AFRICAN WOMEN IN CINEMA BLOG: International Day of the Girl Child : A Focus on Related Films by African Women

11 October 2012

International Day of the Girl Child : A Focus on Related Films by African Women

International Day of the Girl Child

A Focus on Related Films by African Women

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the “International Day of the Girl Child”, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.

For its first observance, this year’s Day will focus on child marriage, which is a fundamental human rights violation and impacts all aspects of a girl’s life. Child marriage denies a girl of her childhood, disrupts her education, limits her opportunities, increases her risk to be a victim of violence and abuse, jeopardizes her health and therefore constitutes an obstacle to the achievement of nearly every Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and the development of healthy communities. (United Nations Declaration)

In the following days, the African Women in Cinema Blog will focus on films that highlight the experiences of girls in African societies.

Updated on 16 October 2020

[English]

The filmmakers' message of tolerance and universal humanism comes through the children…child characters are represented as the hope for the desirable gender relations. (Sr. Dr. Dominica Dipio)

In the selection of films that follow, the girl-child plays the main protagonist. This representation of the girl character is an empowering practice as she deals with complex issues regarding her family and the world around her: Five-year-old Nadia lives in the slums of Casablanca where she is surrounded by a wall that separates her from the rest of the city; Elikia, is a five-year old with albinism, which is considered a stereotype by her neighbors; nine-year-old Zeinab opposes moving to Canada because she hates the snow; ten-year-old Mouna who copes with the death of her mother, almost never separates from her doll Ashia; ten-year-old Godelive attends a Catholic convent school in the Congo. However, the strict western education collides with her own memories of the traditions of her grandmother; eight-year-old Aida attempts to ease the suffering of her mother after her father brings a second wife into the household; after being accused of being a witch and placed in a "witches camp", 9-year-old Shula longs for freedom. Seven-year-old Aya lives with her Salafist parents, Mariem and Youssef. For fear of being banished by his Salafist community, Youssef is obliged to impose the wearing of Niqab on his wife. One day, Aya commits an act that will disrupt forever the fate of her family. Casablanca of the late 1970s. Eleven-year-old Hiba is fascinated with the cinema at a time in the history of Morocco where this space is still closed to women. Despite her mother’s interdiction, in order to enter the movie house, Hiba is ready to sell the object of her other passion, her books. Eleven-year-old pre-teen Amy discovers in her new elementary school a group of dancers called: “Les Mignonnes”. Fascinated, she begins a sexy dance, the twerk, hoping to join their band and escape a family upheaval.

[Français]

Le message de tolérance et d'humanisme universel des cinéastes passe par les enfants ... les personnages d'enfants sont représentés comme l'espoir des relations de genre souhaitables. (Sr. Dr. Dominica Dipio)

Dans une sélection de films récents ci-dessous, la petite fille joue le rôle principal. Cette représentation cinématographique nous montre une image forte et valorisante de la petite fille, lorsqu’elle confronte des questions complexes concernant sa famille et le monde qui l’entoure : Mouna, 10 ans, qui fait face à la mort de sa mère, ne se sépare presque jamais de sa poupée Aisha ; Elikia, 5 ans, est atteinte d’albinisme que son voisinage considère comme un stéréotype ; Nadia, 5 ans, vit dans les bidonvilles de Casablanca où elle est entourée d'un mur qui la sépare du reste de la ville ; Godelive, 10 ans, vit dans un pensionnat catholique en Congo y recevant une éducation occidentale. Mais le souvenir de sa grand-mère s’interpose ; Zeinab, qui a neuf ans, ne veux pas vivre au Canada parce qu’elle n’aime pas la neige; Aida, 8 ans, tente de soulager la souffrance de sa mère après que le père amène une seconde femme à la maison; Shula, qui a neuf ans, accusée de sorcellerie et mise dans un camp de sorcières, rêve de liberté. Aya, 7 ans, vit avec ses parents salafistes, Mariem et Youssef. Par peur d'être banni par sa communauté salafiste, Youssef est contraint d'imposer le port du Niqab à sa femme. Un jour, Aya commet un acte qui bouleversera à jamais le destin de sa famille. Casablanca, fin des années 70. Hiba, âgée de 11 ans, est fascinée par le cinéma à un moment de l'histoire du Maroc où ce lieu est encore fermé à la gente féminine. Malgré l'interdiction de sa mère, elle est prête à revendre l'objet de son autre passion, ses livres, pour y entrer. Amy, 11 ans, rencontre un groupe de danseuses appelé : « Les Mignonnes ». Fascinée, elle s’initie à une danse sensuelle, dans l’espoir d’intégrer leur bande et de fuir un bouleversement familial.

Ashia by/de Françoise Ellong Cameroon |Cameroun)

A Place for Myself | Une place pour moi by/de Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo (Rwanda)