African Perspectives: “From a Whisper” by Wanuri Kahiu with Tsitsi Dangarembga as Special Guest

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 novelist, filmmaker and women rights activist Tsitsi Dangarembga. On the occasion of her visit to Windhoek, AfricAvenir aso organises two Round Tables.n|+| 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 DangarembganThe 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.nDate: 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.nAbout 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. n“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/Festivalsn

• 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

nAbout 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. nTsitsi 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.nIn 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.nMrs. 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:n

• 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

nPrizes/Awards:n

• 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”)