AFRICAN WOMEN IN CINEMA BLOG

Call for films: Women and Work - Appel à projets de films: Femmes et Travail

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Women and Work - Femmes et Travail

Date limite de dépôt des candidatures: 31 Janvier 2012 | The deadline for applications has been extended to the 31st January 2012.

LE CONTEXTE - Les femmes au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord sont confrontées à de nombreux obstacles à leur entrée et réussite sur le marché du travail. Des points de vue largement ancrées dans la communauté renforcent les rôles traditionnels et découragent les femmes de poursuivre une carrière professionnelle. Plusieurs d'entre elles qui mènent une vie active, demeurent souvent invisibles dans le monde du travail. Cet appel à projets de films fait partie d'une campagne médiatique qui couvre l'Egypte, la Jordanie, le Maroc et la Tunisie et qui vise à sensibiliser sur les inégalités actuelles et à changer les perceptions et les attitudes envers les femmes dans le monde du travail.

APPEL A PROJETS DE FILMS - Les projets soumis devront présenter seront des projets de courts métrages de fiction ou de documentaires, racontant des histoires individuelles typiques ou exceptionnelles sur le sujet "Femmes et Travail". Le concours est ouvert aux jeunes réalisateurs ou scénaristes ayant de l'expérience préalable dans la réalisation d'un film. Les projets retenus se verront accorder le financement intégral de la production du film et seront ensuite projetés en Egypte, en Jordanie, au Maroc et en Tunisie.

Les formulaires de demande sont disponibles en arabe, en anglais et en français. S'il vous plaît, télécharger ici: Egypte, Jordanie, Tunisie et Maroc.
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القضية ـ تواجه المرأة في إقليم الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا العديد من العقبات عند محاولتها الدخول إلى سوق العمل والنجاح فيه. ويضاف إلى ذلك أن مفاهيم المجتمع التي تنتشر على نطاق واسع تعمل على ترسيخ الأدوار التقليدية، وتثني من عزيمتها على البحث عن مسار مهني احترافي، وكثيراً ما تظل المرأة العاملة غير مرئية في سوق العمل. هذه الدعوة المفتوحة لمشروعات الأفلام هي جزء من حملة إعلامية تغطي مصر، الأردن، المغرب وتونس وتهدف إلى زيادة الوعي بعدم المساواة الحالية وإلي تغيير المفاهيم والمواقف تجاه المرأة في عالم العمل.

مشروعات الأفلام ـ إن المشروع الذي يتم التقدم به يجب أن يتمثل في أفكار تصلح لأفلام قصيرة سواء كانت روائية قصيرة أو وثائقية، والتي تصور قصص فردية نمطية أو قصص بارزة عن المرأة والعمل. إن المسابقة مفتوحة للشباب من العاملين في صناعة الأفلام أو من كتاب الأفلام الذين يملكون خبرة سابقة في صنع الأفلام، وسوف تحصل المشروعات الفائزة على تمويل كامل لعملية إنتاج الفيلم، كما سوف يتم عرض هذه الأفلام في مصر والأردن والمغرب وتونس.

إستمارات التقدم متوفرة باللغة العربية، الإنجليزية والفرنسية.يرجى تنزيل هنا: مصر والأردن وتونس والمغرب.

يرجى ملاحظة : تم تمديد الموعد النهائي لتقديم الطلبات الى 31 يناير 2012.
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The campaign is implemented by gender and media NGOs in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. It is accompanied by the regional programme "Economic Integration of Women in the Middle East and North Africa" (EconoWin), supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

OUR ISSUE - Women in the Middle East and North Africa face various obstacles entering and succeeding in the labour market. Widely established community perceptions reinforce traditional roles and discourage them from pursuing a professional career. Those who do work often remain invisible. This open call for film projects is part of a media campaign covering Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia that aims to raise awareness of current inequalities and to change perceptions and attitudes towards women in the working world.

CALL FOR FILM PROJECTS - Project submissions should be concepts for fiction or documentary films featuring typical or outstanding individual stories about women and work. The competition is open to young film makers or screenwriters with previous experience in filmmaking. Winning projects will be awarded full financing for film production and will then be screened throughout Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Application forms are available in Arabic, English and French. Please download here: Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco

https://www.facebook.com/CampaignWomenandWork

Mame Woury Thioubou: Face to Face, Women and Beauty in St. Louis (Senegal)

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:43:00 +0000

Mame Woury Thioubou

Mame Woury Thioubou: Face to Face, Women and Beauty in St. Louis (Senegal). Published in Regard Émoi Afrique, 7 December 2011. Translation from French to English by Beti Ellerson

Mame Woury Thioubou was born and raised in Senegal. After a MA in geography at the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar and a diploma in journalism at the University of St. Louis, Senegal, she became a journalist/reporter at the "Quotidien" and for the company Avenir Communication, and technical assistant for Programme Agenda 21 in the city of Matam.

In 2009, she decided to return to her studies continuing in the area of journalism but from a more artistic approach by engaging in creative documentary filmmaking, now considered a genre in itself. She enrolled in the Master II Réalisation de Documentaire de Création (Creative Documentary Filmmaking) at the University Gaston Berger in St. Louis (Senegal), under the tutelage of Africadoc.

In this context she made the collaborative film with the students in her class, St. Louis and Us, and her first short documentary film Face to Face, (17 mn) for which she received public recognition and the award for the best film at the (Festival du film de quartier de Dakar) Neighborhood Film Festival of Dakar in 2009.

Face to Face by Mame Woury Thioubou

Women and Beauty in St. Louis

Filmmaker's intentions of the film Face to Face

The history of St. Louis is marked by numerous intermixtures of ideas, cultures and races, for which it has earned the reputation of being at the crossroads between African, European and Arab cultures. Adding to this intermixture, is the legacy of the Signares that gave birth to an original form of savoir-être, which artists have continued to invoke in songs and plays.

With its Signares, St. Louis has maintained a tradition that its inhabitants strive to perpetuate through the "Takussanu Ndar." This old St. Louisian tradition consisted of a parade at twilight, in the likeness of the Signares mingling in the streets. Indeed, during the colonial period, Faidherbe square was the everyday gathering place for all St. Louisians, filled with games, music and encounters, where women chatted, displaying their outfits, and also the men, the "ndanaan," who came to have a good look and show off as well. Of course the Signares were present and dressed in their finery, arriving in their carriages, accompanied by their servants.

As an awkward, graceless child who looked like a tomboy, St. Louis has always been my idea of feminine beauty. Now that I am in this "center of elegance and good taste that has been the fascination of Senegal and West Africa," I cannot refrain from looking everywhere, all the time, for this highly-acclaimed beauty and elegance. The streets and alleys of the city that once welcomed the "Takussanu Ndar" have been emptied of their beauties because of the hardships of modern life. The desire to be noticed that brought these ladies to life, is now expressed only during important ceremonies: baptisms, weddings and religious songs. It is an opportunity for the young and not so young, to deck out in precious cloth, coiffed in elaborate hairstyles.

In my film, I investigate the practices of feminine beauty in St. Louis. How do they express it? What are its characteristics? To find an answer to these questions, I pose my camera in various locations. In a hair salon where ladies come to get made up and their hair done; at a shop where they buy beauty products. Moreover, at their homes, I talk to the elders so that they can tell me about the traditions of elegance in the city. And through the metamorphosis of someone in traditional dress and hairstyle, participating in the carnival "Takussanu Ndar", organized as part of the St. Louis Jazz Festival. In order to have a cross-generational perspective: then and now, what are the practices of beauty, what are the changes that have occurred? How do they adapt to the mutations of fashion?

Beyond the simple matter of aesthetics that traverse the film, I want to investigate the societal practices as it relates to beauty. Why do women have to resort to artifices to feel beautiful? And in so doing, to what need are they submitting?

Mame Woury Thioubou: Face à face, Femmes et beauté à Saint-Louis

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:42:00 +0000

Mame Woury Thioubou

Mame Woury Thioubou: Face à face, Femmes et beauté à Saint-Louis. Publié le 7 décembre 2011. Regard Émoi Afrique

In English

Mame Woury Thioubou est née et a grandi au Sénégal. Après une maîtrise de géographie à l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar et l’obtention d’un diplôme en Journalisme à l’Université de Saint-Louis du Sénégal, elle devient Journaliste/reporter au “Quotidien”, pour la société Avenir Communication et assistante technique du Programme Agenda 21 de la Ville de Matam.

En 2009, elle décide de reprendre ses études et complète son point de vue journalistique par une approche plus artistique en se lançant dans le documentaire de création, aujourd’hui considéré comme un genre cinématographique à part entière. Elle suit ainsi le Master II de Réalisation de Documentaire de Création à l’Université Gaston Berger de Saint Louis (Sénégal), formation sous la tutelle d’Africadoc.

C’est dans ce cadre qu’elle réalise un film collectif avec des étudiants de sa promotion “Saint Louis et nous”, puis son premier court-métrage documentaire “Face à Face”. Elle obtiendra les salutations du public et sera récompensée de l’Ebène du meilleur film au Festival du film de quartier de Dakar en 2009.

Face à face de Mame Woury Thioubou

Femmes et beauté à Saint-Louis

Note d’intention du film “Face à face”

L’histoire de Saint Louis est marquée par les nombreux brassages d’idées, de cultures et de races qui lui ont valu sa position de carrefour entre les cultures africaines, européennes et arabes. A ce brassage, s’est ajouté l’héritage des Signares pour donner naissance à une forme originale de savoir-être que les artistes n’ont cessé d’évoquer dans les chansons et les pièces de théâtre.

De ses Signares, Saint-Louis a gardé une tradition que sa population s’évertue à perpétuer à travers le « Takussanu ndar ». Cette vieille tradition saint louisienne, consistait en une parade crépusculaire, à l’image de celle des Signares dans les rues. En effet, durant la période coloniale, la place Faidherbe était chaque jour, le point de ralliement de tous les Saint-Louisiens. Les jeux, la musique et les rencontres rassemblaient en ces lieux des femmes venues montrer leurs toilettes et papoter mais aussi des hommes, des « ndanaan », venus les contempler et se montrer eux aussi. Les Signares étaient également de la partie et parées de leurs plus beaux atours, elles se rendaient à la place à bord de leurs calèches et accompagnées de leurs servantes.

LIRE l'article en intégralité sur http://regardemoiafrique.com/2011/12/07/femmes-et-beaute-a-saint-louis/

Rahma Benhamou El Madani: “I try to reconnect with my roots through my films.”

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Interview with Rahma Benhamou El Madani and translation from French to English by Beti Ellerson.

Through her films, Rahma Benhamou El Madani discovers and examines her multiple identities. Her latest film Tagnawittude also allows her to rediscover gnawa music and its mystical practices.

Rahma, your identity is of multiple origins: Algeria, Morocco and France. Tell us about your background and how it has formed and influenced you.

I was born in Algeria, in a small village near Oran. My father and mother are Moroccan, they settled in this village, which is where Marcel Cerdan* was born in fact, where many colonial farmers lived from the produce of the vineyard. My parents left Morocco and the Atlas to cross the border to Algeria, my father often went there as a seasonal worker. All their children were born in this village. Then at independence, there was the conflict between Western Sahara regarding the borders between Algeria and Morocco, as has been the case in other African countries. The conflict became more and more serious. In 1968 my father left Algeria and went to France. In 1972, worried about the turn of events, my parents decided to leave Algeria definitively and we settled in France, where my father again worked in the vineyards.

So, cut off from my Moroccan roots, I discovered Morocco and the Atlas at ten years old during the summer holidays. My Algerian roots have been painfully severed. I try to reconnect with these roots through my films.

It took me a long time to find this equilibrium because the elders do not realise that their paths shape us and that they must leave traces for us, so that these memories are not lost. This is what I try to find again, the memory of our world intertwined with each other. The history of Morocco, of Algeria and also of France as it relates to these two countries.

Your training and interests are just as diverse! Language sciences, radio broadcasting and then cinema, do they have points of convergence? How did you come to cinema by this trajectory?

As far back as I can remember storytelling was important to me. I did a stint in language sciences with the idea of studying journalism... and an internship with AFP (Agence France Presse) thanks to a chief editor, also from Algeria, who took me under his wing, and convinced me to take my time with my subjects... So I chose to learn by working in the field rather than through school. I definitely chose the more difficult path... I did not know yet that I was heading toward cinema, it seemed particularly difficult to access for several reasons. I continued my studies while trying my hand at radio broadcasting—with political debates, music programs and radio interviews... my experience ended when I started to conduct a variety of radio documentaries. Writing was already very present in my life. And at the time cameras were heavy, so that when I was looking for information about courses related to the image at Fine Arts schools, or the AFPA (National Association for Adult Vocational Training), I realised that the curriculum was reserved for men. At the time, I did photography in the absence of the moving picture. Hence, cinema came into my life through photography.

Then life had it that with my companion, I left Bordeaux for Lille. I decided to drop radio and the image and tried teaching--in the direction of French as a foreign language. And paradoxically at that moment I met a teacher of film studies, who was also an activist in MRAP (Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples) and an organizer of a film festival in Lille (the Acharnière), and I returned to my original path. After her classes she gave me some quick tips that I wrote down rapidly, though I never enrolled in the courses. Once again this fear in my heart of not wanting to leave the field of action. It was during my pregnancy that I became aware of my desire to make a documentary. I wrote a lot. Sectors of the French housing projects were at a boiling point, France began to realize that the young people from immigrant families who lived there were exploding with anger. Khaled Khelkal* became a terrorist and France had to open its eyes to this world. Having come from radio, I had obviously a terrible time convincing myself to make the transition, but I did. I quickly understood thanks to the film studies teacher that I should not be afraid of film production. In order to speak to producers one must understand what it is about.

Your films follow your own journey. Between the Maghreb and France in search for your past and present history, that of your parents, and also of the lives of the people who live around you. Why these themes? Why use this approach to explore them? Tells us a bit about your films.

As my first film was not successful, I decided to take a pause because the topic was too sensitive for me to be influenced by a producer. I chose not to do it the way I was asked to. However a fifteen-minute film essay called "The Emotion of an Encounter" remains. It takes place in Vaulx en Velin in 1995 when the media was focusing on the terrorism that took place there during that time.

My father retired and decided to go live in Morocco. I sensed an urgency to have my parents talk about the conflict between Algeria and Morocco, then taboo. DVCAM cameras were finally emerging. I learned how to use it and attended a filmmaking workshop. I filmed my parents, doing both the image and sound myself. I wanted to find my agility again. The film was co-produced by the Dardenne brothers. Jean Pierre Dardenne taught me something I still remember: never forget the instinctive desire to tell a story. With these words as my guiding force, I did extremely well at the screenings and discussions that were often very passionate. It became very difficult to attend the film screenings, and finally I decided to stop the Q&A sessions that followed, which were often indicative of the ongoing conflict between my two Maghreb countries.

The theme on French immigration policy, of course, concerned me directly. I understood that I had to approach it in a radical way. I chose to do a short fiction film, "Stronger than all the rest?". For a so-called mixed couple is love stronger than politics? I chose to approach the topic of mixed marriage when under the Pasqua laws* any mixed couple was suspected of being in a marriage of convenience. The film was screened as the first part of a documentary "I’m home" which I did two years later, as I was interested in the children of undocumented immigrants and in the RESF (Education Without Borders Network) of which I am a part. As an activist at RESF, it was important for me to take my camera and follow an Algerian family and their children, and a young Colombian student. This film was a way for me to demonstrate how French people came out of the shadows and showed support alongside the undocumented immigrants. Through this film I was touched not only by the solidarity, but also by the living conditions of the undocumented immigrants in my neighborhood in Belleville. At the premiere, there were a lot of people at the Bellevilloise, where most of the neighborhood concerts and events take place. My whole neighborhood was mobilised and this screening will long remain in my memory. The film will make the rounds, it will have its history, it will be taken off the air for unknown reasons... I had already left to do research, this time on gnawa music, a subject I had already started before making, "I’m home"...

Tagnawittude! What a great title for the film! What is gnawa music?

I was often in contact with musicians during my time in radio broadcasting. One cameraman showed me some images during the African tour of the group Gnawa Diffusion. I knew the singer Amazigh Kateb because of my interest in the work Nedjma by his father Kateb Yacine, which allowed me to maintain my invisible link with my homeland. This encounter was very significant for me, allowing me to return to Algeria to shoot Tagnawittude.

I was not yet ready to talk about Algeria. So I decided instead to combine my two countries by telling their common history, their common culture, through gnawa music. As this ancestral culture was currently in fashion, I seized the opportunity to connect with the musicians of the group Gnawa Diffusion, as well as Amazigh and Aziz Maysour. Moreover, it comes together rather well with the sonorous effects in the western world. The film production was rather challenging, and the process chaotic. There was very little funding and a lot of down time between shootings because of the power of the film footage and my investment in the project. The film was very difficult to make. I had to pause quite often in order to understand the culture, to seek explanations while on location, and to persevere in situations where many would have stopped—because all my friends advised me to move on to another subject.

At the present, gnawa music is very trendy in the Maghreb, which may be explained by the search for the essence of our culture among the youth. But also in different sectors of the Maghreb society caught between the west and the religious world. In fact, gnawa music speaks to everyone.

What inspired you to make a film about gnawa music? What was your approach? Your journey and discoveries?

What inspired me at the outset let’s say, is this vision that I had when seeing the Moroccan maestro Maalem Hmida Boussou descending the stairs, which made me think of my maternal grandfather. In fact, Amazigh Kateb asked me, "how is it that your grandfather is black?..." Again this response triggered something inside of me. And listening to the Algerian maestro Maalem Ben Issa talk to me quietly about this culture while playing the guembri, it was so blues, so intense... I could not help but feel something that must have created a kind of reminiscence. My origins rising to the surface.

I put a lot of time into viewing my images, logging step by step each time I returned from my film shoots. For me it was important to film my research because I knew that to follow a singer like Amazigh Kateb would be vigorous. I never thought that there would be only men in the film. Yet I faced this problem without ever thinking about it. Filming the musicians during the tour in France was very challenging because I was there by myself, I set up the camera and I filmed without talking to anyone. I knew I was in a minefield anyway so I asserted myself through my silence. However, after some very tricky situations I decided to work with a camera operator, and to do the sound, keeping a second camera that I used when I felt the need. It was rather odd to find myself in the position of boom operator in the middle of gnawa, but no one ever disrespected me or criticised my presence.

This film helped me understand the practice of the trance in the Maghreb and also to discover this culture through its music. After the Essaouira Festival I had the opportunity to travel by plane from Casablanca to Algiers. I wanted to live this symbolic link, which still today remains a very important trip for me.

This film is also personal, as a little girl you encountered the gnawa spirit through your mother as she practiced the trance. How have these childhood memories evolved? How have they influenced you?

I did not understand right away the trance of my mother. It took me years to grasp it. My mother continued to practice it privately in France. And as I got closer to the gnawa music I began to understand what she was experiencing. I showed her the footage that I shot during my research. She named the objects surrounding the gnawa practice, and without further explanation, I understood. My mother was initiated in Algeria and I think that I was able to evoke this memory when listening to these musicians play while on location and even before, when listening to the group Gnawa Diffusion. These practices of the trance have clearly marked my worldview. I have been marked by the visits to the marabouts and other mystical practices. The invisible is important in the world of the women of the Maghreb. Obviously I have been inspired a lot by the trance practiced by my mother and I think that her beliefs and vision of the invisible world have given me the impetus to write and create.

What has been the reception of Tagnawittude?

I was very touched by the Algiers premiere. It was a success both in terms of the public and the press. I actually spent ten days responding to journalists, it was a very important reception for me to be able to say who I am, what I was doing there and why. Algeria, thirty-four years later, was very welcoming.

Morocco was a bit more problematic. The premiere of the film was canceled due to the floods the day of the scheduled screening in Casablanca, which was plunged into chaos. I planned this important trip, two months before the Jasmine revolution. First to Carthage then to Algiers, next to Oran, my hometown and last to Casablanca. I had a desire to see the Maghreb, and for one and a half months while screening my film I made this journey. The Maghreb, with open borders in the past, now divides and separates these people with the same origins.

Tagnawittude has traveled from Dubai to Montreal, to Santiago, Chile, to Tennessee, Arizona, and New York. Back to Algiers for the Ramadan vigils... to Paris, and soon to Geneva… The film seems to be enjoyed by a diverse public. The discussions in Dubai and New York revolved around the religious aspect of this culture. Of course, there is this hint of tolerance in the gnawa, which is first and foremost a Sufi religious brotherhood.

As for France the film will be released on 6 June first at the Cinéma la Clef in Paris, and then we will accompany the film screenings to mini-concerts in other venues. We are working on the release of the DVD and are still hoping for post-production assistance for theatrical release, and especially for assistance from the CNC (National Center of Cinematography and the moving image). Time will tell if this film will be well received in France. As for Morocco, I hope it will eventually be shown there, of course I wish it will take place under better conditions.

January 2012

*Marcel Cerdan, a French pied noir born in what was then French Algeria, was a world boxing champion.

*Kahled Khelkal who was born in Algeria and immigrated to France as a child, was affiliated with the GIA (Groupe Islamique Armé) and involved in terrorist activities in France in 1995.

*The Pasqua-Debré laws are three French laws adopted in 1986, 1993 and 1997 whose objective was to regulate immigration.

EN FRANÇAIS

Rahma Benhamou El Madani : « Je tente de renouer avec mes racines à travers mes films. »

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Entretien avec Rahma Benhamou El Madani de Beti Ellerson

À travers ses films, Rahma Benhamou El Madani découvre et examine ses identités multiples. Son dernier film Tagnawittude lui a permis de redécouvrir aussi la musique gnawa et ses pratiques mystiques.

Rahma, vous avez une identité de multiples sources : l’Algérie, le Maroc et la France. Parlez-nous de vos origines et comment elles vous ont formées, influencées.

Je suis née en Algérie, dans un petit village près d’Oran. Mon père et ma mère sont marocains, ils se sont installés dans ce village, où est né aussi Marcel Cerdan d’ailleurs, où de nombreux fermiers colons vivaient de la vigne. Mes parents ont quitté le Maroc et leur Atlas pour passer la frontière et aller en Algérie. Mon père y allait souvent en tant que saisonnier. Tous leurs enfants sont nés dans ce village. Puis il y a eu l’indépendance, l’histoire du Sahara occidental et les frontières entre l’Algérie et le Maroc posaient problèmes, comme dans d’autres pays africains. Le conflit devint de plus en plus sérieux. En 1968 mon père quitta l’Algérie et arriva en France, en 1972 mes parents inquiets de la tournure de la situation, décident de quitter définitivement l’Algérie et nous nous installons en France où mon père travailla dans le vignoble encore une fois.

J’ai donc été coupée de mes racines marocaines et je découvrais le Maroc et l’Atlas à l’âge de 10 ans pendant les vacances d’été. Mes racines algériennes seront coupées douloureusement. Je tente de renouer avec ces racines à travers mes films.

J’ai mis beaucoup de temps à trouver cet équilibre car les anciens ne se rendent pas compte que leurs chemins nous façonnent et qu’ils doivent nous laisser des traces pour ne pas perdre la mémoire. C’est ce que je tente de retrouver, la mémoire de notre monde entremêlé l’un à l’autre. L’histoire du Maroc, de l’Algérie et aussi de la France dans son rapport à ces deux pays.

Vos formations et intérêts sont aussi divers ! Études de Sciences du langage, la radio, et puis le cinéma, ont-ils des points de convergences? Comment êtes-vous arrivée au cinéma par ce chemin?

Du plus loin que je me souvienne, on va dire que mon envie de raconter a été importante. J’ai fait un passage en Sciences du langage en vue de me présenter à l’école de journalisme… et un stage à l’AFP grâce au rédacteur en chef qui m’avait prise sous son aile, et originaire d’Algérie également, m’a convaincue de faire des sujets en prenant mon temps… J’ai donc choisi de faire du terrain plutôt que de passer par une école. J’ai vraiment choisi la voie la plus difficile… Je ne savais pas encore que je me dirigeais vers le cinéma, il me semblait bien difficile d’y accéder pour plusieurs raisons. Je menais mes études tout en m’essayant à la radio et aux débats politiques, aux émissions musicales et aux interviews… mon expérience radiophonique pris fin lorsque j’ai commencé à mener des sortes de documentaires radiophoniques. L’écriture avait déjà beaucoup de place dans ma vie. Et à l’époque les caméras étaient lourdes, ce qui fait que lorsque je me renseignais sur les formations liées à l’image aux Beaux arts ou bien à l’AFPA (Association nationale pour la formation professionnelle des adultes), je comprenais bien que ce poste était réservé aux hommes. Je pratiquais, à ce moment-là, la photographie à défaut d’image animée. Le cadrage est entré dans ma vie par le biais de la photo.

Puis la vie a fait que j’ai quitté avec mon compagnon ma région Bordelaise pour Lille. J’ai décidé de laisser tomber la radio, l’image et de tenter l’enseignement en me dirigeant vers la filière français langue étrangère. Et c’est paradoxalement au moment où je laisse tomber que je rencontre une enseignante en filmologie, militante au MRAP (Mouvement contre le Racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples), organisatrice d’un festival de cinéma à Lille (l’Acharnière) et que je suis remise sur mon chemin… Elle va seulement après ses cours me donner quelques conseils rapides que je note rapidement… je ne m’inscrirais jamais à ses cours. Encore cette peur au fond de moi de ne pas être sur le terrain. C’est pendant ma grossesse que je prends conscience de mon choix de faire un documentaire et que j’écris beaucoup, les banlieues françaises étaient en ébullition, la France commençait à se rendre compte que les cités et les jeunes issus de l’immigration qui y vivaient explosaient de colère. Khaled Khelkal devenait un terroriste et la France devait ouvrir les yeux sur ce monde-là. Venant plutôt de la radio, j’ai eu évidemment un mal fou à convaincre. Mais je l’ai fait. J’ai rapidement compris grâce à cette enseignante que la production ne devait pas me faire peur. Il fallait pour savoir parler aux producteurs comprendre de quoi on parle.

Vos films suivent votre parcours ! Entre le Maghreb et la France à la recherche de votre histoire passée et présente, celle de vos parents et aussi de la vie des gens qui vous entourent. Pourquoi ces thèmes ? Pourquoi cette approche pour les raconter ? Parlez-nous un peu de vos films.

J’ai essuyé un échec sur mon premier film, que j’ai décidé de stopper de moi même car le sujet abordé était trop délicat pour me laisser influencer et diriger par un producteur. J’ai choisi de ne pas le faire comme on me le demandait. Il n’en reste qu’un essai de 15 minutes « Emotion d’une rencontre » ça se passe à Vaulx en Velin dans les années 95 au moment où les médias se focalisaient sur ce lieu pour des raisons liées à l’actualité du terrorisme.

Mon père prenait sa retraite et décidait de partir vivre au Maroc. Il est devenu pour moi nécessaire de faire parler mes parents du conflit algéro-marocain alors tabou. Les caméras DVCAM font enfin leur apparition. Mon cadreur va alors m’expliquer comment m’en servir. Puis je fais un stage de prise de vue. J’ai filmé mes parents moi-même, seule à l’image et au son. Je voulais retrouver ma légèreté. Ce film sera coproduit par les frères Dardenne à l’étape de la postproduction. Jean Pierre Dardenne m’a appris quelque chose dont je me souviens encore : à ne jamais oublier sa volonté instinctive qui a poussé à raconter. Je serai amenée à me dépasser alors lors des projections-débats devant souvent des réactions très passionnées. Accompagner ce film a été très difficile. J’ai fini par décider d’arrêter ces débats souvent révélateurs du conflit qui perdure entre mes deux pays maghrébins.

Le thème de la politique en France lié à l’immigration, évidemment, me concernait de très près. Je comprenais bien qu’il me fallait l’aborder d’une façon radicale. Je choisis la fiction et le court métrage. J’ai pu tourner, au Studio Le Fresnoy, mon premier court métrage fiction « Plus fort que tout le reste ? ». Est-ce que l’amour est plus fort que la politique pour un couple dit mixte ? J’ai choisi d’aborder le thème du mariage mixte au moment où avec les lois Pasqua tout couple mixte devenait suspect de mariage blanc. Ce film sera projeté en première partie d’un documentaire « Je suis chez moi » que je ferai 2 ans plus tard en m’intéressant aux enfants de parents sans papiers et au RESF (Réseau Education Sans Frontière) dont je ferai partie tout en filmant. Il m’est apparue nécessaire de prendre ma caméra et de suivre une famille algérienne et leurs enfants ainsi qu’un jeune lycéen d’origine colombienne tout en militant au RESF. Ce film a été pour moi une façon de montrer la population française sortir de l’ombre en même temps que les sans papiers et montrer son soutien. Je suis sortie de ce film, marquée par cette solidarité, mais aussi par les conditions de vie des sans papiers dans mon quartier à Belleville. A l’avant première, il y avait vraiment énormément de monde à la Bellevilloise, lieu où l’on a plus l’habitude d’aller voir des concerts. Tout mon quartier se mobilisait et cette projection restera longtemps dans ma mémoire. Le film circulera, il aura son histoire, sera déprogrammé d’une chaîne pour des raisons obscures… J’étais déjà repartie sur ma recherche vers cette fois la musique gnawa, sujet que j’avais commencé avant « Je suis chez moi »…

Tagnawittude ! Quel titre ! Quelle est cette musique gnawa alors ?

J’ai été souvent en contact avec des musiciens de par mon parcours radiophonique. Un caméraman m’a confié des images de la tournée africaine du groupe Gnawa Diffusion. Je connaissais le chanteur Amazigh Kateb par l’intérêt que je portais à l’œuvre Nedjma de son père Kateb Yacine, qui me permettait de maintenir mon lien invisible avec mon pays natal. Cette rencontre a été très marquante pour moi, elle m’a permis de revenir en Algérie pour tourner Tagnawittude.

Je n’étais pas prête pour parler de l’Algérie. Alors j’ai décidé plutôt de lier mes deux pays en racontant cette histoire commune, cette culture commune autour de la musique gnawa. J’ai saisi grâce aux musiciens de ce groupe Gnawa Diffusion comme Amazigh et aussi Aziz Maysour que cette culture ancestrale était à la mode et qu’elle se fusionnait plutôt bien au monde occidental et à ses sonorités. Le film a eu une production difficile, un parcours très chaotique. Très peu de financement, beaucoup de temps entre les tournages à cause de la puissance des séquences filmées, et de mon investissement. Ce film a été très difficile à faire. J’ai dû faire beaucoup de pauses pour comprendre cette culture, pour aller chercher sur place des explications, et pour continuer là où beaucoup auraient arrêté, puisque tous mes amis me conseillaient de passer à un autre sujet.

La musique gnawa aujourd’hui est très tendance au Maghreb et cela s’explique par une recherche liée à l’essentiel de notre culture chez la jeunesse mais aussi dans les différentes sphères de la société maghrébine prise entre le monde occidental et le monde religieux. La musique gnawa parle à tous.

Qu’est-ce que vous a inspiré de faire un film sur la musique gnawa ? Quelle était votre démarche ? Votre parcours et découvertes ?

Ce qui m’a inspiré on va dire au départ c’est cette vision que j’ai eu en voyant le maître marocain Maalem Hmida Boussou descendre des escaliers et qui me faisait penser à mon grand père maternel. Amazigh Kateb me demandera d’ailleurs « pourquoi ton grand père est noir ? »… Cette réponse a été un déclencheur encore une fois au fond de moi. Et puis en écoutant le maître algérien Maalem Ben Issa me parler de cette culture timidement alors que le son qu’il jouait sur son guembri était tellement blues et tellement fort… je n’ai pas pu m’empêchait de ressentir quelque chose qui a dû créer une sorte de réminiscence. Mes origines remontait à la surface.

J’ai mis beaucoup de temps à visionner mes images, à écrire étape après étape à chaque fois que je revenais de mes repérages filmés. C’était important pour moi de filmer mes recherches car je savais que suivre un chanteur comme Amazigh Kateb allait être sportif. Je n’ai jamais pensé que dans mon film il n’y aurait que des hommes. J’ai pourtant été confrontée à cette difficulté sans l’avoir jamais pensée. Le tournage en France auprès de musiciens a été très difficile parce que j’arrivais seule, je posais ma caméra et je tournais sans jamais parler à personne. Je savais que j’étais sur un terrain miné de toute façon alors je m’imposais par mon silence. J’ai décidé à la suite de moments très épineux de travailler avec un caméraman et de faire la prise de son. J’ai gardé quand même une deuxième caméra pour moi que j’utilisais quand je le sentais. C’était assez particulier de me retrouver en position de perchiste au milieu de gnawa, mais jamais personne ne m’a manqué de respect ou m’a reproché ma présence.

Ce film m’a permis de comprendre la transe au Maghreb et aussi de découvrir cette culture d’une façon musicale. J’ai eu la possibilité depuis Casablanca après le festival d’Essaouira de me rendre en avion à Alger. Ce lien symbolique j’ai tenu à le vivre et ce voyage est très important pour moi encore aujourd’hui.

Ce film est aussi personnel, vous avez rencontré l’esprit gnawa comme petite fille à travers votre mère qui pratiquait la transe. Ces souvenirs d’enfance comment ont-ils évolués ? Comment vous ont-ils influencés ?

J’ai pas compris de suite la transe de ma mère. J’ai mis des années à saisir. Ma mère continuait à pratiquer la transe en France d’une façon personnelle. Et en m’approchant de la musique gnawa j’ai compris ce qu’elle vivait. J’ai alors filmé mes repérages et je lui ai montré ces images.

Elle a nommé les objets qui entourent la pratique des gnawa, et j’ai compris sans autre commentaire. Ma mère a été initiée en Algérie et j’ai dû, je pense, retrouver la mémoire en entendant jouer ces musiciens aux moments de mes repérages et auparavant en écoutant le groupe Gnawa Diffusion. Ces pratiques de transe évidemment ont marqué ma vision du monde. Je suis très marquée par les visites aux marabouts et les autres pratiques mystiques. L’invisible est important dans le monde des femmes maghrébines. Evidemment la transe pratiquée par ma mère m’a beaucoup inspirée et je pense que sa vision du monde invisible et ses croyances m’ont permis d’entrer dans la création et l’écriture.

La réception de Tagnawittude ?

J’ai été très touchée par l’avant-première à Alger. Ce fut un succès tant au niveau du public qu’au niveau de la presse. J’ai passé 10 jours à répondre aux journalistes, ça était un accueil très important pour moi de dire qui je suis et ce que je fais là et pourquoi. L’Algérie 34 ans après fut accueillante.

Le Maroc a été un peu plus problématique. Le jour de l’avant-première des inondations ont plongé Casablanca dans le chaos et la projection évidemment devait être annulée. J’ai tenu, à deux mois avant la révolution du Jasmin, à faire un voyage important, d’abord Carthage à Tunis, puis Alger et ensuite Oran et mon village natal et enfin Casablanca. J’ai eu ce besoin de voir le Maghreb pendant 1 mois et demi, je l’ai parcouru profitant de mes projections. Ce Maghreb aux frontières ouvertes dans le passé, aujourd’hui divise et sépare un même peuple.

Tagnawittude a voyagé, de Dubai à Montréal, à Santiago du Chili, au Tennessee, en Arizona, à New York… à Alger à nouveau pour les veillées du ramadan… à Paris, à Genève bientôt… ce film a l’air de plaire à divers public. L’échange à Dubai et à New York tournait autour de l’aspect religieux de cette culture. Evidemment il en est question en filigrane de cette tolérance des gnawa qui est avant tout une confrérie religieuse soufie.

Pour ce qui est de ce film en France il sort en salle le 6 juin d’abord au cinéma la clef à Paris et puis nous accompagnerons le film avec des mini-concerts dans d’autres salles. Nous travaillons sur la sortie du dvd. Nous espérons encore des aides à la postproduction pour la sortie salle et surtout l’aide après réalisation de l’avance sur recette du CNC. L’avenir nous dira si ce film sera accueilli en France. Quant au Maroc j’espère qu’il finira par accueillir ce film, je le souhaite dans de meilleures conditions.

Janvier 2012

IN ENGLISH

Nadia El Fani: "In politics it’s alright to lose"

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:13:00 +0000

Interview with Nadia El Fani about her film “Secularism, Inch’ Allah” by Olivier Barlet published in Africultures. Interview held at Festival d’Apt, November 2011. Translation from French to English by Beti Ellerson.

You make a simple investigation on the hypocrisy that exists in religion as it is lived in daily life with a focus on Ramadan. Then there is a revolution and the nature of the film changes, directing its attention to the public debate on secularism. How did the transformation from the original project take place?

In fact, I did not start off with an investigation. I do not imagine my documentaries in that way. I went with the idea of an activist film committed to defending freedom and democracy in Tunisia since we had reached a point of utter disgust under Ben Ali. I lied about the subject and the title in order to get permission to film with the understanding that this may probably prevent me from returning to Tunisia. There was at the same time, this increasingly obvious manipulation of religion. Ben Ali let one of his sons-in-law open a radio station, Zitouna, which broadcast the Koran from morning to evening, and we saw people queuing to go to a new Islamic bank. I went to make a film about the atheists in Islam, and with Ramadan approaching, I thought I should explain to the world what a Muslim experiences in a Muslim country during Ramadan. I think no one is aware to what extent it is an obligation that takes precedence over everything, even one’s work schedule. Life is organised around the time that the fast ends. One gets the impression of a social communion around the fact that everyone must shop for food and then eat at the same time, so that there is a lot of social hypocrisy. I went to shoot about those who resist Ramadan. The film was called “Disobedience” and it was as much about the disobedience to Ben Ali as to religion. I wanted to find people who were not fasting, not necessarily artists or intellectuals who are accused of being an elite but also normal people who agreed to say so in front of the camera. And then I wanted to show the cafes, the hidden storefronts, etc. But for me it was most of all to denounce the collusion between government and religion, how the government used religion as a lightning rod and how religion was overvalued to gain ground in society. We were aware of the Islamisation of society. I realised that when we went to the people individually, things went relatively well, and that when we went into more collective situations, or for example, when we entered a cafe, people were a bit aggressive.

When people are talking among friends, they do not really hide the fact that they are not fasting.

True, and even socially, but it is mainly the men. It is visible in the film. The women who say that they do not practice Ramadan are generally from a highly regarded family. But anyway, in every family, there are some who do not fast and there is no problem. The fact that the Quran says: "If you disobey, you must hide it", the fact that it is written, is a kind of appeal to social hypocrisy. This makes people immature in their way of living, and obliges them to be hypocritical. This phrase has been repeated to me on every occasion. I almost titled the film as such, and I had used it as the subtitle.

The film has also changed titles several times.

I always have titles that are a bit strange and multiple… I really liked Neither Allah nor Master for its reference to anarchism and to Auguste Blanqui*, a militant in French political history, and in the Spanish Civil War: one knew the position that one was taking. However, the title was very badly received in Tunisia, with the belief that I was attacking Islam. Though the film is the complete opposite, it is a film about mutual tolerance. The title Secularism inch’ Allah relates more to the theme of the film. I found it a bit soft! But changing the title while keeping a touch of provocation pulled the rug from under the Islamists who attacked me.

The Islamisation of society took place underground. Your film has become a means for the Islamists to reclaim the public space.

Yes, it is what happened after the film and we realise how important it is to know how to handle the media tool. In Tunisia, the Islamists use it much better than the progressives. They have so many computer engineers and technicians, people connected to the Internet. They threw around slogans, and probably paid people to get the messages on the Internet on a large scale. They were very strong, knowing that the best defence is to attack. The progressives were hopeless: they were drawn into issues that were not even theirs and on top of that they caved in. Starting from the premise that we are all Muslims, the debate was not about the place of religion in society, but to follow the way the Islamists wanted to impose it. The progressives did not refute them. It was important to defend the ability to declare that one is atheist. This would have allowed the possibility to gain some ground. They never dared to defend me on that point. It's not about me, but I think that is how things should be said.

So you think that the electoral stakes were far more important to them than to defend the country's diversity and freedom of thought?

Absolutely. And so they lost the vote. I get messages supporting me from all sectors, and often from believers. There were a lot of veiled girls at the pro-secularism rally, as well as people who held signs saying they were Muslims for secularism. But there were also the undecided who remained anonymous holding on to their religion. If they were told that it would be taken away, it is natural that they would react. They were told that I wanted to impose my atheism throughout the country. By not coming to my defence, they allowed these views to spread. I was far away and had health problems that prevented me from coming. I was then pulled into a machine, threatening to kill me, with terrible images on the Internet, taken away in a whirlwind. Everyone had their say about me, I was insulted, slandered: called a Zionist, a Mossad agent, and whatever else could be said. It was for me to justify myself. Islamists are the ones using violence and it is up to us to justify ourselves when they should be arrested and tried! We have never seen a layperson abuse an Islamist, but we have seen many Islamists mistreat laypeople.

Western media discourse adopts a clear separation between the Salafists, and the Islamists who present themselves as moderates. The Salafists are the shoot’em up, tear down the room where the film is screened, etc. You tend to blur this differentiation.

Yes, I am saying I do not understand what a moderate Islamist is. To me he is anti-democratic because he wants to impose his vision of religion on an entire people, where as in a democracy representatives are elected to decide the law. The law has not been written for 1400 years, there are plenty of laws to be written! I am hammering on the fact that Mr. Ghanouchi* is imposing himself as commander of the faithful, without a political office, and on top of it he is making all the declarations and deciding everything. I have a videotape of a meeting where he spoke about my film and all the while citing the wrong title, he called it stupid and claimed that it was against Allah. The manipulation of the mind goes far! He used slander and lies to disparage me, while criticising a film he apparently had not seen it. In the name of democracy, he should have condemned his military wing that is making these attacks. I asked him for months to support my right to make the films that I want, and to say what I want about my beliefs, but to no avail.

Ultimately, the film focuses on the public debate on the subject of secularism, which would oppose a Tunisia that declares itself as Muslim and Tunisia as a secular state.

The debate was not well formulated. To declare Tunisia as Muslim is to say that when the weather is nice the sky is blue! Tunisia is Muslim and on this point I agree with them completely. I am an atheist Muslim. I know that I am part of this culture in terms of identity. But the problem is a political one: only those who want to should have to observe religious laws; hence the separation of religion and state. Everyone must comply with the laws of the Republic. It is in this sense that I want secularism. They want religious laws to be imposed on everybody. For them Islam is political. Facing this expanded freedom there may now be a fear that there is one or two religious parties in a country in which people have become used to separating religion and state. Many of the young people who are not politicised do not understand the debate because it is inscribed in the society. There is a turn backwards with the Islamists who want Islam as the religion of the state. There was some ambiguity and this debate should take place in the constituent assembly.

I read recently the remarks of an Algerian lawyer who emphasised the importance of secularism…

Of course. Ghanouchi will not change the laws but the societal practices, so that in ten years, they will say that the law is no longer in compliance and it has to be changed! We know how a society changes; stop taking us for teddy bears! Tunisian Jews have remained very attached to Tunisia; there are Christians, Buddhists, and atheists. Even if they are only 5%, they have the right to live in peace, and in any case the society has the right to live freely.

And not to mention that secularism preserves the diversity of a society and in so doing ensures its cohesion, avoiding the creation of minorities that will ultimately rebel if they are discriminated against.

That's the slogan I tried to disseminate in Tunis. I streamed my film on Dailymotion in Tunisia, with the phrase: secularism protects all religions and safeguards us from religious extremism.

You are now involved in a lawsuit, following the charges that you made. What is the argument behind these charges?

Violation of the sacred, of accepted standards of behaviour, and of religious teachings. Two months after the revolution an Enaahda lawyer managed to have porn sites blocked on the Internet, when everything was open, with the purpose of restricting freedom. He went on television to say that I had insulted Islam and Muslims. It's easy to insult me having succeeded in banning my film in Tunisia. There were even demonstrations against me. My best defence is my film: Tunisians who saw it were disappointed because they were expecting something scandalous. I do not know what to do since the Islamists are able to turn everything I say against me. I only have my voice! I have been able to hold on because I have a great deal of support, but I cannot disseminate my point of view. The press has returned to the era under Ben Ali, ululating Ghanouchi by calling him "Sheikh" from every direction.

You find yourself in a very lonely place as you bring a particular vision to cinema: within a confrontation of ideas you put yourself on the screen and assume your relationship with the people who are filmed.

But hasn’t that always been the case? I do not subscribe to a lackey cinema: I have complete freedom, at the risk of being wrong. The documentary film gives instant gratification: during the filming, while editing, etc. The fiction film suffers from the shackles of the script, and during the editing process as one could not do what one wanted because of the lack of means. I film with almost no money, with no pay and with the difficulties of completing the film, but that suits me. I did not want to hide behind the camera. I was asked why I did not go see so-and-so, but I make documentaries to give my opinion. One has forgotten what political cinema is!

Politically-committed filmmaking is criticised for telling people what to think but people are enraptured by Michael Moore who thinks for the spectator by fragmenting the words of the people who are filmed.

I try never to hide my intentions. Even if I film while saying that I am not, I keep my actions in the film. If I walk into a café among people who are not fasting [during Ramadan] it is so that it cannot be said that this reality does not exist. In my film Bedwin Hacker, I was told that this is not true. Here, this is real. I had to film the argumentation that took place between us, although I realise that they have the right not to want to be filmed. Of course I tried to ensure that their faces could not be recognised.

When you are accused of throwing oil on the fire, and of encouraging the Islamists, ultimately what is at stake is the question of a compromise or of their radical positions. You refused to compromise, at the risk of losing the fight.

Yes, because in politics, it's alright to lose. We can make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them. It is a defeat for the left in Tunisia, which did not even uphold its values. It cannot even say that the society was not ready to accept its position! It did not take a position! As if the people were not intelligent enough to debate. For me, everything is urgent; everything goes forward at the same time. Everything is connected. In order to have political freedom, freedom of conscience is the first of freedom.

The Constituent Assembly is elected for one year before returning to the polls: Is this the time for public debate?

They have one year to put the broken pieces back together. I was against the union or national coalition. In a year, Tunisia will not be back on its feet yet. So I was in favour of letting them govern, even knowing that it would be chaos. However, in the Constituent Assembly, the opposition could have 60% because they have only 40% of the seats. This allows opposition to unjust laws. If there's a coalition, everyone will suffer the consequences.

*August Blanqui disseminated his ideas through his journal Ni dieu ni maître (Neither God nor Master) founded in 1880. The expression became the anarchist slogan and to a lesser extent other elements of the labour movement.

*Rached Ghanouchi, a moderate Islamist, is head of the Ennahda, the leading party in Tunisia.

Nadia El Fani « En politique, ce n'est pas grave de perdre »

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:04:00 +0000

« En politique, ce n'est pas grave de perdre. » entretien d'Olivier Barlet avec Nadia El Fani à propos de « Laïcité inch’ Allah » Africultures

In English

Tu fais une simple enquête sur l'hypocrisie en place dans le vécu de la religion en te concentrant sur le Ramadan et voilà que la révolution se produit et que le film change de nature en prenant en compte le débat public sur la laïcité. Comment se passe pour toi cette modification du projet de départ ?

En fait, je ne suis pas partie pour une enquête : je n'envisage pas mes documentaires ainsi. Je suis partie dans l'idée d'un film militant engagé visant à défendre la liberté et la démocratie en Tunisie vu qu'on en était arrivé à un point révoltant sous Ben Ali. J'ai menti sur le sujet et le titre pour obtenir une autorisation de tournage tout en sachant que cela m'empêcherait probablement de retourner en Tunisie. Il y avait en parallèle cette instrumentalisation toujours plus évidente de la religion. Ben Ali avait laissé un de ses gendres ouvrir une chaîne de radio, Zitouna, diffusant le Coran du matin au soir, et on a vu les gens faire la queue pour aller à une nouvelle banque islamique. J'étais partie pour faire un film sur les athées dans l'islam et, le Ramadan approchant, je me suis dit qu'il fallait expliquer au monde ce que vit un Musulman dans un pays musulman durant le Ramadan. Je crois que personne n'en a conscience, à quel point c'est une obligation qui prend le pas sur tout, jusqu'aux horaires de travail. La vie est rythmée par l'heure de rupture du jeûne. On a l'impression d'une communion sociale autour du fait que tout le monde va faire les courses puis mange à la même heure, alors qu'il y a là beaucoup d'hypocrisie sociale. Je suis partie tourner sur les résistants au Ramadan. Le film s'appelait La Désobéissance et il s'agissait pour moi aussi bien de la désobéissance envers Ben Ali qu'envers la religion. Je voulais trouver des gens qui ne suivaient pas le jeûne, pas forcément les intellos ou artistes qu'on accuse d'être une élite mais aussi des gens normaux qui étaient d'accord pour le dire devant une caméra. Et puis je voulais montrer les cafés, les devantures cachées, etc. Mais pour moi, le propos était surtout de dénoncer la collusion entre le pouvoir et la religion, comment le pouvoir utilisait la religion comme un paratonnerre et comment la religion surfait là-dessus pour gagner du terrain dans la société. Nous étions conscients de l'islamisation de la société. Je me suis rendue compte que quand on allait vers les gens individuellement, ça se passait relativement bien, et que c'est quand on allait dans des situations plus collectives, ou par exemple on rentre dans un café, que les gens était un peu agressifs.

LIRE l'article en intégralité sur http://www.africultures.com/php/index.php?nav=article&no=10571

A Scenarios from Africa film “Raped: The Story of Essie”

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:20:00 +0000

This tale of love and compassion after a sexual assault is based on creative ideas written by youths from Burundi, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Kenya. Artistically magnificent, the Scenarios from Africa film was shot in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso by internationally renowned Nigerian director Newton Aduaka.

Synopsis: In an African city, young Essie has been raped. She confides in Angela, who helps her to make wise decisions in the hours and days after the attack: seeking immediate medical attention, including preventative HIV treatment; cooperating closely with the police; and embracing a dialogue with her family, leading to understanding and compassion.... In short, the beginnings of a new life after the nightmare. Based on creative ideas written by Nagwanga Laborne, 13, from Namibia; Victor Ogolah, 23, from Kenya; Emmanuel Ihekwoaba, 14, from Nigeria; and Elvis Mutoni, 24, from Burundi.

Un film de Scénarios d’Afrique « Violée : l’histoire d’Essie »

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:13:00 +0000

Une histoire d'amour et de compassion après une agression sexuelle. Un film de la collection Scénarios d’Afrique « Violée : l’histoire d’Essie » d'après des idées originales de jeunes gens de Namibie, Burundi, Nigeria et Kenya. Un bijou de cinéma signé Newton Aduaka, lauréat du grand prix au FESPACO.

Synopsis : La jeune Essie a été victime d'un viol. Elle se confie à Angela, qui l'aide à prendre des décisions judicieuses dans les heures et les jours qui suivent l'agression : consulter immédiatement un médecin ; coopérer avec la police ; et entamer un dialogue avec sa famille afin d'aboutir à la compréhension et à la compassion... En bref, le début d'une nouvelle vie après le cauchemar...D'après des idées originales de Nagwanga Laborne, 13 ans, de Namibie ; de Victor Ogolah, 23 ans, du Kenya ; d'Emmanuel Ihekwoaba, 14 ans, du Nigeria ; et d'Elvis Mutoni, 24 ans, du Burundi.

Kidi Bebey: Scenarios from Africa, "Looking for a Brave Man"

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:07:00 +0000

Kidi Bebey during the shooting of
Looking for a Brave Man

Cameroonian Kidi Bebey, multi-talented, compassionate, and socially committed, excels in numerous fields of communications – creative writing, journalism and filmmaking, among others. Her film Looking for a Brave Man (2006), part of "Scenarios from Africa", went over the 100,000 views mark on the Internet in 2011.

Looking for a Brave Man
by Kidi Bebey

Looking for a Brave Man

Synopsis: A beautiful young woman is looking for a man for a serious relationship, but not just any guy. She categorically insists that he be responsible and brave: he must be willing to get tested for ….

Based on an original idea by Salimata Sy, age 11, Guediawaye, Senegal.

Length: 6 minutes 10 seconds.

Shot in Burkina Faso.

Currently available in: Dioula, English, Fon, French, Hausa, Igbo, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, Lingala, Mina, Mooré, Portuguese, Pulaar, Twi, Wolof, and Yoruba.

Kidi Bebey : Scénarios d'Afrique, "Cherche homme courageux"

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:37:00 +0000

Kidi Bebey pendant le tournage de
Cherche homme courageux

Talentueuse, passionnée et déterminée, Kidi Bebey du Cameroun brille dans de nombreux domaines de la communication avec une facilité déconcertante : journalisme, littérature, cinéma, pour ne citer que ceux-là. En 2011, le film Scénarios d’Afrique que Kidi a tourné, intitulé Cherche homme courageux (2006), a franchi le cap des 100.000 vues sur le Web. (Scénarios d'Afrique-Facebook)

Cherche homme courageux
un film de Kidi Bebey

Cherche homme courageux

Synopsis : Une jeune femme ravissante est à la recherche d’un homme pour une relation sérieuse, mais pas n’importe lequel. Elle exige catégoriquement qu’il soit responsable et courageux: il doit être disposé à subir un test...

Basé sur une idée originale de Salimata Sy, 11 ans, Guédiawaye, Sénégal

Durée : 6 minutes 10 secondes

Tourné à Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Disponible en anglais, dioula, fon, français, haoussa, igbo, kinyarwanda, kiswahili, lingala, mina, mooré, portugais, pulaar, twi, wolof, et yoruba

Screens and Veils: Maghrebi Women's Cinema by Florence Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:42:00 +0000

Source: Indiana University Press

Examined within their economic, cultural, and political context, the work of women Maghrebi filmmakers forms a cohesive body of work. Florence Martin examines the intersections of nation and gender in seven films, showing how directors turn around the politics of the gaze as they play with the various meanings of the Arabic term hijab (veil, curtain, screen). Martin analyzes these films on their own theoretical terms, developing the notion of “transvergence” to examine how Maghrebi women’s cinema is flexible, playful, and transgressive in its themes, aesthetics, narratives, and modes of address. These are distinctive films that traverse multiple cultures, both borrowing from and resisting the discourses these cultures propose.

Overture: Maghrebi Women’s Transvergent Cinema

Act I: Transnational Feminist Storytellers: Shahrazad, Assia, and Farida

1. Assia Djebar’s Transvergent Narrative in The Nuba of the Women of Mount Chenoua (Algeria, 1978)

2. Farida Benlyazid’s Initiated Audiences in A Door to the Sky (Morocco, 1998)

Act II: Screens & Veils

3. Yamina Bachir-Chouikh’s Transvergent Echoes in Rachida (Algeria, 2002)

4. Raja Amari’s Screen of the Haptic in Red Satin (Tunisia, 2002)

5. Nadia El Fani’s Multiple Screens and Veils in Bedwin Hacker (Tunisia, 2002)

Act III: From Dunyazad to Transvergent Audiences

6. Yasmina Kassari’s “Burning” Screens in The Sleeping Child (Morocco, 2004)

7. Selma Baccar’s Transvergent Spectatorship in Khochkhach (Tunisia, 2006)

Coda

Appendix A: Political and Cinematic Chronology

Appendix B: Primary Filmography

Bibliography

Florence Martin is Professor of French and Francophone Literature and Cinema at Goucher College and Associate Editor of Studies in French Cinema. She is author of Bessie Smith, of De la Guyane à la diaspora africaine (with Isabelle Favre), and of A vous de voir!

Les écrans et les voiles : le cinéma du Maghreb au féminin (Screens and Veils: Maghrebi Women's Cinema) de Florence Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:36:00 +0000

Indiana University Press

(Les écrans et les voiles: le cinéma du Maghreb au féminin) Screens and Veils: Maghrebi Women's Cinema de Florence Martin

Examinées dans leur contexte économique, culturel et politique, les oeuvres des cinéastes maghrébines constituent un corpus d’œuvre intégral. Dans ces sept films, Florence Martin examine les intersections de la nation et du genre, montrant la manière dont les réalisatrices renversent la politique du regard en engageant les diverses significations du terme hijab (voile, rideau, écran). Ces films sont analysés sur leurs propres contextes théoriques. Florence Martin développe la notion de «transvergence" [après Francis Pisani : à la fois de la convergence et de la divergence] afin de montrer comment le cinéma du Maghreb au féminin est souple, ludique et transgressif à travers ses thèmes, son esthétique, ses narrations, et ses modes de communication. Avec leurs spécificités, ces films traversent de multiples cultures, tout à la fois puisant et s’opposant aux discours qu’elles proposent.

Overture: Maghrebi Women’s Transvergent Cinema

Act I: Transnational Feminist Storytellers: Shahrazad, Assia, and Farida

1. Assia Djebar’s Transvergent Narrative in The Nuba of the Women of Mount Chenoua (Algeria, 1978)

2. Farida Benlyazid’s Initiated Audiences in A Door to the Sky (Morocco, 1998)

Act II: Screens & Veils

3. Yamina Bachir-Chouikh’s Transvergent Echoes in Rachida (Algeria, 2002)

4. Raja Amari’s Screen of the Haptic in Red Satin (Tunisia, 2002)

5. Nadia El Fani’s Multiple Screens and Veils in Bedwin Hacker (Tunisia, 2002)

Act III: From Dunyazad to Transvergent Audiences

6. Yasmina Kassari’s “Burning” Screens in The Sleeping Child (Morocco, 2004)

7. Selma Baccar’s Transvergent Spectatorship in Khochkhach (Tunisia, 2006)

Coda

Appendix A: Political and Cinematic Chronology

Appendix B: Primary Filmography

Bibliography

Florence Martin est professeure de la littérature et de cinéma français et francophone au Goucher College (dans l’état de Maryland aux États-Unis) et rédactrice en chef adjoint de Studies in French Cinema. Elle a publié également trois livres : Bessie Smith, De la Guyane à la diaspora africaine (avec Isabelle Favre), A vous de voir! De l'idée au projet filmique (avec Maryse Fauvel et Stéphanie Martin).

African cinema / "Tunisian Stories" or the paradoxical reality pervading Arab and African societies

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:41:00 +0000

Source: African Press Organisation for Leyth Production - Tunis, Tunisia, December 21, 2011

http://histoires-tunisiennes.com

The feature film Tunisian Stories by Nada Mezni Hafaiedh illustrates a captivating cinematographic work that touches the profound depths of Tunisian society and underscores the conspicuous contrast between the wealth of a minority sector and the poverty of most of its citizens.

This is the painful and paradoxical reality pervading most Arab societies, which plunges them into an oppressive social uncertainty and calls into question the distribution of wealth and the impact of the economic and social imbalance on the lives of ordinary people.

It is within this context that one may situate the film. With her first feature, the young director Nada Mezni Hafaiedh once again raises the question of the increasingly widespread social dichotomy that is causing considerable upheaval, and which in turn generates paradoxes in the Arab countries full of an appreciable amount of natural and potential wealth.

"Tunisian Stories may look like a film about the colourful life of troubled characters on a white backdrop: The Tunis of today and its agonies, with its radiant and shining facade. Glamorous, luxurious and flashy, offset with the loss of identity and the search for self, one's misery and harrowing daily existence," said Algerian Hichem Lague, the screenwriter for the film.

The choice of this specific spectrum of Tunisian society is not out of the blue, the director of the film is very familiar with it.

"Of course, neither a film or any kind of artistic project can cover or reveal all social categories. I chose to talk about these people with whom I mixed with since I came to live in Tunisia. To have been away from my country and to then rediscover it with its many facets is what this film is about. It is in fact a cinematic expansion of the documentary film +Singularity+ that I made not so long ago" she noted.

Moreover, the film's producer Mohamed Slim Hfaiedh announced that a portion of the proceeds of Tunisian Stories will go to the Tunisian Pediatrics Association, chaired by Dr. Mohamed Douagi, which promotes children’s health, a move that reflects the spirit of solidarity firmly anchored in Tunisian society as a whole.

Often, African films have depicted the ambivalent relations between the north and south. However, Tunisian Stories is differentiated by its social subject, which affects African society as a whole while developing a discourse that is in tune with African lived realities. By addressing issues common to all African societies, this characteristic gives the film an African dimension par excellence.

Tunisian Stories is the beginning of a long cinematic journey for Ms. Nada Mezni Hafaiedh who plans to make more feature films dealing with issues drawn from Tunisian society. It remains to be seen if the Ministry of Culture will encourage this film genre by providing the necessary budget for its implementation.

Translation from French to English by Beti Ellerson

En Français

Cinéma africain / "Histoires tunisiennes" ou la réalité paradoxale qui envahit les sociétés arabes et africaines

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Source: Communiqué de presse - Leyth Production

Tunis, Tunisie, 21 décembre 2011

http://www.histoires-tunisiennes.com

Le long métrage "Histoires tunisiennes" de Nada Mezni Hafaiedh est l'illustration d'une œuvre cinématographique captivante qui touche le fin fond de la société tunisienne en mettant en évidence le contraste ostentatoire qui s'y étale entre la richesse d'une minorité et la pauvreté du plus grand nombre de citoyens.

Une réalité douloureuse et paradoxale qui envahit la plupart des sociétés arabes pour les plonger dans une incertitude sociale accablante en remettent toujours en cause la répartition des richesses dans ces pays et l'impact du déséquilibre économique et social sur le vécu du citoyen lambda.

C'est dans ce contexte qu'on peut situer ce long métrage, le premier du genre de la jeune réalisatrice Nada Mezni Hafaiedh qui a voulu faire émerger encore une fois la question de la dichotomie sociale qui s'accentue de plus en plus entraînant des bouleversements considérables générateurs de paradoxes dans les pays arabes, qui regorgent de richesses et potentiels naturels non négligeables.

"Histoires Tunisiennes, peut se regarder comme un film relatant la vie colorée de personnages troublants,sur fond blanc : Tunis d'aujourd'hui et ses tourments, lumineuse et au visage châtiant. Du glamour, du luxe et du clinquant et en contrepoids la perte d'identité et la recherche de soi, la misère d'un homme et son quotidien déchirant", a expliqué le scénariste du film, l'Algérien Hichem Lagua.

Le choix de cette catégorie bien précise de la société tunisienne n'est pas impromptu, la réalisatrice du film s'y connait parfaitement.

"Bien évidemment, un film ou n'importe quel projet artistique ne peut pas couvrir ou dévoiler toutes les catégories sociales. J'ai choisi de parler de ces personnes que j'ai côtoyées depuis que je suis venue vivre en Tunisie. M'absenter de mon pays pour le redécouvrir de nouveau avec ces multiples facettes, c'est un peu cela le parcours de ce film qui n'est qu'une projection cinématographique du documentaire +Singularity+ que j'ai réalisé, il n y a pas longtemps", a-t-elle martelé.

Par ailleurs, le producteur du film Mohamed Slim Hfaiedh a annoncé qu'une partie des recettes du long-métrage "Histoires tunisiennes" sera versée sur le compte de l'Association tunisienne de Pédiatrie, que préside Dr.Mohamed Douagi et qui œuvre en faveur de la santé de l'enfant, un geste qui dénote l'élan de solidarité bien ancré dans la société tunisienne toute entière.

Souvent,les films africains ont dépeint les relations ambivalentes qui lient nord et sud. Cependant, "Histoires tunisiennes" s'est démarqué par son sujet social qui touche l'ensemble de la société africaine tout en développant un discours en phase avec les réalités vécues en Afrique.

Cette caractéristique confère à ce long-métrage une dimension africaine par excellence en l'inscrivant dans la sphère des œuvres cinématographiques qui traitent des questions communes à toutes les sociétés africaines.

"Histoires Tunisiennes" est le début d'un long parcours dans l'industrie cinématographique pour Mme Nada Mezni Hafaiedh qui compte produire d'autres long-métrages traitant des questions puisées dans la société tunisienne. Reste que le ministère de la culture doit encourager ce genre de long-métrage en lui accordant le budget nécessaire pour sa réalisation.

Distribué par l'Organisation de la Presse Africaine pour Leyth Production.

In English

International Black Women's Film Festival (IBWFF) 2012 Call for Film Submissions!

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:38:00 +0000

CALL FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS

INTERNATIONAL BLACK WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL
Click to go to web-site/more info: festival.ibwff.com

ENTRY FORM + INFORMATION:
festival.ibwff.com

Download the Press Release (PDF)

Regular Deadline
March 10, 2012

ACCEPTED FILMMAKERS NOTIFIED ON:
March 31, 2012

PAY FEE & MAIL DVD TO:
Adrienne Anderson
548 Market St #38322
San Francisco, CA 94104

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Lead character prominently features a woman of African descent/African Diaspora in a non-stereotypical role.

AND

Film may feature the experiences, viewpoints, lifestyles, socio-economic position or stories of Black women, but it is not required for eligibility.

Film was directed and/or produced by a Black woman/woman of the African diaspora (this includes women of the following groups/cultures: Adivasi, Aboriginal Australians, Dravidian, Pilipino Negrito / Ati, Seminole, Dalit, `African Latino, Arawak, Carib, Garifuna, “Black Indian”, Black African groups/tribes, East Timorese, Solomon Islander/indigenous Pacific Islander, African/indigenous Caribbean, African Brazilian, indigenous Fijian, indigenous Maori, multi/bi-racial, et al.).

More About Requirements

Films should be timely or directly feature issues, specifically, activities, policies, politics, culture, societal or economic that influence the lives of Black women around the world or in a specific geographical area.

Digital shorts, animation and experimental films may present any issue, but filmmakers should be Black women or prominently feature a Black woman character or issue.

Formatting

All films (digital, animation, etc.) must be transferred onto a DVD for screenings. The IBWFF no longer accepts VHS or BETA tapes!

Online Films for Online Viewing, Only

Online films can be uploaded to a password-protected site; however, if your online film is selected for online viewing, you must upload it to a public web server or your own web server and send a viewing link.

If you’d like your online film to be considered as a “premiere,” then it cannot be available publicly until it is uploaded for an IBWFFviewing link via such services as YouTube, Vimeo, Brightcove, etc.

Festival International du Film de Femmes Noires | Appel à films! - International Black Women's Film Festival | Call for Films

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:35:00 +0000

Festival International du Film de Femmes Noires | International Black Women's Film Festival 2012

APPEL À FILMS

FORMULAIRE D'INSCRIPTION + RENSEIGNEMENTS:

Télécharger le communiqué de presse (PDF)

Date limite: le 10 mars 2012

LA SÉLECTION SERA ANNONCÉE:
le 31 mars 2012

La cotisation et le DVD sont à envoyer à :

Adrienne Anderson

548 Market St # 38322
San Francisco, CA 94104

CONDITIONS DE PARTICIPATION:

Le personnage principal sera une femme d'origine africaine ou de la diaspora africaine dans un rôle non-stéréotypé.

Les films peuvent présenter les expériences, points de vue, modes de vie, histoires ou position socio-économique de la femme noire, mais ceci n'est pas obligatoire pour la sélection.

Le film devra être réalisé et / ou produit par une femme noire/ femme de la diaspora africaine (cela comprend les femmes des groupes/ cultures noirs—de couleurs et / ou afros—voir la liste sur le communiqué).

Informations supplémentaires sur les conditions de participation

Le sujet du film doit concerner directement les activités, la politique, la culture, ou les perspectives sociales ou économiques qui influencent la vie des femmes noires dans le monde ou dans une région spécifique.

Les courts-métrages numériques, les films d’animations et expérimentaux peuvent aborder tous les sujets, mais le cinéaste doit être une femme noire ou bien mettre en évidence le personnage d'une femme noire ou une question qui la concerne directement.

Format

Tous les films (numérique, animation, etc.) doivent être transférés en DVD pour les projections. Le IBWFF n'accepte plus les bandes VHS ou BETA!

Les films présentés en ligne ne pourront être que visualiser en ligne

Des films en ligne peuvent être téléchargé sur un site protégé avec un mot de passe. Cependant, si votre film en ligne est sélectionné, vous devrez le télécharger sur un serveur public ou sur votre propre site, dont vous nous indiquerez le lien.

Si vous souhaitez présenter votre film en ligne comme une "première", il ne peut pas être déjà sur l'internet. Le film devra être d'abord téléchargé pour une visualisation avec IBWFF à travers un hébergeur comme YouTube, Vimeo, Brightcove, etc.

Global assignment for young black African female director

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Projects and Job Opportunities

Major company in the United States is on a rapid search for a young black African female film maker who has either the credentials or authentic interest in the HIV cause.

Not necessarily looking for a highly recognized person rather an imminent star whose personality would be able to handle mass attention and who would be able to openly collaborate throughout next year to develop a narrative about the ability of this generation to begin the end of AIDS (mother to child transmission in Africa) by 2015.

SEE COMPLETE ANNOUNCEMENT AT FILMCONTACT.COM

Alice Diop: "It is up to us to work on our own complexes"

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:12:00 +0000

Alice Diop
Image source: Sudplanete.net

Interview with Alice Diop by Olivier Barlet about her film La Mort de Danton (Danton's Death)* in Africultures. Translated from French to English by Beti Ellerson

Born in France into a Senegalese family, Alice Diop studied the relationship between cinema and society before venturing into documentary filmmaking: La Tour du monde (The World’s Tower), a portrait of immigrant families, offers a different view of a neighborhood north of Paris where she grew up; Clichy pour l'exemple (Clichy as example) seeks to find the reasons for the rage that surfaced in the housing projects in 2005; Les Sénégalaises et la Sénégauloise (Senegalese women and the Sene-Gallic-ese woman) deals with the women in her Dakarois family; and the current film shows both the courageous journey and the doubts of Steve, a tall black man of a Seine St. Denis housing project, after three years of acting classes in Paris.

"Danton's Death" has been selected in many festivals and has won awards, notably the prix des bibliothèques (the library prize) at the prestigious Cinéma du reel. What do you attribute to its success?

In all modesty, I think it’s a bit of an overstatement to speak of success. But yes, I was delighted about the reception of the film, especially the award at the Cinéma du reel, which came very soon after the editing was completed. I think that many people identify with Steve’s journey, his thirst for independence, his desire to make a life for himself and to dare to imagine a possibility beyond the destiny assigned to him. I remember an older woman who came to me after a screening and said with tears in her eyes "Steve is me". I was extremely touched. She was white, she was from Picardy and she recognized in him her own complex of illegitimacy. I am very happy that this film can speak to everyone. That so many people could relate to Steve’s character was very important to me. I think this film can extend beyond the subject of discrimination against black actors in France and prejudices that affect young people from housing projects.

How did you meet Steve Tientcheu?

We grew up in the same housing project, the 3000, in Aulnay-sous-Bois, but then I left the neighborhood and only saw him again later at a wedding. I thought that he had conformed to what I imagined one would become growing up in the housing projects, but he said he was taking acting lessons at the Cours Simon. I was shocked: I realized that I was projecting the same prejudices on him that I was condemning in others! I asked him if I could attend a rehearsal, and while there I perceived a great violence in the place that was accorded him, the manner in which others viewed him. That is when I suggested to him to make a film.

"The Death of Danton" carries this title because you give Steve the opportunity to interpret, alone and in the street, the role that he dreams of but that he is denied on the stage because he is Black. Was this the main theme of the film?

It was I who asked Steve to interpret this scene, I pushed him to interpret the role of Danton. It was a way of saying "do not expect others to legitimise what you want to be."

As I said earlier, I think this film deals with more than questions about the place given to black actors in France. For me the reality is actually indicative of something much larger. The subject of my film is rather about how to escape from the confinement of the gaze of the Other, how to invent one’s own life and become the person of one’s choice, despite what others project on us, despite the place and role they assign to us. Of course with someone like Steve, a kind of a walking caricature of all the clichés that people can have about the "youth of housing projects", this question takes on a specific social and political dimension.

In the Cours Simon, Steve is alone because he elicits fear. Is it related to his living in a housing project or is it something else based on his personal characteristics? Could it be what the other students project onto him?

This film is the story of an exchange that did not happen. Most of the people in the Cours Simon have not been able to go beyond the preconceived image they had of him, because he comes from Department 93, because he is very physically imposing. In spite of himself, Steve embodies all the imagery that people have of the “scum of the housing projects”. They locked him into that role. As a defense mechanism, he in turn isolates himself. I think it is a pity because he made the effort to take the RER [Parisian inter-regional transportation] in order to get away from the confinement of the projects where he has stagnated for years, in an attempt to realize his dream of becoming an actor.

Young people like Steve are often held responsible for their social situation. When I started this film, the discourse on meritocracy was dominant. The famous guilt-inducing injunction "if we want to, we can!" was very popular. With this character, I had the opportunity to show it is not enough to want, one must also feel accepted! This is the case in a drama school but unfortunately also in many other places in French society, which is so compartmentalized.

Steve accepts the roles that he is given to play, though very stereotypical: the slave, the driver, the gangster, the activist. This is the range of roles dedicated to black men. What triggered his awareness and his decision to challenge it?

It happened during the third year. Just after he asked to play Danton and was denied, given the reason that Danton was not black. During the first two years he wanted more than anything to learn the trade. He was not aware that he was playing all the stereotypes of the black in the white imagination. I did not want to tell him, to influence his views on this experience, and since I had the opportunity to film throughout his three-year training, I hoped that he himself would become aware before the end of his apprenticeship.

Do you as a woman filmmaker also face this symbolic violence of prejudice?

Yes in some ways, though more muted I'd say, however not necessarily mal-intentioned. I have long felt that as a black filmmaker I am expected to only be interested in Africa or the housing projects. I refused to participate in a program where I was asked to discuss African cinema today. I did not feel that it was my legitimate place to talk about it. I have Senegalese origins, I go to Senegal as often as I can, but I live and work in France. I really feel strongly about not being trapped in any label. But for young filmmakers of immigrant origins like me it is sometimes difficult.

I claim the right to own any subject. If I have to talk about the housing projects in a film, it is not because I was born there but because I am connected to a story that I feel needs to be filmed. For me “Danton's Death” is not just a film about a black guy from the housing projects. What interested me is the idealistic aspect of this character.

You avoid the sociology of the housing projects, which is so prevalent on TV: Steve is rarely shown in the context of the environment in which he lives. Why this choice?

It really was a choice during the editing. I shot some scenes of him in his housing project with his friends. But during the editing we decided very quickly not to include them. They would not have provided the opportunity to go beyond the stereotypes and preconceived images of the housing projects. Steve’s friends are great; they welcomed me kindly and gave me the confidence to film them in their private lives. It was because of this trust that we decided with the editor Amrita David, not to include them. I did not have enough footage of them to really develop their characters. So to show them hanging out along the rail smoking joints did not interest us. We were not there to reinforce stereotypes but rather to dispel them!

Even so, Steve does not make any great pronouncements: he takes the abuse in silence and swallows his rage. Is this his personality or was it an editing choice?

During the editing we tried to translate the slow emergence of consciousness but also the difficulty he had in speaking to his drama teacher. It is not easy when you lack confidence and you feel socially illegitimate to confront "the oppressor", even though here it is more a kind of cultural and social domination.

The drama teacher is rather well intentioned but still a victim of his narrow-mindedness: do you see this as typical of our society?

I am sure that Steve’s teacher was not intentionally unkind to him. I just think he lacked a bit of imagination. To say that a black actor cannot play Danton because he is black, in my opinion is to deny the work that Peter Brook has been able to do or what Ariane Mnouchkine has brilliantly done. What happened to Steve in the Cours Simon is in fact a metaphor for what is happening everywhere in France, where discrimination against visible minorities is striking. Always that gaze! That gaze that imprisons, that it ascribes to a place, to a status, to a neighbourhood, to a profession!

The shooting lasted almost throughout Steve’s three years of training to the final play. How did you go about choosing the best moments?

We chose the strongest moments of his training. We tried to reflect both the emergence of his awareness, but also the effect that this symbolic violence had on him. He was very bitter in our first interview, sinking slowly into a depression, bent under the weight of all the oppression he endured. This is what happened in reality so we retained it in the film.

The film resonates as a call to cross social barriers and in doing so not be concerned with the gaze of others. Is this really possible or will Steve be an exception?

To put in context Steve’s outburst at the end of the film as he shouts in the street, "freedom, we do not claim it, we take it", I draw from this adage to assert that I no longer ask others to recognize me as a filmmaker, I have finally accepted myself as a filmmaker. It is up to us to work on our own complexes and allow ourselves the right to feel legitimate. I think we need to go beyond the posture of victim. Though I am not denying the difficulties, the many barriers to overcome for those who are not part of the dominant majority, it is necessary for us to do this work. This is the only way to combat prejudice: keep your head high. I think it could also help guard against suffering too much, because that can make you crazy!

Was Steve able to find roles after he completed his training?

Yes, he was spotted by Canal+ to play in the 2nd season of the series Braquo. Well, he plays a mobster, but I think he enjoyed it. Do not forget that his favorite actors are De Niro, Pacino, Gabin, Ventura—gangsters of great renown! But hey, Al Pacino also gets to play Tony Montana and Richard III. I hope this is the case for Steve. He has the talent, indeed!

*George Jacques Danton a leading figure of the French revolution and a great orator with an athletic build, died at the guillotine. His last words: "Do not forget to show my head to the people, it is well worth seeing".

Image source: Sudplanete.net

LIRE L'ARTICLE EN ENTIER EN FRANÇAIS

Alice Diop : « C'est à nous de travailler sur nos propres complexes »

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:47:00 +0000

Alice Diop

Image source: Sudplanete.net

« C'est à nous de travailler sur nos propres complexes » entretien d'Olivier Barlet avec Alice Diop à propos de La Mort de Danton

Née en France dans une famille sénégalaise, Alice Diop a étudié les rapports entre cinéma et société avant de réaliser des documentaires. La Tour du monde propose un autre regard sur un quartier de la banlieue nord de Paris où elle a grandi à travers le portrait de familles immigrées, Clichy pour l'exemple cherche les raisons de la colère des banlieues en 2005, Les Sénégalaises et la Sénégauloise se confronte aux femmes de sa famille d'origine à Dakar et tout récemment La Mort de Danton montre le courageux parcours et les doutes de Steve, un grand gaillard noir d'une cité de la Seine St Denis qui suit durant trois ans à Paris des cours de théâtre. LIRE L'ARTICLE EN ENTIER SUR AFRICULTURES

ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ENGLISH

A critique of Leïla Kilani’s film "On the Plank" by Olivier Barlet

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:53:00 +0000

On the Plank (Sur la planche) by Leïla Kilani, a critique by Olivier Barlet (Africultures) translated from French to English by Beti Ellerson.

Her skin, she rubs it with lemon—almost pulling it—to remove the smell after a day of shelling shrimp at the factory. To detach herself from the conditions of an underpaid and ill-housed worker, she plunges into another life—the evening, during which the lexicon of terms is reversed: "I do not steal, I am getting my refund. I do not burglarize, I am getting back my due. I do not traffic, I do business. I do not prostitute myself, I invite myself." In voice-over, Badia’s words are expressed in slam—the same pace as her life, as her movements, as the camera that closely follows this rat race, as does the mis-en-scène that she shares with us. To survive is to charge headlong. Badia is a reflection of the young people in the film Microphone by Egyptian Ahmad Abdalla, of all the young Arabs who make revolution, having nothing to lose but a wasted life, everything to gain by going for it: "I’m already what I’m going to be. I am only ahead of the truth, my own. "

Leïla Kilani captures these young people on the edge. Her project is neither psychological nor sociological: it is not to be explained. It is on the surface, tactile—not superficial, carnal, at skin level ! It is a manner of showing that only in this way can one understand the current mutations, that all communication will run against a wall, that these societies will lapse into violence if they do not provide a future for their youth. Badia, along with the other three girls with whom she prepares her evening ploys, rushes headlong into the void. Her destiny can only be fatal. These young people full of desperate energy are on the verge of collapsing. They are on the plank, ready to jump.

This manner of radical directing and acting was necessary to capture this tension—shot with quick pacing, as close as possible to the body, a body which in order to escape confinement only thinks about making it through, of getting by. Their thirst for live is expressed as much by their unrestrained language as their actions. Factory workers by day, the young women at night search for men and ways to push the limits. Surviving by day, living by night. Badia talks a lot and very quickly, only making coherent her headlong flight. Reflecting the cunning youth unencumbered by rules, she improvises daily life by ruses and circumventions; not as an escape, but rather as a plunge into the frenzy of life.

Needless to say, the tourist image of Morocco takes a hit, starting with Tangier, the birthplace of the director, a buffered city, for a twofold reason: it is the first contact point for car-bound travellers and the point of no return for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean. It has been a while since Leila Kilani has dealt with postcard stories. In Le rêve des brûleurs (2002), she presented a personal perspective of Tangier, this physical, corporeal, sensual frontier, stirring with men and women who dream of a mythical somewhere that they cannot find on this side of the barrier. With Nos lieux interdits (2008), she documented the restriction on speech and the internalisation of political violence in Moroccan society on the occasion of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission that the new king established in 2004 in order to reconcile with victims of human rights abuses. With On the Plank she addresses these zones, areas of appalling exploitation and lawlessness that swarm the planet and that is never talked about.

This disturbing and astonishing film, which scored at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes in May 2011, has the allure of rap-like urbanity and brilliantly combines the guts of the director and her actors, starting with the impressive Soufia Issami who gives her character Badia all her indomitable energy. With On the plank, Leïla Kilani enters into the big leagues.

On the Plank (Sur la planche) by Leïla Kilani, a critique by Olivier Barlet (Africultures) translated from French to English by Beti Ellerson.

Françoise Ellong: “My passion for cinema follows me everywhere, all the time”

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:53:00 +0000

Françoise Ellong is already off to a good start on her career path. Trained in communication and filmmaking, her imagination leads to whatever may enrich her. She talks about her passion for cinema and her current and future projects.

What an incredible journey for a young 23 year-old-woman! What was your experience with the image as a child in Cameroon? Where did this amazing passion come from?

My love for film was not born in Cameroon, but my love for writing was, in fact. I discovered the world of images and screenwriting at 17, six years after my arrival in France and I must admit that today I cannot justify in a "reasonable" manner, my passion for cinema. It is there and follows me everywhere, all the time.

You studied communication in Paris and filmmaking in London, your training also includes several workshops and participation in film shootings. One sees an emerging cineaste who has a great desire to broaden her knowledge from diverse experiences and in various environments. Some thoughts?

I began my studies in communication because I believe it is absolutely essential in everyday life. On the other hand, I also built a safety net, to have something to fall back on “just in case". And it's hard to convince an African family especially, that one wants to make films, and nothing more. What one may also understand at some level is that the field of communication is not an illusion, far from it. It offers me a lot in my relationship with the various players in this arena. Communication is essential. As for London, my first wish was to go for a Masters in Film in the United States. My uncle convinced me to choose London. I followed his advice and I do not regret it at all.

I do make the most of what I learn, in fact, but my policy is that "each has her/his place" in cinema. Having gained knowledge about something does not mean that tomorrow I feel competent enough to make a film or that I can be the cameraperson. No. What it gives me is more clarity during the exchange I have with my technical crew, nothing more. I love learning and I think in that environment, one never stops doing so.

The themes of your films are very eclectic, treating many issues that affect the population in the environment where you are at that instant. Often, when one imagines an "African film", one expects to see African faces, filmed in an African environment. Is this a stereotype? What inspired your choice of subjects? For the films: Joue avec moi (2012), Now and them (2011), At Close Range (2011), Nek (2010), Big woman don't cry (2009), Miseria (2008), Dade (2007),...

For me, I have absolutely no illusion that I am making African films. Not that I'm not interested, but that it is not at all the context of my films. However, I am preparing several projects that I want to shoot in Cameroon in particular, with Cameroonians. The nationality of the filmmaker has never been the identity of a film. So I do not wish to get into these name games, that when one does, it is difficult to get out of. I am very interested in African cinema, I watch and study it closely and hopefully in a very short time, I'll be able to carry out the projects that I just talked about. As for inspirations related to my previous projects, they are indeed very different and do not necessarily connect to one another. It is my way of showing that I do not want to be pigeonholed. My imagination is not restricted to clichés about my origins, or when I had the blues last month. I write my stories on the basis of the titles that come to mind. I develop an idea around a title, which may come a bit out of nowhere, and try to find a true meaning in it.

One perceives a current trend among African filmmakers who desire to work in a variety of locations outside their home country. You have worked a great deal in London and also in Paris where you grew up, and you have projects for Cameroon. What role will this diversity play in the identity of your films?

My cinema is like me: flexible. I have shot a lot between Paris and London, I would very much like to film in Cameroon and throughout Africa. I would like to film in whatever country I have the opportunity to develop an idea. I see in these places an infinite variety of subjects, cultures, meeting places, and so on...

You have a visible presence on the Internet, on social networks—the trailers of your films on video sharing sites—all, important ways to promote your work. What role do you want these media to play in the future?

I have always viewed these media as intermediaries, allowing me to get a feel for the public. They are a means by which I can attract people’s interest to come out to my screenings. I am all for the buzz effect, provided that they are smart. I separate "buzz" and "hype" because for me they are two completely separate things.

Interview with Françoise Ellong and translation from French to English by Beti Ellerson, December 2011

En Français

Links

Françoise Ellong Website

Françoise Ellong on Vimeo

Françoise Ellong : « Ma passion pour le cinéma me suit partout à chaque instant »

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:47:00 +0000

Françoise Ellong a déjà une carrière bien lancée. Formée en communication et en cinéma, son imaginaire l’amène à tout ce qui peut l’enrichir. Elle parle de sa passion pour le cinéma et ses projets courants et futurs.

Françoise, quelle trajectoire incroyable pour une jeune femme de 23 ans! Comment était ton expérience avec l’image lors de ton enfance au Cameroun? D’où viens cette passion qui t’anime ?

Mon amour pour le cinéma n’est pas né au Cameroun, mais c’est effectivement le cas pour celui de l’écriture. J’ai découvert l’univers du scénario et des images à 17 ans, soit six ans après mon arrivée en France et je dois avouer qu’aujourd’hui, je ne saurais justifier de manière « raisonnable » ma passion pour le cinéma. Elle est là et me suit partout à chaque instant.

Tu as étudié la communication à Paris et le cinéma à Londres, ta formation comporte aussi des ateliers et des participations à plusieurs tournages. On voit une cinéaste émergente qui a une grande envie d’élargir ses connaissances au sein de divers environnements et expériences. Quelques réflexions?

Si j’ai commencé mes études par la communication, c’est parce que je suis d’avis que dans la vie de tous les jours, c’est absolument essentiel. D’un autre côté, je me suis forgée une sécurité, une façon de me dire « au cas où ». Et puis, c’est difficile de convaincre, surtout une famille africaine, qu’on veut faire du cinéma, que du cinéma et rien que du cinéma. Ce qui peut être aussi compréhensible à un certain niveau. La communication n’a pas été un leurre, loin de là, cette branche m’apporte beaucoup dans ma relation avec les différents acteurs du milieu. Communiquer, c’est primordial. En ce qui concerne Londres, mon premier souhait était d’aller faire un Master en cinéma aux Etats-Unis. Puis, je me suis laissée convaincre par un oncle de privilégier Londres, un conseil que j’ai suivi et que je ne regrette absolument pas. Je maximise en effet mes connaissances, mais je suis pour la politique « chacun sa place » dans le cinéma. En apprendre énormément en lumières, ne signifie pas que demain je me sens capable de réaliser un film et d’en être le chef opérateur. Non. Ce que ça m’apporte, c’est davantage de clarté dans l’échange que j’ai avec mes techniciens, rien de plus. Et puis, j’aime apprendre et je pense que dans ce milieu, on ne cesse jamais d’apprendre.

Les thèmes de tes films sont très éclectiques, traitants de nombreuses questions qui touchent la population parmi laquelle tu te trouves actuellement. Souvent, quand on imagine le "cinéma africain" on s'attend à voir des visages africains, filmé dans l'environnement africain. Est-ce que c’est un stéréotype? Quelques réflexions sur ce qui a inspiré ton choix de sujets, comme : Joue avec moi (2012), Now and them (2011), At Close Range (2011), Nek (2010), Big woman don't cry (2009), Miseria (2008), Dade (2007),...

En ce qui me concerne, je n’ai absolument pas l’impression de faire des films africains. Non pas que ça ne m’intéresse pas, mais les contextes de mes films ne le sont pas du tout. En revanche, je prépare plusieurs projets que je souhaite tourner surtout au Cameroun, avec des Camerounais. La nationalité d’un réalisateur n’a jamais été celle d’un film, alors je ne souhaite pas entrer dans ces jeux de mots qui quand on y entre, on en sort difficilement. Je m’intéresse beaucoup au cinéma africain, je l’observe et l’étudie de près et j'espère que dans très peu de temps, je vais pouvoir réaliser ses projets dont je parle plus haut. Quant aux inspirations liées à mes projets précédents, elles sont en effet très diverses et n’ont pas forcément de relations les unes après les autres. C’est une manière pour moi de dire que je n’ai pas envie qu’on m’enferme dans des cases. Mon imagination ne se restreint pas à des films clichés sur mes origines, ou au dernier coup de blues que j’ai eu le mois dernier. J’écris mes histoires sur la base de titres qui me viennent en tête. Autour de ce titre qui sort un peu de nulle part, je développe une idée, essayant de lui trouver un vrai sens.

Actuellement, on perçoit une tendance parmi les cinéastes africains à vouloir travailler dans une variété d'endroits hors de leur pays d'origine. Tu as travaillé beaucoup à Londres, à Paris où tu as grandi. Et tu as des projets pour le Cameroun. Quel rôle va jouer cette diversité dans l'identité de ton cinéma?

Mon cinéma me ressemble : imprévisible. J’ai tourné beaucoup entre Paris et Londres, je souhaite énormément tourner au Cameroun et dans toute l’Afrique. Je souhaite tourner dans tout pays dans lequel j’ai la possibilité de développer une idée. En ce qui me concerne, j’y vois une richesse infinie de sujets, de cultures, de rencontres et j’en passe…

Tu as une présence visible sur Internet et les réseaux sociaux, les bandes-annonces de tes films sur les sites vidéo, un moyen important pour promouvoir ton travail. Quel rôle veux-tu que ces médias jouent à l'avenir?

J’ai toujours vu tous ces médias comme des relais, qui me permettent moi de proposer un avant-goût au public. C’est par leur biais que j’arrive à susciter l’intérêt des personnes, que je donne envie aux gens de se déplacer lors de mes projections. Je suis pour les effets de buzz, mais lorsqu’ils sont intelligents. Je dissocie « buzz » et « matraquage », parce que pour moi, ce sont deux choses totalement distinctes.

Entretien avec Françoise Ellong par Beti Ellerson, décembre 2011

In English

Liens

Site de Françoise Ellong

Françoise Ellong sur Viméo

À Binga au Zimbabwe les femmes cinéastes se mobilisent autour du Festival de Film International d’Images pour les Femmes

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:42:00 +0000

Le Festival de Film International d’Images pour les Femmes (IIFF) cette année pour la première fois, s’est déplacé dans la région de Binga Matabeleland Nord, gracieuseté de CAFOD. Présenté sous le thème « Femmes ayant des objectifs », il a eu lieu le 5-7 décembre à l'occasion de la commémoration des 16 jours d'activisme contre la violence de genre.

Le Festival a reçu plus d’un millier de spectateurs à Tusimpe. Trois films locaux etaient presentés: Nyami Nyami et les oeufs du mal, Je veux une robe de mariée, et Peretera Maneta.

Plusieurs initiatives ont été présentées pour créer un espace où les femmes puissent dialoguer librement, développer leur confiance en elles-mêmes et un pouvoir collectif ainsi que d’échanger leur point de vue sur des sujets qui les concernent en tant que femmes. Les femmes cinéastes du Zimbabwe (Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe - WFOZ) utilisent le cinéma pour permettre aux femmes, surtout les jeunes, d’identifier, d’analyser et de trouver des solutions aux problèmes qui les touchent en tant qu'individus et en tant que groupe. Le cinéma donne au public la possibilité de discuter et de débattre des questions normalement balayé sous le tapis, lorsque le public se cache derrière le personnage du film, mais, en fait, l’expérience est réelle. Le cinéma est un moyen de communication puissant qui ne connaît ni couleur, ni race, ni confession, il est un langage universel. LIRE L'ARTICLE EN ANGLAIS

The International Images Film Festival for women (IIFF) 2011 in Binga (Zimbabwe)

noreply@blogger.com (Beti Ellerson, Ph.D.) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:51:00 +0000

The International Images Film Festival for women (IIFF) this year for the first time, moved to the Matebeleland North region of Binga for its outreach, courtesy of CAFOD. The festival, celebrated under the theme Women With Goals ran from December 5 to 7 screened film in commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against gender based violence.

The festival reached out to over a thousand viewers at Tusimpe, Binga High School, Freedom Square in Binga town and Manjolo Drop in centre about 25km away from the town centre. Three local films were showcased namely, Nyami Nyami and the Evil Eggs (new film by Tsitsi Dangarembga), I want a Wedding Dress and Peretera Maneta.

The films were empowering and inspiring as they showcased real life challenges encountered and the audience urged WFOZ to continue using film to stimulate debate and analysis of issues normally swept under the carpet. Thus film created a freer space that allowed for dialogue and the organisation was encouraged to create positive images as well as encourage people to tell their stories as a lesson to others. The films centered around linkages between gender and poverty, gender and HIV/ AIDS and gender and child sexual abuse. Strong messages were sent home such as that while poverty is said to have a rural and a woman’s face, it is high time that women become economically empowered and if this is achieved, fewer cases of gender based violence will be recorded. Similarly, on the issue of HIV and AIDS, I Want A Wedding Dress highlighted that it is normally the women that suffer the burden of caring for the sick and in most cases are accused for bringing the virus to the home. The audience also agreed that parents have a huge role in socializing and protecting their children from the scourge, for if parents play the supportive role, moral decadence is reduced and so are the cases of sugar daddies and mummies. With regards to Peretera Maneta, the audience seemed to agree that we all know a Maneta in our lives, that girl who is sexually abused but does not get love, care, support and protection by those who should be extending that to her. The film spoke strongly to this years 16 Days theme ‘From peace in the home to peace in the world’ as it encouraged parents to create safe spaces for their children right from the home environment, and ensuring that these children are protected in the outside environment too! In the film, the parents are not concerned about their daughter to such an extent that they do not notice that she is being abused. Instead, they rely on the headmaster who tells them their daughter is doing well yet he is the perpetrator. This therefore indicated the gap that exists between most parents and their children.

Several initiatives to create space for women to freely interact, build confidence, attain collective power and share sensitive gender information have been introduced. As such, Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe uses the medium of film to enable these women, especially the young to identify, analyse and find possible solutions to problems that affect them as individuals and as a group through engaging with messages in the film. Film allows viewers a chance to discuss and debate issues normally swept under the carpet as the audience will be hiding behind the character in the film yet in reality referring to a real life experience. Film is a language spoken and understood by all. This powerful medium of communication knows no color, race or creed but speaks to and informs all who engage with it.

SOURCE: Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe (WFOZ), The International Images Film Festival for women, 16 December 2011