You can’t win whatever you say or do when you are standing in front of petty power with a chip on its shoulder. When Nadou heads to the police station to report a lost ID card a routine task spirals into an unexpected ordeal thanks to an eccentric police officer behind the desk. Ridiculous, beyond […]
A portrait of the mythical band Bembeya Jazz, which contributed hugely to the blossoming of the cultural renaissance of President Sekou Toure’s Guinea. Bembeya Jazz was created in 1961 in the city of Beyla in the rainforest of Guinea, and rapidly became Africa’s greatest orchestra. The president recognised sport and culture as some of the […]
After the destruction of colonialism, Atharaka (those of Tharaka) are remembering the power of their identity by teaching the next generation, reviving customs and enabling nature to regenerate. Sacred sites are protected as potent places of the ancestors. All of this is “rethreading a complex bio-cultural system that brings balance, autonomy and joy.” The young […]
Six young women are arrested and imprisoned for taking part in anti-government protests in the revolution of 2018. We see them together in their prison cell and hear their stories. They are united in solidarity for their cause and support one another tenderly as they wait for the outcome of their supposed crimes. A beautiful […]
Chikha refers to the women who sing and dance in the Aita tradition, a Moroccan poetic and musical art form which is performed at weddings and circumcisions. It is vibrant and expressive, using the body and voice to dramatic effect, which has led to the stigmatisation of Chikhas as prostitutes in certain circles. It has […]
This is the story of Joseph Shabalala, of Ladysmith Black Mumbaza fame. It covers the singer’s life from his early years in rural South Africa to his global success and later life, and recounts the difficulties he had to overcome against the apartheid regime, as well as his huge impact on world music. Filled with […]
The growth of the animation industry for young people is currently blossoming in Africa, giving the rest of the world a much-needed view into the lives of African youth, and an insight into the commonalities of youth everywhere. In this animated adventure, four dynamic17 year old Cameroonians who have grown up together are admitted to […]
Two Kenyan women transform an old, decrepit library in Nairobi which is full of ‘white man’s books’ dating from the colonial period, with the broader aim of de-colonising the libraries of Kenya. They have many obstacles to overcome, but they have the support of people of influence in the city, and are committed to the […]
A documentary about the quest for freedom of five residents of Khartoum: two men, a woman and two boys. Khartoum begins before the latest outbreak of war in Sudan, when life was good and democracy had arrived at last. And then something different happened and the shooting started……It follows them through their survival and flight […]
The big city of Lagos and its inhabitants are the focus of this fast-moving, intense thriller from Nigeria. Government laws and powerful competitors threaten a start-up company by two young, enterprising software engineers, to provide a motorcycle ride-sharing service. Its success becomes known to corrupt police and government ministers, who want to get it banned. […]
“Culture is by essence the alpha and omega of all development….. For a society culture is as vital as the heart to the human body. The director’s goal is to use cinema as a tool for preserving Malian cultural heritage, placing it at the core of community resilience” – director Fatow follows the story of […]
An historian from New York University in Madrid, director Antumi Toasije takes us on a journey through African history, culture and identity. With intellectual rigour and beautiful imagery, he explores the Africanness of ancient Egypt, with its pyramids and famous sphinx, and visits the mausoleums of modern Ghanaian and Ethiopian leaders. He travels to the […]
