Rokhaya Diallo: Les Marches de la Liberté | Steps to Freedom

Rokhaya Diallo: Les Marches de la Liberté | Steps to Freedom

Source in English: French American Foundation 

Source en français: La France à New York 

[English]

The French documentary directed by Rokhaya Diallo in 2013 questions the identity of France through the eyes of young American leaders. Their meetings throughout the travel highlight the situation of French youth and its specific issues, like recognition and identity. 

Ten Americans travel to France for a week, so that they get an opinion of the country of Human Rights, from the Palais de l’Elysée to the “suburbs”. Two hundred years after Tocqueville, the American group will follow the path of the theorist, in reverse. How do they perceive the disagreements that liven up France? Their meeting with young French, visits of institutions and various discussions in both sides of the Atlantic, will show the situation of France through the eyes of young American leaders. Influenced by non-violent action of Martin Luther King, the “March for Equality and against racism”, called March of the “Beurs" by the Medias, took place in Paris thirty years ago. What do they know about it? What is its legacy today? The famous American dream seems impossible in France. What about French dream  ? The film will reveal the opinion of the young generations of French and American about those historical victories.

[Français]

Un documentaire français réalisé par Rokhaya Diallo en 2013. Cinquante ans après la marche des droits civiques, aux Etats-Unis, et trente ans après la «Marche pour l'Egalité et contre le racisme» en France, des Américains se rendent dans l'Hexagone pour un état des lieux du pays des droits de l'homme.

Un documentaire qui questionne l'identité de la France à travers le regard de jeunes leaders américains. Leurs rencontres avec de jeunes Français, les visites des institutions ainsi que les entretiens menés des deux côtés de l'Atlantique, nous feront observer la situation de la jeunesse en France : ses problématiques spécifiques, comme la reconnaissance et l'identité.

Influencée par l'action non-violente de Martin Luther King, la Marche dite « des Beurs » s'est déroulée à Paris il y a trente ans. Qu'en savent-ils ? Quel est son héritage aujourd'hui ?

La caméra se glissera un temps dans la peau de ces Américains, à la découverte du « Vieux Continent ». L'histoire de Thione Niang donne corps au mythe de l'American Dream, mais qu'en est-il du rêve français ?

Rokhaya Diallo présente Les Marches de la Liberté

Angéla Aquereburu lance une campagne de crowdfunding sur Indiegogo pour la série "Palabres" | Angéla Aquereburu launchs a crowfunding campaign on Indiegogo for the "Palabres" series

La réalisatrice/productrice Angéla Aquereburu a lancé une campagne de crowdfunding sur Indiegogo pour continuer la production de la série “Palabres”.

Togolese filmmaker/producer Angéla Aquereburu has launched a crowfunding campaign on Indiegogo to assist in the continuation of Palabres series.

Bref résumé

Nous voulons non seulement répondre à une attente des téléspectateurs africains en leur donnant accès à un contenu premium identitaire et communautaire, mais aussi faire découvrir au reste du monde, avec humour, la richesse et la pluralité de la culture africaine.

Palabres est un concept de série TV, d’environ cinq minutes (3 sketchs), dont le propos est d'établir un dialogue humoristique entre une femme, Dior, son compagnon Alfa, sa sœur Lydia et Vivien, le meilleur ami d’Alfa. D’autres personnages comme la bonne, Colombes et Perpétue l’homme à tout faire, apparaitront dans quelques épisodes. 

Summary

Palabres offers the African viewer as well as the rest of the world a programme with a sense of identity and community. A programme "made in Africa" produced to the highest broadcasting standards, full of humour and richness reflecting the plurality of African cultures. 

Palabres is a 5 minutes series (3 sketches) which aims to create humorous dialogue and exchange among the characters: Dior, her partner Alfa, her sister Lydia and Vivien, Alfa's best friend. Some other characters such as the maid, Colombes or Perpetue the handyman, would appear in a few sketches.

For more information on the Indiegogo campaign and to make a contribution: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/palabres

Pour rejoindre la compagne Indiegogo et la soutenir:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/palabres

Link to Interview on African Women in Cinema Blog:

http://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2010/05/conversation-with-angela-aquereburu.html

Lien à l'entretien sur le Blog de la femme africaine dans le cinéma:

http://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2010/05/la-parole-angela-aquereburu.html 

Women's Round Table Discussion: The State of Black TV (USA)

Women's Round Table Discussion: The State of Black TV

The round table includes: Issa Rae (Awkward Black Girl), Numa Perrier (Blackandsexytv, The Couple), Ashley Blaine Featherson (HelloCupid), Lena Waithe (Sh*t Black Girls Say, Dear White People) & host Andrea Lewis (Black Actress, Degrassi)

Host Andrea Lewis had this to say about the discussion:

I had the pleasure of sitting down with some brilliant women who are changing the web and TV game for the better! We discussed black women on TV and the solutions to making the "average" black woman more mainstream.

Source: Andrea Lewis YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/andrealewischannel

Femmes, entièrement femmes [Women, Completely Women], a film by Dani Kouyaté and Philippe Baqué. To rebuild oneself after excision, an analysis

Femmes, entièrement femmes [Women, Completely Women], a film by Dani Kouyaté and Philippe Baqué. To rebuild oneself after excision, an analysis by Olivier Barlet 

Translation from French by Beti Ellerson for the African Women in Cinema Blog. (An African Women in Cinema Blog/Africultures collaboration)

A French urologist has created a surgery for the restoration of the clitoris. Circumcised women are attempting to take advantage of it. In Burkina Faso and France, women have decided to undergo the operation. They bear witness of their efforts to become “whole” women. Actresses embody other women who choose to testify anonymously. A dialogue is established. Speech is liberating. Should the restoration of the clitoris become a universally recognized right? " Femmes, entièrement femmes will be broadcast on TV5 Monde, Friday, March 14, 2013 (18h Dakar time), Sunday, March 16 ( 6h Dakar time) and Tuesday, March 18 (15h30 Dakar time). It was released on 01 March at 21h on Lyon Capitale TV.

The only purpose of the clitoris is for woman’s pleasure: this is the only human organ that has this function as its sole purpose. But women's sexuality frightens men. Beyond all the explanations of the circumstances, excision is clearly designed to keep the woman faithful and muted: "A non-excised woman becomes too strong," asserts an old woman in the film by Dani Kouyaté and Philippe Baqué.

Yet another film about excision? With 140 million excised women across the planet, this will not be one film too many! However, its purpose is not to document the fight against excision…It provides information about the operation that restores the nerves and the normal form of the clitoris, allowing the woman to return to a life of a "complete" woman.

It is this adjective that Dani Kouyaté and Philippe Baqué choose for their film entirely devoted to the reconstitution of the clitoris. Because that is what it is about, as the women who testify clearly emphasize: to be a complete woman, to take back control of their life when they did not choose to be circumcised, to regain self-esteem and fill that sense of lack that has dominated them.

"It changed my life!" one of the women attests. Excision is the cause of haemorrhaging, infections, and in the case of infibulation, pain during sexual relations and the complications of tears during childbirth. But the focus of the film is not so much on the serious consequences of FGC, but daring to speak about it, and daring to want to undergo the operation ​​to "rebuild one’s life".

It is estimated that 2 million excisions are performed per year, or 6,000 per day. French urologist Dr. Pierre Foldes has developed a surgical procedure that restores the clitoris and has performed 4,200 operations. He is seen training other doctors in Burkina Faso to expand the possibilities. Of course, only a small number of women will be able to take advantage of this still rare and expensive operation, not to mention that there is the struggle against the presence of cults, such as the Raelians, or the risk of speculation of some doctors, and the lack of regulation policies. But confronted with the prejudices proclaimed by the men during a conversation at the start of the film, consciousness-raising is necessary and this film contributes greatly to it.

It adopts indeed a committed performed speech, beyond the simple face-to-face testimony, opening up the uncertainty and ambivalence of difficult decisions: the women (here, the actresses take their texts), arranged in a circle, share among themselves via a blog and confide in each other by typing on their computers. In the dark, the camera rotates around them, heightening the focus on what they are saying, while producing a rhythm in tune. The curve of the camera’s path forms a loop without closing it, coming back to itself while opening to the others. These intimate moments that respond and vibrate together, forge the possibility of a line, a melody, a common pulse that pushes further, becoming the speech and the momentum of these women who rebuild their lives.

It is in this steadfastness that they are able to overcome the issues of honour that are ascribed to excision: " I do not fear the knife, I fear the shame of my mother," sings an old woman in the film. But times have changed and the same woman says that today excised women do not find husbands. The importance and relevance of this film, whose logic is impressive, is to focus on healing, starting with rebuilding and thus not only of pleasure but of the whole and complete woman.

Source : http://www.africultures.com/

International Women's Day: a tribute to African Women in Cinema

The Centre for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema

on the occasion of International Women's Day, 8 March

pays tribute to African women in cinema

"I am a woman" directed by Iquo B. Essien

A l’occasion de la journée internationale de la femme du 8 mars : un hommage aux femmes africaines dans le cinéma

Le Centre pour l'étude et la recherche des femmes africaines dans le cinéma

rend hommage aux femmes Africaines dans le cinéma

à l’occasion de la journée internationale de la femme du 8 mars 

"I am a woman" réalisé par Iquo B. Essien