The purpose of the African Women in Cinema Blog is to provide a space to discuss diverse topics relating to African women in cinema--filmmakers, actors, producers, and all film professionals. The blog is a public forum of the Centre for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema.
Le Blog sur les femmes africaines dans le cinéma est un espace pour l'échange d'informations concernant les réalisatrices, comédiennes, productrices, critiques et toutes professionnelles dans ce domaine. Ceci sert de forum public du Centre pour l'étude et la recherche des femmes africaines dans le cinémas.
Director/Directrice, Centre for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema | Centre pour l'étude et la recherche des femmes africaines dans le cinéma
Film Screening 3 February 2023 365Rwanda https://365rwanda.com/event/lend-me-your-voice-film-screening/
Also see links regarding the film:
Lend Me Your Voice I Generation Africa I ARTE.tv Documentary
Description
People tell stories, but when it comes to theirs, they either lose their memory or decide to shut up." Born in 1994 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Akili Nadege had to leave her homeland for Rwanda, and then Burundi. She's suffered prison, torture, a murdered father and a torn homeland, and suffered isolation and loneliness. In this intimate documentary essay, the director Claudine Ndimbira had the young woman tell her testimony through a group of readers. These men and women who know neither Akili nor her past, but they will develop with her, over the course of reading her story, a deep bond of empathy.
Screen.Time 2022 - Q&A with Claudine Shenge Ndimbira moderated by Benjamin Rost
“There is this desire to continue to probe this territory, this Algerian world, this Algerian heritage. To continue to talk about Algerian women, the Algerian women of today, who are a bit engulfed in the present socio-economique problems. So for me there is an obvious continuity after Papicha, to continue working with these magnificant actresses—the same team, the same actresses in Papicha—in order to recount this second story which is very important for me. There is a personage in Houria who, on this terrace, begins alone in a classical dance and who ends in a group with a impressive collective of women.”
“Il y a cette envie de continuer à creuser ce territoire qui est le territoire algérien, le territoire du patrimoine algérien, continuer à raconter les femmes algériennes, les femmes algériennes actuelles, finalement un tout petit peu noyées dans les problèmes socio-économiques actuels et donc pour moi il y a une évidence, c’est évidente une continuité après Papicha, de continuer ce travail avec ces magnifiques comédiennes. Aussi puisqu’on a repris vraiment la même équipe technique et les mêmes comédiennes que Papicha pour raconter cette deuxième histoire qui pour moi est très importante. On a un personnage dans Houria qui démarre seul une danse classique sur cette terrasse et qui finit finalement en groupe avec un collectif impressionnant de femmes.”
(Rencontre avec Mounia Meddour et Nadia Kaci pour Houria présenté à l'Arras Film Festival 2022)
Synopsis
Set in Alger. Houria, a young and talented dancer, is a housekeeper by day, at night she participates in clandestine ventures. But one night when she is violently attacked, she is hospitalized. Her dreams of becoming a ballerina are shattered. She must now accept and love her new body. With the support of her entourage of women like her, she finds meaning in her life by inscribing dance in the reconstruction and sublimation of wounded bodies.
Alger. Houria est une jeune et talentueuse danseuse . Femme de ménage le jour, elle participe à des paris clandestins la nuit . Mais un soir où elle a gagné gros, elle est violemment agressée par Ali et se retrouve à l’hôpital. Ses rêves de carrière de ballerine s’envolent. Elle doit alors accepter et aimer son nouveau corps. Entourée d’une communauté de femmes, Houria va retrouver un sens à sa vie en inscrivant la danse dans la reconstruction et sublimation des corps blessés…
Bio
Born in Moscow, Mounia Meddour grew up in Algeria, then in France where she studied journalism and then cinema. After several documentaries: Particules élémentaires (2007), La Cuisine en héritage (2009) et Cinéma algérien, un nouveau souffle (2011), she directed her first short fiction, Edwidge (2011), awarded a special mention at the Journées cinématographiques d’Alger. In 2019, she created a sensation with her first feature, Papicha, presented in the Official Selection of the Cannes Festival in 2019 in the Un Certain Regard. Acclaimed by the critics, the film was awarded the César of the best first film with the Most Promising Actress for Lyna Khoudri in 2020. Papicha was also nominated to represent Algeria at the Oscars.
Née à Moscou, Mounia Meddour grandit en Algérie puis en France où elle effectue des études supérieures de journalisme puis se forme au cinéma. Après plusieurs documentaires Particules élémentaires (2007), La Cuisine en héritage (2009) et Cinéma algérien, un nouveau souffle (2011), elle réalise son premier court métrage de fiction, Edwige (2011), qui reçoit une mention spéciale aux Journées cinématographiques d’Alger. En 2019, elle crée l’événement avec son premier long métrage Papicha, présenté en Sélection officielle du Festival de Cannes 2019 dans la section Un Certain Regard. Acclamé par la critique, le film reçoit en 2020 le César du meilleur premier film et celui du meilleur espoir féminin pour Lyna Khoudri. Papicha a participé également à la course aux Oscars où le film représente l’Algérie. (festival-cannes.com)
"As a woman living in Cairo I live with a lot of fear and anxiety. I find that Cairo is a tough city especially for women who choose any choice other than the traditional. On a daily basis, women who look a bit different are confronted with many challenges. The violence towards women, the aggression on the street and the constant judgment is part of the daily exposure that women have to deal with. Traumas that they experience personally or that they are exposed to when they engage with the life of other women. How do we still continue to pursue our dreams and face our fears? I saw in both Aya and Heba a free spirit and attempted to deal with this challenge. They suffer like me from constant fear, anxiety and discomfort of living in this city but they still continue to stick with their choices. They both find in Art a refugee and in helping others and connecting with other women a healing. In following them, I found that they had many answers to my question. Their choices inspired me. They show in a simple way how friendship, solidarity, art, sports, accepting oneself and pursuing your passions is possible in this tough city. They allowed me into their life and helped me share through this film my complex relationship as a woman with my city Cairo. I hope by sharing this experience I would in return shine a positivity to all women who watch this film." Hala Galal Director's Statement
Description
In the streets of Cairo, documentary filmmaker Hala Galal moves purposefully and quickly. She presents a brave face, but she is in constant fear of being harassed (or worse) just for being a working single woman. Galal follows two women, Heba and Aya, who challenge the norms and limitations of women in Egypt with a completely different fearlessness. Heba tries to find space in her life as a single mother and photojournalist to create art that, among other things, focuses on the existence of the female body. Although money is tight, her small home is always filled with laughter and the smell of home-cooked food. Meanwhile, Aya tries to find a foothold in her relationship with family, religion and passion for film. The contact sport of roller derby takes up more and more of her time, and the community and closeness to the other women on the team forces Aya to reconsider her position as a woman. All three women have a desire to create space for more voices and nuanced perspectives in Egypt. They live alone and work in art specifically, through which they find their way, achieve their dreams and find some happiness—regardless of the consequences. (Source: YouTube)
Bio
Hala Galal is an Egyptian filmmaker, writer and producer. She is the founder and executive director of SEMAT Production & Distribution supporting Alternative/Independent Cinema in Egypt, a cultural hub with links to a number of civil society organizations involved in the creative sector and youth as well as women organizations in Egypt/the Arab Region. Hala Galal has produced more than 10 films for first time directors. Her feature documentary Women ChitChat won the Silver Prize at the Arab Rotterdam Film Festival.
"I benefited a great deal from the advice of Marguerite Abouet. Naky Sy [Savane] is my “maman” from another country. I learned from these two great women. At the JCFA I met wonderful women who do a lot for African cinema."
"J’ai bénéficié de beaucoup de conseils avec Marguerite Abouet. Naky Sy [Savane], c’est ma maman d’un autre pays. J’ai appris de ces deux grandes dames. Aux JCFA j’ai rencontré des femmes merveilleuses qui font beaucoup pour le cinéma africain." (ecranbenin.net)
Bio
Filmmaker, scriptwriter and film actress. Director of the Association Terre d’Ebène, organizer of Ciné 229 Awards,
Réalisatrice, scénariste et actrice de cinéma. Directrice de l’Association Terre d’Ebène, promotrice du Ciné 229 Awards.
Filmographie | Filmography
Health War, la lutte pour la santé, Suru, Game over, la série Ting Tang, la série Isabelle
Fatima Ali Boubakdy Annatto Selection Officielle - Perspectives FESPACO 2023
Morocco - Fiction - 103min - 2022
“Anne is a French proper name, Natou, a feminine name that is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. I merged the two names, resulting in Annatto, which is the name of the film's protagonist. Her name reflects her Franco-Senegalese roots.”
“Annatto” highlights the richness, synergy and interculturality represented by ethnic mixing. By pointing out intolerance and racism, the film also advocates the importance of favoring human values. It is a film that seeks to concretize a vision and a principle in which we strongly believe and which consists in capitalizing on the links with a continent to which we belong and which forms a large part of our identity. It is our duty, as creators, to highlight this point and others related to our Africanness.
“Anne est un nom propre français, Natou, un nom féminin répandu en Afrique subsaharienne. J’ai fusionné les deux noms, ce qui donne Annatto, qui est le nom de la protagoniste du film. Son nom est une image de ses racines franco-sénégalaises.”
“Annatto” met en lumière la richesse, la synergie et l’interculturalité que représentent les mélanges ethniques. En mettant le doigt sur l’intolérance et le racisme, le film prône aussi l’importance de privilégier les valeurs humaines au détriment de tout profit. C’est un film qui cherche à concrétiser une vision et un principe auquel nous croyons fort et qui consiste à capitaliser les liens avec un continent auquel nous appartenons et qui forme une grande part de notre identité. Il est de notre devoir, en tant que créateurs, de mettre en relief ce point et d’autres en rapport avec notre africanité.
(Interview avec Fatima Ali Boubkady*)
Synopsis
During his séjour in Saint-Louis, Senegal, Adnane, a Moroccan retail trader, marries Franco-Senegalese Annatto. Though their union was a “marriage of pleasure” Adnane breaks the rules and decides to take his wife to Morocco despite the expiration of the marriage contract. Far from Senegal, Annatto is torn between two cultures, her life turns into anguish and she must overcome diverse challenges. But thanks to her intelligence, she succeeds in spreading love, a spirit of coexistence and acceptance of the other in her environment.
Pendant son séjour à Saint Louis, Adnane, un commerçant Marocain, épouse Annatto, une Franco-Sénégalaise. Leur union était un « mariage de plaisir » mais Adnane brise la règle et décide d’emmener sa femme au Maroc malgré l’expiration du contrat de mariage. Loin du Sénégal, Annatto sera tiraillée entre deux cultures, sa vie se transforme en souffrances et elle doit faire face à toutes sortes de défis. Mais, grâce à son intelligence, elle réussira à répandra l'amour, l'esprit de coexistence et d'acceptation de l'autre dans son environnement.
Bio
Moroccan Fatima Ali Boubakdy is a filmmaker and scriptwriter.
La marocaine Fatima Ali Boubakdy estréalisatrice et scénariste.
The Desert Rocker is an intimate, spiritual and profound portrait of the extraordinary Hasna El Becharia, pioneer Gnawa artist. The first female musician to break through the social barriers of this culture, she empowers and inspires women of all ages by reclaiming a musical tradition reserved for men for centuries. A singularly talented artist, she leads women to redefine their roles and challenge cultural norms, one musical performance at a time. (Source: Women YouTube Channel)
« La Rockeuse du désert » est un portrait intime, plein d’esprit et profond de l’extraordinaire Hasna El Becharia. Pionnière des artistes Gnawas féminines et artiste sexagénaire analphabète au talent singulier, elle amène les Algériennes de tous âges à redéfinir leur rôle et à défier les normes culturelles, une performance musicale à la fois. (Source: Vues d’Afrique - https://vuesdafrique.org/events/la-rockeuse-du-desert/)
Bio Sara Nacer is a Canadian Algerian emerging filmmaker based in Montreal. Recognised in Montreal for her contribution to the promotion of cultural diversity, she has produced several major events and projects. She has also produced several sold-out concerts at La Place Des Arts in Montreal. (Source: Women YouTube Channel)
Sara Nacer est une cinéaste émergente basée à Montréal où elle travaille également en tant que chef de produit numérique chez Bell Média. Son premier film documentaire « Qu’ils partent tous tourné en Algérie au cœur de la révolution du sourire met en lumière l’éveil socioculturel de la jeune génération. Sorti en décembre 2019, le film a battu les records à la Cinémathèque québécoise avec plusieurs projections à guichets fermés et une belle couverture médiatique. Elle a remporté le prix LOJIQ pour un cinéaste prometteur au Festival international de cinéma Vues d’Afrique et le prix du Meilleur film documentaire au Festival Images et vie de Dakar. Son long métrage « La Rockeuse du désert » a été sélectionné au Tribeca Film Institute en 2017 et en résidence artistique au Jacob Burns Film Center à New York. Elle est également en production d’un long métrage documentaire sélectionné au Close-Up Initiative en 2020, un programme de développement international pour les cinéastes émergents. Reconnue à Montréal pour sa contribution à la promotion de la diversité culturelle, Sara a réalisé plusieurs événements et produit plusieurs concerts à guichets fermés, notamment à la Place des arts de Montréal. (Source: Vues d’Afrique - https://vuesdafrique.org/events/la-rockeuse-du-desert/)
Description African Moot follows teams from Uganda, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa as they prepare for the annual competition happening in Gaborone, Botswana. This year's case is centred on the rights of refugees on the continent and each student has to grapple with burning issues around migration facing their own countries.
Every year over a hundred law students from across Africa gather for the prestigious African Human Rights Moot Competition. This year, the rights of refugees on the continent will be debated in a simulated court hearing at the African Court of Human Rights. The next generation of the legal elite in Africa shows what it is capable of.
Bio Shameela Seedat is a human rights law specialist turned filmmaker from South Africa. Since she began documentary filmmaking, Seedat has been commissioned by various local and international television stations. “Whispering Truth to Power” released in 2018, was her feature-length debut.
