Networking of National Film Industries”.
    
Filmmakers, people related to the film industry in Namibia, and the media are herewith invited to the opportunity to discuss and exchange views with one of Africa’s most recognized and rewarded filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga. Organised by AfricAvenir Windhoek in cooperation with Studio 77, with support of the American Cultural Centre, Kalahari Sands Hotel & Casino, and Whats On Windhoek.  About Tsitsi Dangarembga
“The role of African women has not changed much. We bear children, make and manage homes, earn our living, contribute to the running of society. [...] Traditionally women have been excluded from economically viable positions in society, and women are having to challenge this exclusion constantly. [...] I think one problem is a lack of unity amongst women. Women are still very afraid to raise their voices for fear of victimisation, or when they speak, they do not speak from their personal woman's truth but say what they think possessors of needed resources would want them to say.” Tsitsi Dangarembga in an Interview with the BBC on 26/03/2005

Tsitsi Dangarembga is a writer and director, born 1959 in Mutoko, Zimbabwe. She studied at Cambridge University (Medicine) and when Zimbabwe was about to become independent in 1980, she returned to Harare to study at University of Harare (Psychology). Later she made her Diploma at the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (German Film & Television Academy Berlin), from 1989-1996, completed with distinction. Tsitsi Dangarmebga’s writing debut “Nervous Conditions” was the first novel to be published in English by a black Zimbabwean woman and won her the African section of the Commonwealth Writers prize in 1989. In 1992 she started Nyeria Films, a film production company in Harare, which she heads until today. She is the founder and director of International Images Filmfestival for Women, Harare, and member of Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFZ). She completed her doctoral studies in the Department of African Studies at the Humboldt University Berlin. Mrs. Dangarembga is well known around the world for her outspoken fight for women rights, women empowerment and her support for the civil society in Zimbabwe. In her work and her public talks around the world she constantly campaigns against domestic violence, abuse of women, and stigmatisation of HIV-positive people.

In 2007/8 Tsitsi Dangarembga created a pan-African short film project for young filmmakers which then was carried out by the Goethe Institute. Two beneficiaries from this project were Oshosheni Hiveluah and Wanuri Kahui, who presented their results at the recently held Berlinale 2010. As the brainchild of this project, Tsitsi Dangarembga is closely linked to the filmmaker Kahui, who’s film will be presented by AfricAvenir Windhoek on 21.08.2010 at the Studio 77.

Works:Nervous Conditions, book, 1988

• Passport to Kill, film, 1993
• Neria, script for movie by Godwin Mawuru, 1992
• Everyone’s Child, film, 1996
• The Puppeter, film, 1996
• The Elephant People, film, 2000
• On the boarder, film, 2000
• High Hopes, film, 2004
• Kare Lare Zvako, film, 2005
• Growing Stronger, film, 2005
• Pamvura (At the water), film, 2005
• Bira. Stopping the time (The book of NOT), book, 2006
• Peretera Maneta (Spell my name), film, 2006
• High Hopes, film
• Hard Earth – land rights in Zimbabwe, film
• On the boarder, film
• Mother’s Day, film, 2006
• Nyami-Nyami, film, 2010

Prizes/Awards:

• Commonwealth Writers Prize, 1989 (for her book “Nervous Conditions”)
• Winner of UNESCO Children’s and Human Rights Award, 2006 (for her film Peretera Maneta)
• Winner Zanzibar International Filmfestival, 2006 (for her film Peretera Maneta)
• Winner Gender, Equality & Media Award, South Africa, 2006 (for her film “Growing Stonger”)
• Winner of Golden Dhow Zanzibar, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Winner of Short Film Award Cinemaafricano Milano, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Short Film Award ZIFF, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Special Jury Mention Amakula International Filmfestival Kampala, Uganda, 2005, (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Special Jury Mention Slowfood on Film – Corto in Bra Filmfestival, Italy, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)

]]> AfricAvenir Namibia Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:34:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131301&cHash=1a38a460b815cb99eb9de67c9752df58 On Thursday, 19 August 2010 at 2.30 p.m. AfricAvenir Windhoek in cooperation with Sister Namibia, with support of the American Cultural Centre, Kalahari Sands Hotel & Casino, and Whats On... Thursday, 19 August 2010 at 2.30 p.m. AfricAvenir Windhoek in cooperation with Sister Namibia, with support of the American Cultural Centre, Kalahari Sands Hotel & Casino, and Whats On Windhoek, presents a discussion round with the Zimbabwean novelist, filmmaker and women rights activist Tsitsi Dangarembga. Date: 19. August 2010
Time: 14h30
Venue: American Cultural Centre, Sanlam Building

First, we will screen two shorts films by T. Dangarembga. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Women Rights Activists Groups/Movement about the topic of Role/Importance of Films for Women Activism.
    
Movies:     
Kare Kare – Mother's Day
Peretera Maneta (Spell my name)

About Tsitsi Dangarembga
“The role of African women has not changed much. We bear children, make and manage homes, earn our living, contribute to the running of society. [...] Traditionally women have been excluded from economically viable positions in society, and women are having to challenge this exclusion constantly. [...] I think one problem is a lack of unity amongst women. Women are still very afraid to raise their voices for fear of victimisation, or when they speak, they do not speak from their personal woman's truth but say what they think possessors of needed resources would want them to say.” Tsitsi Dangarembga in an Interview with the BBC on 26/03/2005

Tsitsi Dangarembga is a writer and director, born 1959 in Mutoko, Zimbabwe. She studied at Cambridge University (Medicine) and when Zimbabwe was about to become independent in 1980, she returned to Harare to study at University of Harare (Psychology). Later she made her Diploma at the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (German Film & Television Academy Berlin), from 1989-1996, completed with distinction. Tsitsi Dangarmebga’s writing debut “Nervous Conditions” was the first novel to be published in English by a black Zimbabwean woman and won her the African section of the Commonwealth Writers prize in 1989. In 1992 she started Nyeria Films, a film production company in Harare, which she heads until today. She is the founder and director of International Images Filmfestival for Women, Harare, and member of Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFZ). She completed her doctoral studies in the Department of African Studies at the Humboldt University Berlin. Mrs. Dangarembga is well known around the world for her outspoken fight for women rights, women empowerment and her support for the civil society in Zimbabwe. In her work and her public talks around the world she constantly campaigns against domestic violence, abuse of women, and stigmatisation of HIV-positive people.

In 2007/8 Tsitsi Dangarembga created a pan-African short film project for young filmmakers which then was carried out by the Goethe Institute. Two beneficiaries from this project were Oshosheni Hiveluah and Wanuri Kahui, who presented their results at the recently held Berlinale 2010. As the brainchild of this project, Tsitsi Dangarembga is closely linked to the filmmaker Kahui, who’s film will be presented by AfricAvenir Windhoek on 21.08.2010 at the Studio 77.

Works:Nervous Conditions, book, 1988

• Passport to Kill, film, 1993
• Neria, script for movie by Godwin Mawuru, 1992
• Everyone’s Child, film, 1996
• The Puppeter, film, 1996
• The Elephant People, film, 2000
• On the boarder, film, 2000
• High Hopes, film, 2004
• Kare Lare Zvako, film, 2005
• Growing Stronger, film, 2005
• Pamvura (At the water), film, 2005
• Bira. Stopping the time (The book of NOT), book, 2006
• Peretera Maneta (Spell my name), film, 2006
• High Hopes, film
• Hard Earth – land rights in Zimbabwe, film
• On the boarder, film
• Mother’s Day, film, 2006
• Nyami-Nyami, film, 2010

Prizes/Awards:

• Commonwealth Writers Prize, 1989 (for her book “Nervous Conditions”)
• Winner of UNESCO Children’s and Human Rights Award, 2006 (for her film Peretera Maneta)
• Winner Zanzibar International Filmfestival, 2006 (for her film Peretera Maneta)
• Winner Gender, Equality & Media Award, South Africa, 2006 (for her film “Growing Stonger”)
• Winner of Golden Dhow Zanzibar, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Winner of Short Film Award Cinemaafricano Milano, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Short Film Award ZIFF, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Special Jury Mention Amakula International Filmfestival Kampala, Uganda, 2005, (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)
• Special Jury Mention Slowfood on Film – Corto in Bra Filmfestival, Italy, 2005 (for her film “Kare Kare Zvako”)

]]> AfricAvenir Namibia Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:10:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131300&cHash=383e36aa3f1633aebdfb2186926f3bdf We have something to celebrate – AfricAvenir International is 25 years old! A lot has happened since the first concrete steps of AfricAvenir were taken: from the publication of “Voyage en ... Voyage en  Corée” (Hubert Mono Ndjana) and “L'Afrique relève le défi - Projet pour un partage communautaire moderne" (Kum'a Ndumbe III) by the AfricAvenir publishing house in 1985 in Douala.

In the meantime, the former publishing house has not only become a registered not-for profit organization in Douala, it has also established a German section in Berlin, which has been active for the past ten years. In addition, sections in Namibia, Austria and shortly in Switzerland have been founded. In all the sections, AfricAvenir's educational and cultural events provoke and inspire social debates. Written in three languages, the website serves as a link between the sections, is regularly updated with the latest information from each region and visited by around 50,000 users each month.

The publishing house Editions AfricAvenir / Exchange & Dialogue was re-launched in 2004 and has published in Cameroon, Germany and France in French, English, German, Duala and Ewondo; publications in other languages are planned.

The source of inspiration and spiritual father of all these developments was and is Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III. For him, 2010 means celebrating not just 25 years of AfricAvenir but also nearly 50 years of writing during which he has brought out more than 70 books. His texts form the theoretical basis for AfricAvenir's work.]]> About AfricAvenir About AfricAvenir Berlin About AfricAvenir Douala AfricAvenir Namibia Sat, 07 Aug 2010 12:47:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131279&cHash=62f6a7a08bb5824c1c20ed61ddb9cd47 In the framework of the monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek presents the movie “Indigenes – Days of Glory” by Rachid Bouchareb, on Saturday, 31st July 2010 at 19h at... Saturday, 31st July 2010 at 19h at studio 77. Entrance: 20 Nam $. This film is presented in cooperation with Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, Hendrik Ehlers Consulting, the FNCC, and Pro Helvetia Cape Town.

About the film
Although Indigenes deals primarily with events that happened sixty-five years ago, Rachid Bouchareb's film is in every sense a sign of the times. By highlighting the role played by North African colonial troops in the liberation of France during World War II, the film Indigenes capitalizes upon and helped to influence major public debates within France about the nation's colonial past and contemporary postcolonial immigrant minorities. France has in recent years been the site of public debates of unprecedented intensity about the nation's colonial past. The resonance of these debates has been exemplified with unique force by the extraordinary impact of Bouchareb's film Indigenes. Winner of the Best Male Actor award at the 2006 Cannes film festival, nominated for a 2007 Oscar in the best Foreign Film category, and credited with triggering a long overdue change of French government policy, Indigenes brought for the first time to the attention of the general public in France the role played by colonial troops in the liberation of the country more than half a century earlier. The film also draws attention to a long-standing injustice whereby ex-servicemen in the former colonies had been receiving pensions worth only a fraction of those paid to veterans in France. “Indigenes – Days of Glory”
By Rachid Bouchareb, 2006, Algeria/Morocco/Belgium/France, 128 min, Orig. with Engl. SubtitlesDate: 31. July 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$
Special Guest: H.E. Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Simphiwe Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:41:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131260&cHash=2c52ada340f40d14cd3e8f50b6ed2238 On Saturday, 26 June 2010 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek in the framework of its film series African Perspectives presents the movie “Moolaadé” by the godfather of African cinema, Ousmane Sembène,... African Perspectives presents the movie “Moolaadé” by the godfather of African cinema, Ousmane Sembène, 2004, Senegal/Burkina Faso/Cameroon/France, 117 min, Orig. with Engl. Subtitles. Entrance 20,- N$.

Date: 26. June 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$

After the screening a panel discussion with Adv. Esi Schimming-Chase (Law Society of Namibia), Naita Hishoono (Namibian Institute for Democracy), Dr. Helena Ndume (medical practitioner), and Nora Schimming-Chase (politician), will be held. The discussion will be moderated by John Nakuta (UNAM Law Faculty). Molaade is presented to you in cooperation with the Spanish Cooperation AECID, Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, Hendrik Ehlers Consulting, the FNCC, and Pro Helvetia Cape Town. Synopsis of film
In Moolaadé, his last film, Sembène once again portrays strong women as he takes on the highly controversial subject of female circumcision in Africa. The day begins when 6 four- to nine-year-old girls are to be circumcised. All children know that the operation is horrible torture and sometimes lethal. Two of the girls have drowned themselves in the well to escape the operation. The four other girls seek "magical protection" (moolaadé) by a woman who seven years before refused to have her daughter circumcised. Sembène does not base his screenplay on an outside that comes to guide women in their fight: they are lucid enough to fight and make their condition progress. Renewal comes from the women themselves.

Awards/Prizes/Festivals:

• Cannes Filmfestival 2005: prize “Un Certain Regard”
• Festival International du Film de Marrakech 2004: Special Jury Prize
• Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival 2005: Jury Price

About the director:
Ousmane Sembène was born in 1923 in Ziguinchor, Senegal. He joined the Free French forces in 1942, then worked in France. His novels include Le Docker Noir (1956) and Les bouts de bois de dieu (1960). He then studied film in Moscow. Among his many films are La noire de… (1966), Xala (1974), Ceddo (1976), and Guelwaar (1992). Moolaadé (2004) is the last film of the Senegalese-born 'father of African cinema', before he died in 2007. According to Sembène, cinema is the 'night school' of his people and he tought to educate within this medium, elevating the style and language of film in order to serve the needs of African audiences. Sembène was drawn to filmmaking not simply for art sake - for self-indulgent exploits, like that of the Italian neo-realists or the French new wave, but to use cinema as a libratory practice, compelling his audience to do more - to do more than simply sit in a dark room, staring at a glowing screen. Rather, through his films, Sembène asked of his African audiences to challenge, to innovate, to progress.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Newsletter 5/2010 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:16:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131211&cHash=3dddd625f53d0ede5515646a982da2e1 One concrete positive outcome of AfricAvenir’s project “Re-Visions” is the signature of a contract between Lady May and the Berlin based music label Faluma.com, specialising in Soca, Calypso and Pan... “Re-Visions” is the signature of a contract between Lady May and the Berlin based music label Faluma.com, specialising in Soca, Calypso and Pan music. Already a star in the Namibian scene, her music was restrained to the small Namibian market and unavailable elsewhere. Through its wide digital distribution channels, Faluma now makes Lady May’s music available worldwide – a big step for this young and promising musician. Inspired by Lady May's stunning performance in Berlin, Faluma founded a new sublabel Faluma Africa on which the next project, the World Cup Compilation Laduma! is already released. Another album by Lady May will follow soon.

For AfricAvenir subscribers, Faluma offers a 15% discount for all purchases until 1st June 2010.
When purchasing an item, put in the following code: africavenir

Here is what Faluma writes about Lady May:

“(…) Lady May’s sound is packed with modern international influences and traditions of her country. For this unique blend of Afropop, R&B and traditional music from her home, the north of Namibia, Lady May was awarded at the pan-African Channel O Music Award in 2008 and 2009 (…) Her outfits, dancing skills and stage presence are as infamous as they are captivating. There is no way to escape her and there is no way you want to get away once you’ve met this bundle of energy! Be sure to be seduced by her extraordinary voice, her laugh, her style, her music!” 

|+| Download Album or Songs]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Germany RE/VISIONS AfricAvenir Namibia Newsletter 4/2010 Fri, 21 May 2010 12:29:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131207&cHash=7973ede4573a09eb4d7aa666b5e5ef33 On Saturday, 29 May 2010 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek in the framework of its monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, presents the movie "O Heroi" by Zeze Gamboa, a film about the story... Saturday, 29 May 2010 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek in the framework of its monthly filmseries “African Perspectives”, presents the movie "O Heroi" by Zeze Gamboa, a film about the story of Angola, a nation torn apart by forty years of uninterrupted war, and now trying imperfectly but courageously to piece itself back together. Studio 77, Entrance: 20,-N$.

O Heroi
By Zeze Gamboa
2004, Angola/Portugal/France, 97 min, Orig. with Engl. subtitles Date: 29. May 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 20,- N$

Synopsis:
The Hero (O Herói) is the story of Angola, a nation torn apart by forty years of uninterrupted war, and now trying imperfectly but courageously to piece itself back together. It is also the story of a city, Luanda, trying to absorb the millions of people displaced by civil strife and global economic change. Zézé Gamboa, director of the film, has stated that he considers himself in the camp of African filmmakers who see their work as contributing directly to the task of national reconstruction. “The Hero is a universal story. In Central Europe, Latin America, Africa and in all the places where there is or there was war, hundreds of thousands must deal with the stigma, try to survive and become a part of post-war society. The aim of this movie is to show children - the former instruments of war—that it is possible to live in peace.”

The central character of the film, the hero of the title, is Vitório. We meet him at a hospital where he has been waiting for months for a prosthetic leg to replace the one he lost after stepping on a landmine, ironically in the last months of Angola’s civil war. He was impressed into service at age fifteen while at a seminary and has been fighting for twenty years since. A doctor finally takes pity on him and gives him a new leg; Vitório is compared to someone beginning a new life. But the decorated war veteran encounters little sympathy and much prejudice for an unskilled soldier with a prosthetic limb as he scours Luanda looking for a job…

Press Comments:
"The Hero tells an inspiring and honest story of how the Angolan people are trying to reconstruct their lives with dignity and resiliency"
George Wright, Author, The Destruction of a Nation: The United States Policy Towards Angola since 1945

"A 20-year veteran of the 30-year-old Angolan civil war finds assimilation into the chaotic life of the capital city of Luanda a challenge in this affecting drama. Gamboa shows an assured directorial hand by managing the multiple storylines with aplomb."
Variety

"One of those movies that are sad without being depressing because of the generosity and warmth fhe filmmaker brings to the story. It owes an obvious debt to The Bicycle Thief and is infused with the durable spirit of Italian neo-realism. Its presence here did Sundance proud."
New York Times

Awards/Prizes/Festivals:

• FESPACO 2005, best camera
• Sundance Filmfestival Los Angeles 2005, Grand Jury Prize
• Capetown World Cinema Festival
• Nantes Three Continents Festival 2004, Audience Award
• Cannes Film Festival 2007, Official Selection Tous Les Cinemas du Monde

About the director:Zeze Gamboa was born in 1955 in Luanda, Angola, and began his career as a director of the TV news and programmes of information of Angolese television. Since then he has made documentaries. The Hero is his first feature film. This movie is presented in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Namibia, Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, Hendrik Ehlers Consulting, the FNCC, Pro Helvetia Cape Town and the Angolan Embassy in Namibia.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Newsletter 4/2010 Mon, 10 May 2010 12:47:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131194&cHash=6cf85906b77c1856cf02bb2de555d353 Within the filmseries “African Persepctives”, AfricAvenir Windhoek , presents "Na Cidade Vazia by Maria João Ganga on Saturday, 24 April 2010 at 19h00 at Studio 77. Entrance: 10,- N$.“Na... Saturday, 24 April 2010 at 19h00 at Studio 77. Entrance: 10,- N$.

“Na Cidade Vazia”
By Maria João Ganga
2003, Angola/Portugal, 88 min, Orig. with English subtitles

Date: 24. April 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, entrance via Garten Str.
Entrance: 10,- N$ The screening is organised in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Namibia, Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, Hendrik Ehlers Consulting, the FNCC, Pro Helvetia Cape Town and the Angolan Embassy in Namibia.

Synopsis of film:
Hollow City is set in Angola, the civil war-torn country that had been colonized by Portugal until independence in 1975. In the village of Bie, 11-year-old N'dala sees his family massacred by soldiers. He and other orphans are rescued by a missionary nun and flown to Luanda where he runs away from the group and journeys into the heart of the giant city.

As he wanders the streets, bewildered by traffic and noise, a group of school children are rehearsing a famous fable-like play by Pepetela about a young heroic soldier named N'gunga, portrayed by 13-year-old Ze. N'gunga's perseverance, despite fear and the pain of his wounds, becomes a parable for N'dala's experience in the city "A man must never be afraid," the actors say. " A warrior must never be afraid." With only a sack on his back and a toy car made of wire, N'dala navigates the bewildering sights and sounds of Luanda, falling asleep in an old fisherman's hut. The next day, wandering into the school where he saw Ze and the other children rehearsing, N'dala sees another part of the N'gunga play in which the hero is admonished not to travel alone. Ze takes N'dala to meet his promiscuous godmother, Rosita, and later they meet his shady Uncle Joka. Ze pleads with Rosita to take N'dala in, but she reasons that she did not start the war, and owes nothing to anyone. When they meet her at her nightclub, however, she is tipsy and more amenable to the arrangement. N'dala moves in. For income he is supposed to sell cigarettes, and he is to help her around the house.

But with Ze at school and Rosita always out, N'dala is overcome with loneliness. He packs and returns to the fisherman, who tells him a fable of Kianda, a mermaid protecting the sea. When he falls asleep, the fisherman tenderly covers him. In the morning they fish together and N'dala takes a fish to Uncle Joka, who befriends him by welding the wire car into something more elaborate.
As Ze leaves a note at his godmother's house for N'dala to come see the N'gunga play that night, N'dala sells the beloved car for some cash. Promising him money and a trip to the beach, Joka and a cohort convince N'dala to come with them on a "job" a robbery. The nun, who has been looking for N'dala since his disappearance at the airport, is close on his heels.

Doing as Joka instructs, N'dala breaks into an apartment and lets Joka in. The phone rings. When the man they are robbing answers it, Joka jumps him, and his gun falls to the floor. Fleeing, Joka yells to N'dala to shoot, and N'dala fires. As the victim collapses, N'dala drops the gun. Suddenly paralyzed by a painting that reminds him of the night his family was massacred, he is shot by the victim an abrupt and tragic end to yet another of the Hollow City's short and innocent lives.

Awards/Prizes/Festivals:

• Créteil International Women's Film Festival 2004, Graine de Cinéphage Award
• Festival du Film Paris 2004, Special Jury Prize and nominated for Grand Prix
• Festival de Paris Ile de France 2004, Prix Special de Jury
• National Cultural and Arts prize in Visual Arts category in Angola
• Zansibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) 2006, Winner of the Silver Dhow
• Festival de Cinema Africano, Asia, America Latina de Milano 2004, Audience Award & 3rd Jury PrizeFestival Vues d’Afrique, Montréal, 2004
• Festival Miroirs d'Afriques Marseille 2007, Official Competition
• Festival de Cannes 2007, Official Selection
• Cinemafrica Film Festival, Stockholm 2004, Official Selection

About the director:
Maria João Ganga was born in Huambo, Angola, in 1964. She studied filmmaking at L'école Superieure Libre d'etudes Cinematographiques (ESEC) in Paris. She has served as an assistant director on several documentaries, including Rostov-Luanda by Abderrahmane Sissako, and has also written and directed for theater. Hollow City is her first feature film.]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:38:00 +0200 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131174&cHash=cd1c518b287319db7e8f0e6c43a05e04 On Sat., 27. March 2010 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek in co-operation with Studio 77, Pro Helvetia Cape Town, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, HEC, and FNCC presents in the series “African Perspectives”... Sat., 27. March 2010 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek in co-operation with Studio 77, Pro Helvetia Cape Town, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, HEC, and FNCC presents in the series “African Perspectives” the movie Youssou N'Dour: Return to Gorée, a musical road movie telling the story of Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour's epic journey following the trail left by enslaved Africans and by the jazz music they invented. Entrance: 10,- N$.

Date: Sat., 27. March 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77
Entrance: 10,- N$

With a musical live performance by “TONETiC”.

Information about the film

Youssou N'Dour: Return to Gorée
Director: Pierre-Yves Borgeaud
Country: Senegal/Switzerland/Luxembourg
Year: 2006
Minutes:108
Language:English and French with English subtitles

Synopsis:
The musical road movie, Return to Gorée, tells of Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour's epic journey following the trail left by enslaved Africans and by the jazz music they invented. Youssou N'Dour's challenge is to bring back to Africa a jazz repertoire and to sing those tunes in Goree, the island that today symbolizes the slave trade and stands to commemorate its victims. Guided in his mission by the blind pianist Moncef Genoud, Youssou N'Dour travels across the United States of America and Europe. Accompanied by some of the world's most exceptional musicians, they meet peoples and well known figures, and create, through concerts, encounters and debates, music which transcends cultural division. From Atlanta to New Orleans, from New York to Bordeaux and Luxemburg the songs are transformed, immersed in jazz and gospel. But the day of their return to Africa is fast approaching and much remains to be done to be ready for the final concert...

Press Statements:
Conversations full of memorable words and what can only be called ‘genuineness’ push Youssou N’Dour: Return to Gorée into the realm of unforgetable filmmaking. (Jonathan Curiel, 19.09.2009, San Francisco Chronicle)

The serious undertones of the film are very real and played out with rapture. (Matthew Nestel, 03.09.2008, Boxoffice Magazine)

A wondrous trip with Africa's greatest singer as he bonds with his musical brethren in the New World. (Louis Proyect, 29.08.2008, rec.arts.movies.reviews) A picture which chillingly conveys a palpable sense of what being a direct victim of slavery might have felt like and why the fallout from that evil institution persists to this day like the proverbial ripples on a pond. (Kam Williams , 26.08.2008, NewsBlaze)

Points to Bourgeaud for not whitewashing the beautifully awkward moments of cultural misunderstanding. (Aaron Hillis, 27.08.2008, Village Voice)

Trace[s] influences and celebrate connections with tunes to make you tap and sway. (Jeannette Catsoulis, 29.08.2008, New York Times)

Awards:

• Prix Suissimage/Société suisse des auteurs SSA - Nyon Visions du Réel Film Festival, Switzerland 2007
• Prix Best Documentary - Pan African Film & Art Festival, Los Angeles 2008
• Prix du public - Festival du Film Européen, Essonne(France)
• Prix du public - XXL EU Film Festival, Krems (Autriche)

Nominations:

• Prix du Cinéma Suisse 2008, "Best Documentary" category

Festivals:

• ReelWorld Film Festival, Canada 2007
• Documentary Films Competition
• Nyon Visions du Réel Film Festival, Switzerland 2007 – International Competition
• Durban International Film Festival, South Africa 2007 - Documentary Competition
• Locarno International Film Festival 2007 - "Appelations Suisse" Section
• Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia 2007 - "Africa! Africa!" Spotlight
• Africa in the picture Film Festival, The Netherlands 2007
• DocBsAs FORUM for Producers and Directors From Latin America, Argentina 2007
• São Paulo International Film Festival, Brasil 2007
• London bfi Film Festival, UK 2007 - "World Cinema" Section
• In-Edit Film Festival in Barcelona - Spain 2007
• Festival Exil et Mémoire, Dakar, Senegal 2007
• Caravan To Africa, Korea 2007
• Pan African Film & Art Festival, Los Angeles 2008
• Festival du Film Européen, Essonne (France), 2008
• EU Film Festival, Krems (Autriche), 2008
• AFRICALA - Festival de Cine Africano de la Ciudad de México 2008
• Milan African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival, Italy 2008
• Festival de Cine Africano de Tarifa (FCAT), Spain 2008
• Amakula Kampala International Film Festival, Uganda 2008
• International Africa Festival, Germany 2008
• Africa On Screen Festival: South Africa 2008
• Festival de Granada Cines del sur, Spain 2008
• Cinema South Festival, Israel 2008
• Territorios In-Edit Cycle, Spain 2008
• Festival Gnaoua et Musiques du Monde, Maroc 2008
• Ciclo de Cine y Musica, Spain 2008
• Film and Art Festival - Two Riversides Poland 2008
• Programme Jazz et Cinéma Liège, Belgium 2008
• EU XXL DVD SCREENINGS, Austria 2008
• Au-delà de l'Europe, Germany 2008
• Bangkok World Film Festiva, Thailand 2008
• Sottodiciotto Filmfestival, Italy 2008
• Festival de Jazz de Madrid, Spain 2008
• Ethnomusicological Film Festival, Italy 2008
• Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage, Tunisia 2008
• Bangkok World Film Festival, 2008
• "Les Escales documentaires" Festival - Centre Culturel Français Saint-Exupéry de Libreville, Gabon 2008
• AfricAvenir, Berlin 2008
• Reprise "Au-delà de l'Europe" Film Festival par FilmInitiativ Köln e.V., Cologne 2009
• Museo Nazionale del Cinema, Turin 2009
• In-edit Film Festival in Puebla, Mexico 2009
• Special Screening Womad Cáceres, Spain 2009
• Reprise "Au-delà de l'Europe" Film Festival, Germany 2009
• Semaine du film documentaire organisée par le Centre Culturel Français à Abuja, Nigeria 2009

]]> AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Newsletter 2/2010 AfricAvenir Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:07:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131162&cHash=a0cfbfddc414c98c37c8efe05d8e2939 On Saturday, 27. 02. 2010 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek and Studio 77 in co-operation with Pro Helvetia Cape Town, Swiss Arts Council, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the FNCC and the Egyptian Embassy in... Saturday, 27. 02. 2010 at 19h AfricAvenir Windhoek and Studio 77 in co-operation with Pro Helvetia Cape Town, Swiss Arts Council, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, the FNCC and the Egyptian Embassy in Windhoek will be presenting the movie Salladin - the Victorius (aka Al Naser Salah El Dine) by Youssef Chahine in the framework of the series "African Perspectives". In 1963 Egypt's most acclaimed director Youssef Chahine made Saladin (original title: El Nasser - defender/deliverer - Salah ed-Dine), an epic, three-hour film in CinemaScope named after the 12th Century Sultan who, as the film begins, is preparing to liberate Jerusalem from its Christian Crusader occupiers. It was scripted by Naguib Mahfouz and the poet and progressive writer, Abderrahman Cherkaoui, and a parallel between Saladin and President Nasser is easily drawn. Saladin is shown as an educated and peaceable man - at one point he is asked to give clandestine medical help to Richard (the Lion Heart), shot by an arrow, and later he tells him: "Religion is God’s and the Earth is for all ... I guarantee to all Christians in Jerusalem the same rights as are enjoyed by Muslims." At its time, this was the most expensive film ever made in Egypt.
Some critics have called SALLADIN the greatest historical epic of Egyptian cinema. Venue: Studio 77
Date: 27. 02. 2010
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 10,- N$
The film event will be opened by a presentation by the Egyptian Ambassador H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hadi Mostafa El-Tonsi. Please come on time, since this movie is a three-hour long film. Infos/Contact:
H.-C. Mahnke, MA of Political Science
AfricAvenir International e.V. (Douala/Berlin/Windhoek)
Chairperson AfricAvenir Windhoek Tel: +264 61 273 112
Cell : +264 855630949
Email: c.mahnke@africavenir.org
Web: www.africavenir.org

Check the Namibian Movie Collection on http://www.africavenir.org/projects-namibia.html]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:36:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131138&cHash=fbd12a7a9d72524307d626e37f930014 AfricAvenir and Studio 77 in the framework of the Film Series African Perspectives and in cooperation with Bank Windhoek Arts Festival and the FNCC are presenting the masterpiece "Little... Saturday 30 January 2010 at 19h at Studio 77. Entrance: 10,- N$.

Little Senegal
directed by Rachid Bouchareb, 2001
Algeria / France / Germany, 97 min, Orig. with English subtitles

Synopsis
Senegal in the year 2000. Recently retired, Alloune, a former guide in the “History of Slavery” museum on the island of Goree, Senegal, decides to travel to the USA to find the descendants of his ancestors, who were brought as slaves to the ‘New World’ 200 years ago.
In Little Senegal, a small african neighbourhood in Harlem, Alloune meets his cousin Ida, who is not at all excited about his idea, to bring together the family, regardless of the centuries and the existing boarders.
By meeting various people like his nephew Hassan, who drives an illegal taxi and his fiancee Biram, Allounes understanding of history is supplemented by his experience of the present, a present that emphasises the contradictions and conflicts between the USA and Africa.

Press Statements
“A permanent movement between direct emotions and critical distance: Like this the film manages, though the open space of reflection and liberty, to fascinate his audience.” Le Monde

“An intelligent and fascinating perspective on some of America’s fundamental topics and problems.” Variety

“Like Jim Jarmusch in “Stranger Than Paradise” Bouchareb renews universal topics like exil, forgetting ones origins, and the frightening nakedness of the modern world, with a staggering simplicity.” Le Point Little Senegal
on: Sat., 30. 01. 2010, 19h00
where: Studio 77 (Old Breweries Complex, entrance from Garten St.)
entrance: 10,- N$]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:49:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131121&cHash=e2dbdce0a0d8a9744087e47f1ff0cc33 Undoubtedly, the late Ousmane Sembene is one of the greatest filmmakers Africa ever had. This was proven again to the Namibian audience with AfricAvenirs screening of “Camp de Thiaroye” last Saturday... In 1944, the 1923-born Senegalese Sembene, like many young Africans of his generation, was called to active duty to liberate France from German occupation and subsequently was dispatched to the colony of Niger as a chauffeur in the 6th colonial infantry unit. Upon his conscription in 1944, Sembene heard of an event, where the French army massacred several units of West African conscripts recently returned from the battlefield of Europe. What was essentially a demand by African veterans that they be paid the same wages as their French counterparts led to an attack on soldiers who had only recently been fighting the Nazis in Italy, France and Germany. In 1944, the French colonial authorities viewed returning African veterans as second class citizens and because the colonial administration was financially bankrupt, found it convenient to refuse their demands. The resulting mutiny by the veterans of Camp Thiaroye led to a full scale artillery attack on the camp. Sembene used this massacre as the basis for his sixth feature film in 1987.
The massacre, launched in extreme long-shot by the stealthy approach of tanks in deep night, shatters. Even as one sits and watches, the film takes the legs out from under oneself.

Last Saturday, when AfricAvenir screened Sembene’s movie, it became clear that some Namibians experienced the same unequal treatment of colonial powers towards black and white veterans. World War II veteran Andimba Toivo ya Toivo spoke to the audience about his experiences after returning home to what was then called South-West Africa. The South African administration paid him a mere 30 £ for his duties, whereby it remains unclear until today, if it was the British or the South African government, who withheld his promised pay.
Johanna Kahatjipara told the listeners, how black Namibians were paid bags of oranges and a bicycle each, whereby white Namibians received their promised farms.   

Answering to questions from the audience, Toivo ya Toivo highlighted the fact, that this history and the unequal treatment of black and white soldiers in World War II hadn’t received the attention, these issues of racism and exploitation deserved. Requests by Namibian World War II veterans made to the British government remained unanswered until today. by Hans-Christian Mahnke, 02.11.2009 Picture: Andimba Toivo ya Toivo and Head of AfricAvenir in Namibia, Hans-Christian Mahnke, at last weeks screening of Ousmane Sembene’s “Camp de Thiaroye”]]> AfricAvenir Namibia Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:53:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131093&cHash=1289a80a5a9bd974b5312b9f099fdef3 On Saturday, 28th of November 2009 at 7 p.m. AfricAvenir in cooperation with the Studio 77 and the FNCC presents Med Hondo's feature film SARRAOUNIA (1987, Burkina Faso) in the framwork of the... Saturday, 28th of November 2009 at 7 p.m. AfricAvenir in cooperation with the Studio 77 and the FNCC presents Med Hondo's feature film SARRAOUNIA (1987, Burkina Faso) in the framwork of the film series African Perspectives.

Date: Sat. 28th of November
Time: 19h00
Entrance: 10,- N$
Venue: Studio 77, Windhoek (Old Breweries Complex, behind Craft Centre, entracne via Garten St.)

Sarraounia, subtitled "An African Queen", was called "the first African epic" by Le Monde, "a powerful and lyrical movie" by Le Figaro, and was acclaimed by Variety, The Observer, and the International Herald Tribune. It tells the powerful story of the historical Queen Sarraounia of the Aznas, a great leader and warrior, who led her people to resist the French in 1899, after many other kingdoms and empires had succumbed to a powerful and brutal column of colonizing soldiers. While some kingdoms readily collaborated with the French in the hope of finally subduing her and her kingdom, and others capitulated without a fight, she mobilized her people and resources, military as well as magical, to confront the French force which launched a fierce attack on her fortress capital of Lougou. Overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the French, she and her fighters retreated tactically from the fortress, and engaged the attackers in a protracted guerrilla battle which eventually forced the French to abandon their project of subduing her.

The film won the Yennenga Stallion award for best film in 1987 at FESPACO.

Contact AfricAvenir:
Resident Representative
Hans-Christian Mahnke
Tel: 0855630949
Email: c.mahnke@africavenir.org
Website: www.africavenir.org ]]> AfricAvenir AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:57:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131056&cHash=e6281626026977446c90a75ddcc5f1df On Saturday 31. October at 7 p.m. AfricAvenir, in cooperation with the Studio 77, presents Sembène Ousmane&Thierno Faty Sow's master piece Camp de Thiaroye (153 min.) in the framework of the film... Saturday 31. October at 7 p.m. AfricAvenir, in cooperation with the Studio 77, presents Sembène Ousmane&Thierno Faty Sow's master piece Camp de Thiaroye (153 min.) in the framework of the film series "African Perspectives". Special Guest: To be announced, possibly Andimba Toivo ya Toivo (requested/angefragt)

Where: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, Garten Street, Windhoek
Entrance: 10,- N$

Synopsis
In this powerful and moving film Sembène, in collaboration with Thierno Faty Sow, who co-scripted and co-directed, reclaims and tells to the world another of those fragments of history concealed by colonialism which he sees it as his task to disinter. Such stories are part of the history not only of Africa, but of the colonial powers, in this case France, as well. During the Second World War, French-colonized West Africans were recruited by the army and fought with distinction. In late 1944, instead of being paid and sent home to their countries and communities, they were detained in a prison camp in Dakar. When they rebelled against the French military's intention to pay them at half-rate, they were massacred. Camp de Thiaroye, written and directed by Ousmane Sembène and Thierno Faty Sow, ends as the French military congratulates itself and ships a load of new black recruits for military training in France. The event is sponsored by the German Embassy in Windhoek, Studio 77/Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, FNCC and HEC. For more information contact AfricAvenir Country Representative in Namibia, Hans-Christian Mahnke

Cell: 00264 855630949
Mail: c.mahnke@africavenir.org
Web: www.africavenir.org ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives AfricAvenir Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:33:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131082&cHash=5b884793342240332bf2ce119e455ada On November 11th, 2009 at 18h00, AfricAvenir in cooperation with Joe-Vision Production and the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) will launch its joint Namibian Movie Collection, to be placed at... November 11th, 2009 at 18h00, AfricAvenir in cooperation with Joe-Vision Production and the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) will launch its joint Namibian Movie Collection, to be placed at the Multimedia Library of the FNCC.

Tahar Cheria, a Tunisian filmmaker once said that African cinema is like a creature with only a head, but without a body. The head are the authors, filmmakers, and their films. The missing body is the lack of infrastructure for production, distribution, screening and training. In the Namibian context, this leads to the following questions: How can a Namibian film industry exist if nobody gets the opportunity to watch the films that are produced locally? How can a movie culture and the local film industry be developed without any platform for distribution, exhibition and promotion? The Namibian Movie Collection, initiated by Joel Haikali, founder of Joe-Vision Production, in cooperation with the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) and AfricAvenir International, is a first step in addressing these issues and serves as a point of reference for Namibias creative development and unique cinematographic identity. We believe this is necessary and crucial towards achieving the overall objective, the development of the Namibian film industry. The Namibian Movie Collection, which will be launched on November 11th, 2009, consists of Namibian films. For the purpose of promotion, filmmakers agreed to grant non-commercial rights of their films to be part of the collection and the FNCC granted space in its Multimedia Library for public access. For a broader dissemination and exposure of Namibian film work, a catalog of the Namibian Movie Collection is published and promoted on the website of AfricAvenir, introducing Namibian films and filmmakers to an international audience. The majority of films included in this collection are made by Namibia based filmmakers, while foreign films with relevance to the Namibian film landscape are also included. A lot of the collected material is what we call NGO work or corporate productions, whereby an organization commissions a director to do a film on a certain topic. This phenomenon is currently predominant in Namibia, for the mere fact that filmmakers need to generate income. In the current situation lack of funding for one’s independent and creative production prevails, leaving the local film industry depending on the NGO and corporate sector. On top of that, the filmmakers mostly don’t even own the rights to these products. In the long-term, we hope that the given situation changes and that the majority of collected films will be independent film productions that are adequately funded. We hope that more Namibians will be encouraged to make films telling their own stories.]]> AfricAvenir Namibia Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:03:00 +0100 http://www.africavenir.org/index.php?id=32&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=131006&cHash=98adefc5b7252eca118db6d78c64c19a On Saturday, 29th of August 2009 at 7 p.m. AfricAvenir and Studio 77 will be presenting the feature film "Voyage a Ouaga" by congolese filmmaker Camille Moyeke at Studio 77 in Windhoek,... Saturday, 29th of August 2009 at 7 p.m. AfricAvenir and Studio 77 will be presenting the feature film "Voyage a Ouaga" by congolese filmmaker Camille Moyeke at Studio 77 in Windhoek, Namibia, Entrance: 10,- N$. About the movie:
Lionel, a young Frenchman who has just arrived in Cotonou loses his car and his hopes in riots in the city. Zao, an African, lives with his wife Loutaya and their little girl. In spite of his qualifications Zao cannot find work. With young Sekou, his friend, they eke out a living by doing odd jobs. Zao dreams of going to Ouagadougou, the African film city, to join his father whom he has never known. Meanwhile Loutaya provides solace. Lionel and Zao meet and become great friends. In search of new dreams they travel across the country to Porto Novo.

The action-packed film "Voyage a Ouaga" had earned itself the reputation of having been the funniest film at Fespaco 2001. Its maker from Congo Brazzaville, Camille Mouyeke, believes laughter is the best route an artist can take to the audience's heart.

The event is proudly sponsored by "Power and Glory Films" and "Trip Travel", "HEC", "Bank Windhoek Arts Festival" and the "FNCC".

-- H.-C. Mahnke MA of Political Science AfricAvenir International e.V. (Douala/Berlin) Country Representative in Namibia Contact: Tel: 061 273 112 Cell : 0855630949 Email: c.mahnke@africavenir.org ]]> AfricAvenir Namibia African Perspectives AfricAvenir Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:58:00 +0200