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
3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities: A tribute to Zambian filmmaker Musola Cathrine Kaseketi
Musola Cathrine Kaseketi declares: “You can make a difference”, and she certainly has, by showing that women with disabilities are not different than anyone else; given the chance to learn, excel and succeed. Musola Cathrine Kaseketi founded Shungu Namutitima International Film Festival of Zambia (SHUNAFFoZ) with this objective in mind: to showcase through cinema, the capabilities of people and women in particular, with disabilities.
I grew up as a healthy and happy child. I was left with a permanent disability at the age of five from an injection in the nerve of my left leg; nonetheless, my family treated me as a normal child.
I also lived with my stepmother who taught me to be independent and a fighter. Because of the caring way that people in my surroundings responded to me, I had no idea that there was discrimination towards persons with disabilities.
It was in high school that I started to realised that I was not always accepted in society and therefore, not able to do certain things. Often my feelings were hurt after the many instances when the school authorities isolated students with disabilities from the enabled so that they could not get to know each other. My disability became a motivation to work harder and use art as a tool to communicate.
I met a man without hands who led a normal life and could even eat using a fork and knife. This encounter motivated me very much and inspired me to write a story about self-determination in 1989. It was very successful and was a catalyst for the change in attitudes towards disabilities in Zambia.
I continued to use dramatic poetry, writing and stage acting as a tool to foster the spirit of self-confidence and self-help, and to impart self-acceptance, self-determination and independent living.
In 2018, Musola Cathrine Kaseketi received the Her Abilities Award, the first global award honoring the achievements of women with disabilities: “Look at your obstacles as your motivations to achieve your goals. Ignore all the negative intimidating voices. Embrace the positive, empowering words because you are just like any other woman.”
Photo: Musola Cathrine Kaseketi receiving an award.
As highlighted in past commemoration posts, African women in cinema often use the visual media as a tool for awareness building as it relates to matters that touch their societies and burning issues that effect Africa.
In this regard the initiative Scenarios from Africa had as objective to give young people a unique occasion to learn more about HIV/AIDS.The 2011 edition demonstrated the extent that African girls and young adults seized this opportunity to tell these stories. Among the 25 frontrunners 17 were girls/young women--the youngest 12 years old. Furthermore, among the awardees of the three grand prizes two were young women.
Burkinabé Fanta Nacro has played an important role in the above initiative, as prominent African cineastes adapted films using these scenarios: A Call to Action, A Love Story, A Ring on Her Finger, The Champion, Iron Will, Peace of Mind, Never Alone, The Reasons for a Smile, Tiger Tigress. Also from the Series, Cameroonian Kidi Bebey’s Looking for a Brave Man explored relationships in the age of AIDS. A young woman seeking a serious relationship demands that her partner act responsibly which entails taking the AIDS test.
Fanta Nacro’s filmography also includes the 1998 short film, Le Truc de Konate (Konate's Thing). The comedy employed as a means of consciousness-raising proved very popular with the Burkinabé public, intermingling an established distrust of new concepts and old-fashioned masculine virility and honour with female consciousness.
With a more solemn tone, Tsitsi Dangarembga of Zimbabwe relays the tragic costs of AIDS in Everyone's Child, directed in 1995. The film focuses on the devastating consequences for the children who are left to fend for themselves after the AIDS-related death of parents. On a joyful note, in Zambian Musola Kaseketi's film Suwi, the young Bupe finds a happy home, while Tanzanian Beatrix Mugishagwe’s Tumaini tells a story of hope.
Kenyan Wajuhi Kamau, of the Film Production Department of the Educational Media Service of the Minister of Education, emphasises the effectiveness of video as a means of educating people about a range of issues, from AIDS to family planning. Using both the documentary and drama presentations, the objective of the agency is to allow people to see themselves reflected in the images. "When you see yourself, you see your situation, then it is easy to remember and change attitudes and behaviour." Zimbabwean Prudence Uriri has also focused on issues related to AIDS and health in general. The Unesco-commissioned Madizela and Samora (2003), and Life (2002) produced by Rooftop Promotions, are two AIDS-focused films directed by Uriri. She sees her role as a filmmaker to open a dialogue regarding the problems that people face, and in so doing they may be better informed.
Zambian Women in Cinema, Visual Media and Screen Culture
"You can make a difference" Musola Cathrine Kaseketi
Musola Cathrine Kaseketi, the first Zambian woman filmmaker, is recognized for her work in raising consciousness through cinema regarding people with disabilities. Musola, who also has a disability, founded Shungu Namutitima International Film Festival of Zambia (SHUNAFFoZ) in order to showcase, the capabilities of people and women in particular, with disabilities. Wanting to share her skills with aspiring filmmakers she established Vilole Images Production in 2002 whose aim is "to provide a platform for skills and knowledge enhancement, development and promotion of the film and television industry through training workshops throughout the year and hosting of a film festival each year that will screen products with various themes that contribute towards social change and improve livelihoods."
Having attended the Newtown Film and Television School in Johannesburg, which incorporates the empowerment of black women in its mission, she in turn has been mentor to other women. Jessie Chisi who was trained by Musola acquired filmmaking experience while working on her film Suwi. In 2015 at the Women of the Year Awards--designed to honor some in various fields who have made a contribution in shaping Zambia--she received the Woman of the Year in Film. She had this to say about receiving the award: "I was honoured amongst many other great women including the Honourable Inonge Wina, the first female vice president of Zambia, and also with two of my mentors, Dr. Tukiya K. Mabula, Deputy Governor at the Bank of Zambia, and the woman who taught me filmmaking Musola Cathrine Kaseketi. How cool can that be? Being honoured together with the women who you look up to?" A decade before in 2007, Musola was recognized at the Harare-based International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF), during which she received the Distinguished Woman of African Cinema Award at its inaugural reception. In 2013, Jessie Chisi founded the Zambia Short Film Fest to support emerging filmmakers. In 2022, she founded Zambian Women in Film to empower women's voices.
Like Jessie Chisi, women are aware of the important cultural exchange and support that the international experiences can provide. Because of the training and production opportunities outside of Zambia, women navigate in myriad locations, their home country always the point of departure. Seya Kitenge Fundafunda attended high school at the International School of Geneva, later enrolling in a film internship program in Helskinki, Finland. From these experiences she honed her filmmaking and organizing skills as director of a media company African Reel, whose mission is, to tell realistic African stories, to inspire, educate, motivate, challenge, as well as entertain the world in general and Africa in particular. Another project, Amka Arts Festival is a multi disciplinary arts festival whose main goal is to promote Zambian art and showcase its diverse culture. She had this to say about the empowerment of women: "Women are the major players in the development process and need to be empowered. Media is a powerful tool to educate women on issues that affect them, because what people see they believe and begin to practice." Rungano Nyoni, born in Zambia, emigrated to Wales at the age of nine. She directed several short films, and her first feature film, I am not a Witch, was selected at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes.
Through the efforts of women in Zambia and the Diaspora, Musola Kaseketi's vision of her country continues to resonate: "Zambia is a nation filled with artists who have great potential in the area of acting and production."
These Zambian women are among the growing cohort of filmmakers and film activist who contribute to the vibrancy of a cinema culture in the country.
Report by Beti Ellerson
Links to articles on the African Women in Cinema Blog:
Shungu Namutitima International Film Festival of Zambia
Under the theme, “STEP OUT, INSPIRE SOMEONE, BE AN CHANGE OF AGENT!”, the 2020 festival will bring along various activities programmed for 9days. The festival aims at finding a balance through entertainment, human rights, education, engaging audiences and delegates. SHUNAFFoZ 2020 will embark on a campaign to attract more participants, submissions and audiences, biased to products that address and promote critically stepping out to inspire someone and contribute to changing lives in order to create a better society for all, through film in any aspect of life. This year the festival focuses mainly on challenging artists, filmmakers, traditional, religious leaders and everyone to actively participate in issues like Child Marriage, Alcohol, Drug and Sexual Abuse.
A project of Vilole Images Productions (VIP), SHUNAFFoZ formerly known as the International Film Festival of Zambia (IFFoZ) was officially lunched on 28th October 2006 in Lusaka, to pursue a focused vision of contributing to the development of the Zambian film industry and promote the use of film as a tool for human rights and social change. It was instituted on the premise of contributing towards empowering individuals to the growth and visibility of the local film industry and celebrating the abilities of the all artists including the underprivileged through the art of film. This film festival is unique because it is biased to celebrate films about/of women, the youth and those who are underprivileged in society. Through this platform, it’s VIP’s hope is that all persons in the industry from different parts of the country and the world would come together to screen movies, network, discuss issues that matter, share and exchange information. Also sell and buy products that celebrate the theme of each year.
Netflix to release its first African animated series. Mama K’s Team 4, produced by Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios and leading London-based kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE.
Mama K’s Team 4 tells the story of four teen girls living in the neo-futuristic African city of Lusaka, Zambia who are recruited by a retired secret agent still committed to saving the world.
Mama K’s Team 4 is created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema and designed by Cameroonian artist Malcolm Wope. It draws visual inspiration from retro-’90s R&B and hip hop girl groups.
***
Netflix a annoncé la sortie de Mama K’s Team 4, sa première série animée africaine, produit par les studios d’animation Triggerfish d’animation du Cap et le spécialiste américain du divertissement pour enfants basé à Londres, CAKE.
Mama K’s Team 4 raconte l’histoire de quatre adolescentes vivant dans la ville néo-futuriste africaine de Lusaka, en Zambie, qui sont recrutées par un agent secret à la retraite toujours déterminé à sauver le monde.
La série a été créée par l’écrivaine zambienne Malenga Mulendema et conçue par l'artiste camerounais Malcolm Wope, s'inspire visuellement des groupes de R & B et de hip-hop rétro-années 90.
Set in the present day, an African satire about beliefs in witchcraft, revolving around a 9 year old girl, Shula, who is accused of being a witch. Shula is the first child to be taken to a travelling witch camp, where she is tethered to a spool with a ribbon. She is told that should she cut the ribbon and attempt to escape, she will be cursed and transformed into a goat. Over time Shula begins to long for freedom. Forced to decide whether to accept her fate as a witch, Shula ignites a rebellion within the camp.
Shula, 9 ans, est accusée de sorcellerie par les habitants de son village et envoyée dans un camp de sorcières. Entourée de femmes bienveillantes, condamnées comme elle par la superstition des hommes, la fillette se croit frappée d’un sortilège : si elle s’enfuit, elle sera maudite et se transformera en chèvre...Mais la petite Shula préfèrera-t-elle vivre prisonnière comme une sorcière ou libre comme une chèvre ?
Biography | Biographie
Born in Zambia, she emigrated to Wales at the age of nine. A graduate of the University of Arts in London, she directed several short films (The List, Mwansa the Great, Listen), which won her awards and welcome criticism. The List, won the Welsh BAFTA Award for Best Short Film and Listen (Kuuntele) received the Best Short Film Award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015. Her first feature length fiction, I Am Not a Witch was selected at the Directors' Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival 2017, and earned her the Best Director and the Best Director Award for a first film at the 20th British Independent Film Awards 2017.
Née en Zambie, elle émigre au Pays de Galles à l'âge de neuf ans. Diplômée de l'University of Arts de Londres elle réalise plusieurs courts métrages (The List, Mwansa the Great, Listen), qui lui valent récompenses et bon accueil critique. Listen (Kuuntele) reçoit le prix du meilleur court métrage au Festival du film de Tribeca en 2015.
Son premier long métrage de fiction, I Am Not A Witch est sélectionné à la Quinzaine des réalisateurs du Festival de Cannes 2017. Ce film lui vaut de recevoir le prix du meilleur réalisateur et du meilleur réalisateur d'un premier film aux British Independent Film Awards 2017.
Maggie Mulubwa, in I Am Not a Witch, by Rungano Nyoni
Cannes 2017: Rungano Nyoni's "I Am Not a Witch", a review by Olivier Barlet (Africultures)
This section about the film, I Am Not a Witch by Rungano Nyoni is part of the longer critique by Olivier Barlet. Translation from French by Beti Ellerson for the African Women in Cinema Blog. (An African Women in Cinema Blog/Africultures collaboration). Image : Africultures.
I Am Not a Witch is directed by a woman. Rungano Nyoni, who was born in Zambia and grew up in Wales, is known for her multi-awarded short films: The List, Mwansa the Great, and Listen. Shot in the vicinity of Lusaka, I Am Not a Witch is a witty jewel with an unbiased perspective, in which the nine-year-old Maggie Mulubwa imposes herself, her gaze not to be forgotten. Based on the observation that it is almost always women who are accused of sorcery and that the phenomenon is found in different places in Africa, Rungano Nyoni spent a month in Ghana in a two-hundred-year-old "witch camp". This experience allowed her to observe the organisation and patterns as well as the conditions in which the women worked and to visualise the scenario of the film, which she developed at the Cinéfondation du Festival de Cannes in 2013 and then in 2014 at the Moulin d'Ande.
It begins with tourists on a bus who, in the winter of the Four Seasons of Vivaldi, go to see, as in a zoo, a community of witches—made-up and even ludicrously menacing. Hence, the film will tell us about prejudices and in so doing is not afraid to diverge. The witches all have a white ribbon attached to their backs preventing them from flying away, as this is the manner in which they could kill people. Cutting these ribbons would transform them into goats. In the village, the nine-year-old Shula is regarded as a witch, such that she is ultimately incorporated into this community.
She stands out from the rest by the acuity of her judgment in naming those guilty of theft, to the extent that the chief commissioner designates her as assistant. So off we go through a series of fantastical scenes, extremely funny and absolutely allegorical, since throughout the film, it is the condition of women that is evoked: these witches exploited and uneducated, are prodded to buy wigs; they gulp down gin during an inspection by a government representative, the extravagant televisual trickery drives the commissioner's wife to renounce her identity. All of this is based on ancestral beliefs: one summons to make it rain, one skins a chicken, etc. Emancipation strategies are outlined, as in the tale that Shula relates where the ruse inverts the exploitative relationship, and of course, in the finale of this flamboyant film.
Kaouther Ben Hania : La belle et la meute | Aala kaf ifrit | Beauty and the Dogs
Image: Facebook Page
[Français]
Lors d'une fête étudiante, Mariam, jeune Tunisienne, croise le regard de Youssef. Quelques heures plus tard, Mariam erre dans la rue en état de choc. Commence pour elle une longue nuit durant laquelle elle va devoir lutter pour le respect de ses droits et de sa dignité. Mais comment peut-on obtenir justice quand celle-ci se trouve du côté des bourreaux ?
[English]
Mariam just wanted to enjoy the night, when a tragic event occurs. Despite the trauma, she is determined to go to the police. But what can be done when your persecutor is your only chance?
Rungano Nyoni est née à Lukasa en Zambie et a grandi au Pays de Galles. Réalisatrice de nombreux courts métrages dont The List, qui remporte un BAFTA, elle coécrit The Mass of Men, qui remporte un Léopard d’Or au festival de Locarno. Son dernier film, Listen, a été présenté à la #quinzaine2014 dans le programme Nordic Factory. Elle présente cette année son premier long métrage I Am Not a Witch (projet écrit durant sa résidence d’écriture à la Cinéfondation du Festival de Cannes 2013). Le film relate l’histoire de Shula, une fillette de 9 ans qui après un incident banal survenu dans son village, est accusée de sorcellerie. Après un rapide procès, elle est reconnue coupable et exilée au milieu d’un désert enfermée dans un camp de sorcières.
[English]
Born in Zambia and raised in Wales, Rungano Nyoni has made a number of shorts including BAFTA winner The List, as well as written the Locarno Golden Leopard winner The Mass of Men. She was selected for the Nordic Factory where she co-directed the short Listen, which premiered in Directors' Fortnight. She presents her first feature film I Am Not a Witch which tells us the story of a nine year old girl accused of witchcraft and condemned to live assigned to a witch camp. Set in the present day, an African satire about beliefs in witchcraft, revolving around a 9 year old girl, Shula, who is accused of being a witch. Shula is the first child to be taken to a travelling witch camp, where she is tethered to a spool with a ribbon. She is told that should she cut the ribbon and attempt to escape, she will be cursed and transformed into a goat. Over time Shula begins to long for freedom. Forced to decide whether to accept her fate as a witch, Shula ignites a rebellion within the camp.
Steven Grootboom, considéré comme un « outsider » par certains membres de sa communauté, vit pour sa famille et son jardin potager, la principale activité génératrice de revenus. De façon inattendue, le monde de Steven s'écroule après le diagnostic d’un cancer du sein. Cette nouvelle dévastatrice a un effet sur Steven, sa femme, et surtout la relation entre Steven et son fils, qui est au milieu de ses examens de fin d'études.
[English]
Steven Grootboom, considered an outsider by some members of his community, lives for his family and his income generating vegetable garden. Unexpectedly, Steven’s world comes crashing down when he is diagnosed with breast cancer. This devastating news takes a toll on Steven, his wife and most of all Steven’s relationship with his son who is in the middle of his school-leaving examinations.
Friday 2 December to Saturday 10 December 2016, in Livingstone
Deadline for Submission: Wednesday 10 August 2016
Vilole Images Productions (VIP) is pleased to invite filmmakers to submit documentaries, short films and full-length feature films to the Shungu Namutitima (Smoke that Thunders) International Film Festival of Zambia (SHUNAFFoZ). The festival will run from Friday 2 December to Saturday 10 December 2016 in Livingstone the tourist capital of Zambia.
Celebrating the 11th Anniversary, under the theme “INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES”, the festival will accept Zambian and African films into competition. However, films from all over the world are for screening ONLY.
Besides the theatrical, institutional and community screenings, lined-up are film forums and conferences. Also planned is a set of film skills and production workshops and forums filled with exciting activities. It will conclude with a gala and award night on 10 December 2016 at Maramba Culture Village.
Deserving filmmakers who have produced quality films with an aspect that touches on or demonstrates alignment with the main theme “INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES!” from Zambia and Africa will be awarded. Submission of products should be in DVD PAL format only with the requested press package. Uncompleted packages and late entries will not be accepted.
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE COMPETITION:
- The film(s) should have good production and entertainment quality
- The film(s) may be entered for competition or out of competition
- The film(s) should have been produced within the last five (05) years
- Films submitted into the competition will be adjudicated by a Jury/juries selected by the Festival and the competition decision(s) by the Jury shall be final
- The audience will also have the privilege of selecting a feature film of their choice to give an award, and movies from all over Africa are eligible to enter for the selection
Please mark your package, “NCV – No Commercial Value – Film Festival Entry”, so we do not incur duties and taxes when the package is brought into Zambia.
For more information contact:
The Festival Coordinator
Vilole Images Production
Address: Plot No 2344, Mosi-oa Tunya Road, Livingstone, Zambia OR P.O. BOX 60987, Livingstone, Zambia
Jessie Chisi had this to say to Beti Ellerson on winning the Woman of the Year in Film Award:
The Women of the Year Awards were designed to honour women in their various fields, who have made a contribution in shaping Zambia. On 10 April 2015, the Hotel Inter-Continental Grand Ball Room was packed with such women, the kind who I have seen on television or read about in the press. Women who have done so well and yet very little has been known or said about them. As each and every woman’s profile was read, one marvelled at how much they all had achieved in their own right, it felt like one had just discovered gold and how deeply it shines.
I am very honoured to be recognised as Woman of the Year in Film. I thank God because he made me come this far. I certainly did not imagine in a million years this could happen to me at my young age. For the first time I am as shocked as the persons who were not yet convinced that I could actually succeed in my career. I was honoured amongst many other great women including the Honourable Inonge Wina, the first female vice president of Zambia, and also with two of my mentors, Dr. Tukiya K. Mabula, Deputy Governor at the Bank of Zambia, and the woman who taught me filmmaking Musola Cathrine Kaseketi. How cool can that be? Being honoured together with the women who you look up to?
This award has come at the right time, to stir my drive even more and help me reach my desired goals. This award means a lot to me because it opens many possibilities for other young people and women. I think when young people like me are honoured; it inspires the nation and brings hope for others.
I now realise that persistence, consistency and simply being oneself garners immediate results towards one's success. Though my young career has had more setbacks than successes, there was never a day when I felt I should quit, and even in those short moments when I may have felt that way, I immediately returned to my goal. I do not regard myself as someone special or privileged. I do believe that whatever I have achieved to date has been a result of hard work, criticism and long hours of dreaming. Everyone must follow her or his intuition and talents and desire. The first sign of a successful career is to be at peace with whatever you are doing, with its thorns or roses. I have come to be confortable in what I do. It is a drive that does not seek attention but rather, it is a freedom of expression that cannot be marginalised by gender, culture or age.
Just to echo the voice of the founder of the Women of the Year Awards and Afro beats Karen Nakawela who said, “The first Women of the Year Awards, my dream to celebrate Zambian women, has come true and I am still dreaming. Let us do this every day, it is pointless to celebrate someone when they are dead. Let us show our women that we love them and appreciate their efforts. If we do not who will?”
These were such powerful words coming from the founder as she talked about what stirs her motivation. I just want to take this opportunity to celebrate Karen Nakawala for her efforts and her dream to put up such a great event that inspires others. I want to celebrate those nurses in hospitals that ensure lives are saved, I want to celebrate that single parent woman who has raised such amazing kids on her own, I want to celebrate the woman who sells tomatoes every day on the street to survive and help her family. I want to celebrate the woman that takes plight in helping others after the devastations of war. I want to celebrate my mother for giving birth to me. She would have been very proud to see the woman I have become. Rest in peace my queen.
Also see links on the African Women in Cinema Blog:
Updated text from the Zambia Short Fest - The Zambian Short Film Festival Facebook page, May 2025
Jessie Chisi holds a degree in Development Studies and a diploma in Film Studies, having trained in film in Finland. She is currently pursuing a further degree in film to deepen her craft. As a passionate filmmaker focused on African stories, her journey was shaped by attending the Durban Talent Campus (2009) and Berlinale Talent Campus (2010), which inspired her future work. In 2013, she founded the Zambia Short Film Fest to support emerging filmmakers. Her debut film, Between Rings (2014), co-directed with Salla Sorri, tells the story of her cousin Esther Phiri, Zambia's first female boxer, and premiered at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival. Chisi also co-created Imagination (2016), directed Zambia's first telenovela Zuba (2018-2019), and produced socially impactful films including Remedy (2020) and Extracted: The People vs. Vedanta (2021). She was one of ten directors on Year Zero (2022), which premiered at Tribeca. In 2022, she founded Zambian Women in Film to amplify women's voices. In 2023, she worked on the impact film Faith is Fuel. She divides her time between Zambia and Switzerland. Jessie Chisi, who lives and works between Zambia and Finland, and is founder and director of the Zambia Short Film Festival, has recently completed the feature documentary, Between Rings: The Esther Phiri Story. She relates about her evolution and experiences in cinema.
Jessie what were your experiences with cinema while growing up in Zambia?
When I was growing up, cinema was like a luxury or fantasy, going there because it was a holiday or a special event in the family or as a reward for passing your exams. Most of my childhood cinema memories were going to outdoor screenings that were set either in halls or under a plastic stall. I would often use money to pay for the entrance fee rather than for lunch. The films were always projected from a small screen but for me it was phenomenal, that excited me. I watched films such as Lion King, Chaplin and Good Fellas. One of the films that really left an impact on me was the South African apartheid story, Sarafina and stories like Shaka Zulu. I could relate to the pains and agonies of the people. Those stories were always with me.
You are an emerging filmmaker, what inspired you to want to make films and what has been your learning process, training?
I started writing stories when I was twelve years old. In school I always did well in literature and storytelling, those subjects were my comfort zone; I would shine with them. But what inspired me to be a filmmaker was the fact that no one believed me and I wanted to prove them wrong. Everyone thought that I was a dreamer--filmmaking was a very lonely path for me. Who talks about being a film director at the age of sixteen, and breaths and thinks cinema in a country where at that time the industry was non-existence, barely starting?
However I began the quest. I met the necessary people who inspired me. People like Cathrine Kaseketi who trained me for a long period; and also Sakafunya Chinyinka who was my mentor; he made me believe in myself. Filmmaking has been a process of inquiring, discovering, experiencing, developing and having fun. I started out as a continuity supervisor, which allowed me to grow, and it opened my eyes since I was constantly working close to the director on any given project. I worked on Karl Francis’ Hope Eternal as continuity supervisor, Cathrine Kaseketi’s Suwi, and Zambian Kitchen Party. As I was looking within to discover myself, I served under people who inspired and challenged me. To think ten years ago that I would have a film that is screened in a festival—it was a far-fetched dream.
You attended the Durban Talent Campus in 2009, what was that experience like?
This was an awesome experience. Actually it was from Durban that I really started believing in myself. I pitched a film for the first time and I made a very good impression. Though it was a project that I never got to make, in Durban I was able to meet talented people and well-established filmmakers, which was a breath of fresh air. I was very motivated, and from Durban I never looked back. I was very young then, outgoing and extremely ambitious, never believing in failure. Then in 2010 I was accepted at the Berlinale Talent Campus.
What did the Berlinale Talent Campus entail and what did you get from the experience?
It is a very competitive campus and I was selected with my project, Woman on Hold. It was among the 12 selected projects from over a thousand applicants. At the Berlinale my project got the best pitch review and for the most promising film. I was more than humbled and I knew from then on that my journey to real professional filmmaking had begun. Being young, African and a woman, this industry is tough. I had to brace myself for challenges because I knew it would not get any easier; but I remained persistent, focused and consistent. Art is about consistency and managing your inner desires. In addition, while there I learned how the international markets work, and the question I always ask is “where is Africa in this? Can African cinema fit in? Can women filmmakers fit in? And my answer was yes. The world is slowly changing and it is embracing diversity: I strive to take my stories across the globe. So the experience for me in the campus was all about acquiring knowledge, networking and making lasting experiences.
Your film Between Rings co-directed with Salla Sorri is about your cousin who is a champion female boxer. Did you decide to focus on her in order to follow her training and progress leading up to the 2012 Olympics?
Time flies, and the film has changed a lot. Originally called Woman on hold, the film is now titled Between Rings: The Esther Phiri Story. It is a story about my cousin Esther Phiri, the first-ever Zambian female boxer who was torn between marriage and career because she could not have both worlds as one conflicted with the other. Again those kinds of situations disturb me, first as a human being and second as a woman. I was intrigued and started asking questions like "why shouldn’t she be able to if she loves it?"
Esther’s story is one of a woman who always puts her life on hold to achieve the other thing and always remains empty within herself. She gives up her love for boxing and gives up boxing for her independence.
You are now living in Finland, working there in film and visual media. What have been your experiences?
I actually have lived for the past 5 years 50% of the time in Zambia and 50% in Finland. My experience of having a torn life in two different countries has made me more aware of who I am as an artist. I went to Finland to train in filmmaking on a scholarship organized for local Zambian filmmakers. During my training there I made a 22-minute short called Every woman knows. Oh, please don’t ask me, “why another woman story”. I am always around women who protest that women should tell their own stories. This movie was more of my discovery stage. The following year I directedGoodbye, about a woman dying of cancer and her son is waiting to say goodbye and she wants lip gross because her lips are dry, however, the son misses the moment to say good bye but he puts the gloss on her lips anyway. Unborn is a story about a woman who has to make a very critical decision in her life. Between keeping her newly-promoted career or her unborn child. I am actually releasing a second version of a similar situation but this time to be set in Zambia. I am always fascinated about women and their decision-making; how we always have to give up one thing in order to have something else.
What has been the reactions of the Finnish public to your work?
Most of the Finnish who see my short films say that I have a melancholic Finnish way of storytelling. I suppose it is because I now know the culture there. I have studied the people. I have connected with Euphoria Boralise, a Finnish film association with whom I have been doing projects. To me, Finland is a good place to write and to be inside oneself as an artist. The film industry is small, but it is big compared to Zambia.
You are founder and director of the Zambia Short Fest, which is a visible part of the Zambian cinemascape.
The project was born from the fact that Zambia has no film school, yet there is a lot of talent. The Zambia Short Fest wants to encourage rising talents and filmmakers to use short films as their school. We showcase shorts of 15 minutes or less. 2014 is our second edition and we are going to screen 60 films, sixty percent of which are Zambian films and 40% international. There is a three-week intensive film-training workshop prior to the film festival where 24 young Zambians are enrolled. The training is in co-operation with Euphoria Borealis and is funded by the Finnish film foreign ministry.
A Zambian cinema culture is emerging as a result of talented filmmakers like yourself. You have already created the Zambia Short Fest, how else would you like to contribute to its growth and success?
I love Zambia. Zambia has untapped stories and talents and I want to explore that. I have just finished making my first feature-length documentary and I am excited especially to see and hear what Zambian thinks about it. I want to see where this boxer’s story leads me. I am working with an amazing woman, Victoria Thomas who has been a great pillar. She is in charge of African and world distribution of the film.
Four women (Caroline Kamya, Sam Kessie, Alamork Marsha, Rungano Nyoni) were among the twelve African finalists selected to present their film projects at Open Doors (9-12 August) at the 67th edition of the Locarno Film Festival. Rungano Nyoni, won the Open Doors Grant and the Prix ARTE International prize for her feature project “I am not a witch”. Congratulations to Rungano, congratulations to all.
The Open Doors website describes this initiative as follows:
With the support of the Swiss Foreign Ministry’s Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Open Doors aims to support and highlight filmmakers from a region in the world’s South and East where independent cinema is vulnerable. Open Doors encourages the provision of funding for the selected projects, giving their representatives the opportunity to present them to international producers. (http://www.pardolive.ch/en/Pardo-Live/today-at-the-festival/2014/12-finalist-projects-selected-for-open-doors-2014.html NO LONGER ACCESSIBLE)
"Hot Comb", Caroline Kamya (Uganda)
"Unbalanced", Sam Kessie (Ghana)
"Fig Tree", Alamork Marsha (Ethiopia/Israel)
"I am not a witch", Rungano Nyoni (Zambia/France)
Follow link to description of projects: http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/locarno/locarno-2014-open-doors-projects/5075706.article
Rungano Nyoni from Zambia, has been crisscrossing the globe to festival screenings of her film Mwansa the Great since its release this year.
The film evolved from the 2009 Focus Features' Africa First Program for which her film project was chosen along with four other African filmmakers to receive financial and professional support to make their short films.
The film tells the story of eight year old Mwansa who aspires to be a hero and embarks upon a journey to prove his greatness - with unexpected consequences. Rungano Nyoni, who grew up writing stories, wanted to show the normality and fulfilled dreams of childhood despite adversity.
Rungano Nyoni on Focus Features
Trailer - Mwansa the Great (2011) by Rungano Nyoni
Seya Kitenge Fundafunda talks about her evolution into cinema, her film Kayemba, initiatives such as the media company African Reel and the Amka Arts Festival, and her hopes for the future of Zambian Cinema.
Seya, you are an emerging filmmaker from Zambia, what were your experiences in cinema while growing up?
Well I come from a family that watched a lot of classic movies like My Fair Lady, A Sound of Music (my favorite film of all time), Fiddler on the Roof, Scrooge, and lots of classic Disney movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Bambi, etc. But these were viewed at home, and not at an actual cinema because at the time the state of cinema theatres in this country had deteriorated and we weren’t allowed to go anywhere near them. Despite all this, my interest in performing arts emerged.
You have had diverse international experiences in media production, starting in high school in fact at the International School of Geneva, what role have they played in the evolution of your career at present?
My international background has played a huge role in my life and my career; it has exposed me to so many cultures. At this moment in history, I think it’s critical to learn and understand how to live and work with people of different cultures. And it’s the same in the media industry. Looking at the high school productions, such as the German play The Visit, we had students from different ethnic backgrounds taking up German roles. For my role, I played a painter and recited some of my lines in German, which was tough during rehearsals but when it was show time, I have to say we all did a remarkable job. My work ethic today is what it is because of my past experiences; it has made me a perfectionist.
You attended a film internship program in Helsinki, Finland in 2010. What did the internship entail, how did you become involved with it and what were your experiences?
The film internship in Helsinki, Finland came about after the 2008 production of the feature film Suwi by Musola Cathrine Kaseketi. It was the first co-production between Zambia and Finland. We had half of the crew come from Finland. And upon completion of the production, the Finnish crew wanted to do more for the young Zambian crew in terms of training since Zambia has no film school. When they returned to Helsinki, they presented a proposal to the Finnish Government to do a 3-month film internship in Helsinki. Due to budget constraints, they couldn’t take the whole Zambian crew, so only three could go in 2009, which was the first year. There was an application process and selection, so I applied for the 2010 group and got selected. I had an amazing experience during the internship and learnt a lot, including: the history of film and filmmaking, exercises in making short amateur silent films, attending the 2010 Helsinki International Film Festival, scripting and directing a short film called Kayemba.
Your final project, Kayemba, is about the traumatic experience of a young Finnish-African woman by the same name. Why did you choose this subject, what were your experiences with the actors and crew, and what has been the reception of the film?
The idea for Kayemba came about while still in Zambia, before I leaving for the internship. As part of the application for the internship, one had to send a synopsis of a film one would like to make at the end of the internship and so that is how Kayemba came about. I am a human rights advocate at heart and I wanted to do something that had to do with women’s rights. The subject matter for Kayemba is so important and relevant and needs to be talked about and addressed with urgency throughout Africa and the world at large. There are a lot of women, young women in fact, whose rights are infringed upon, due solely to the fact that they are women. And if this film helps even one woman, then I will be satisfied. The cast and crew of Kayemba were a great group to work with. Everyone was very dedicated to this project before, during and after the shoot. I am so grateful to them. They made my directorial debut stress free. Kayemba is screening at the 2011 Kenya International Film Festival (21-31 October), which is really exciting. This is the first major film fest at which it is being screened. Some viewers expressed feeling depressed, maybe because of its inconclusive ending. There is no happy ending. I wanted it to be as realistic as possible. Some did not like it. For instance one YouTube viewer commented “I don't believe that showing violence prevents violence. That is why I don't like this film. It is not a good idea to show a rape.” But overall, the responses have been encouraging.
Kayemba (2010) by Seya Kitenge Fundafunda
You are the director of the media company African Reel. What is the mission of the company and some of the projects that it has undertaken?
African Reel is an up and coming media house. The mission is to tell realistic African stories, to inspire, educate, motivate, challenge, as well as entertain the world in general and Africa in particular. To make a difference! We are currently working on a few campaigns, one of them called Green Revolution focuses on the environment. Another, Real and Raw, a reality show of sorts, presents African perspectives on African female beauty. In addition, we are in the developmental stage for a series of 13 short films dealing with the theme of HIV/AIDS, but with a twist: all of the stories derive from real life. We are also in co-production with another local production company on a 20-episode drama series called Dreams. So these are just a few of the projects African Reel has embarked upon.
The project, Dreams is a 20-episode TV drama series. What is the theme of the program and how did the concept evolve?
Dreams is a drama series reflecting on gender challenges in relation with development. It addresses issues that women in Africa deal with and the challenges they face; things such as women’s health, girl child education and cultural challenges for women. The story is told through three characters: Taonga an orphan with a strong desire for education and freedom but cocooned in a society that has different trends and norms of life. Bertha, Taonga’s mother who is trapped in a marriage based on cultural beliefs, and Kamukazi Taonga’s cousin, a young mother entering marriage for all the wrong reasons. They all have dreams that seem farfetched for the simple reason that they are women. There are certain things that society believes are a woman’s fate and that she is supposed to do. The three women endure hardships such as rape, defilement, infringement of rights, and other abuses.
What reactions do you hope to get from the viewers?
Women are the major players in the development process and need to be empowered. Media is a powerful tool to educate women on issues that affect them, because what people see they believe and begin to practice.
The Amka Arts Festival is a project in the works. What is the concept and what do you hope that participants will get from the festival.
Amka Arts Festival is a multi disciplinary arts festival whose main goal is to promote Zambian art and showcase our diverse culture. It will also be a platform for international artists to network and learn from Zambian artists and vice versa. We are hoping that at the end of the festival, our government will see the importance of supporting the arts industry, because there has been little support from this important sector. The festival will take place from the 3rd to 4th week of September 2012.
What is the state of cinema in Zambia and what contribution would you like to make?
Zambian cinema is still in its infancy. We haven’t really reached the competitive stage yet. Right now we are lobbying for a film policy as well as a film school because we currently do not have one. Most of us fortunate ones got hands-on training during international projects shot in Zambia, but those who weren’t able to be a part of those projects are left out. Having said that, there are some young people nonetheless, who go ahead and write scripts, shoot a few amateur films. However, we have a long way to go as far as cinema is concerned. I hope to be part of the evolution of our industry, not just as a woman, but also as a proud African.
Interview with Seya Kitenge Fundafunda by Beti Ellerson, October 2011
