Africa in the Piazza Saturday
Free Film Screenings curated by John Akomfrah, Smoking Dogs Films. All foreign language films have English subtitles.
Saturday 1 September
PROGRAMME 1: 2pm – 3.50pm
Pumzi
Director: Wanuri Kahiu
Country: Kenya
Production year: 2009
Runtime: 21 mins
This science-fiction short from Wanuri Kahiu is set 35 years after World War III, after ‘water wars’ have destroyed life above ground. Earth’s inhabitants have been forced to live underground by an authoritarian government. One young woman manages to germinate a seed and begins a quest to investigate the possibility of life on the outside. Pumzi was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010.
A Screaming Man
Director: Mahamat Saleh Haroun
Country: Chad
Production year:2010
Runtime: 92 mins
Acclaimed director Mahamat Saleh Haroun presents a portrait of fractured family relations against a backdrop of civil war. Adam, a former swimming champion, works as a pool attendant at an expensive hotel. When he loses his job to his adult son Abdel, their relationship becomes strained. It is further complicated by the arrival of rebel forces in town, placing civilians like Adam and Abdel under pressure to support the government. A Screaming Man was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
PROGRAMME 2 : 4.15pm – 6.25pm
Mwansa the Great
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Country: Zambia
Production year: 2011
Runtime: 24 mins
Humorous and beguiling, Mwansa the Great is the story of an eight-year-old boy who aspires to be a hero. He embarks upon a journey to prove his worth, with unexpected consequences. Rungano Nyoni’s film takes us into a vivid childhood world, where the boundaries between fantasy and reality are blurred by a young boy’s powerful imagination.
Yeelen
Director: Souleymane Cissé
Country: Mali
Production year: 1987
Runtime: 105 mins
Directed by legendary film-maker Souleymane Cissé, this adaptation of an ancient Malian legend is one of the most acclaimed of African films. Blending magic with a coming-of-age story, the film is set in the powerful Mali Empire of the 13th century. It follows the journey of a young warrior, Nianankoro, who must confront his father, a dangerous and corrupt wizard. Crossing the arid Bambara, Fulani and Dogan lands of ancient West Africa, the film culminates in a dramatic final showdown between father and son. Yeelen displays Cissé’s strikingly unique cinematic style and was awarded the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.
Parental advice: This film is suitable for General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. The film contains some mature themes, some moderate violence and some natural nudity all within the context of the story and of the culture involved.
BREAK: 6.25pm – 6.40pm
PROGRAMME 3: 6.40pm – 7.25pm
La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil (The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun)
Director: Djibril Diop Mambéty
Country: Senegal
Production year: 1998
Runtime: 45 mins
When director Djibril Diop Mambéty died in 1998, he left behind this final masterpiece. La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil follows Sili Laam, a young disabled girl who begs for money on the streets of Dakar. Refusing to be bowed by hardship, Sili determines to become the first girl to sell newspapers in the competitive world of young male newspaper vendors. Sili’s steely resilience offers a symbol of hope in a harsh and unjust world. Mambéty dedicated La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil to ‘the courage of street children’, and many of the film’s scenes are played by street children rather than professional actors.
BREAK: 7.25pm – 7.40pm
PROGRAMME 4: 7.40pm – 10pm
Area Boys
Director: Omelihu Nwanguma
Country: Nigeria
Production year: 2007
Runtime: 27 mins
Set on the streets of Lagos, Area Boys is a fast-paced coming of age drama about corruption, hope and the true value of friendship. Lifelong friends Bode and Obi have grown up in a world riddled with corruption and greed. When they are involved in a scam that goes wrong, they decide to sever ties with their megalomaniac boss Dele and form a partnership of their own. But going it alone proves more difficult than they’d thought: when Dele finds out that they have invaded his turf, they are forced into a life-or-death situation. How far will Bode and Obi go for friendship?
Parental advice: This film is suitable for General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. The film contains some scenes of violence and strong language, in the context of the story and of the culture involved.
Otelo Burning
Director: Sara Belcher
Country: South Africa
Year of production: 2012
Runtime: 112 mins
It is 1989 and the struggle against apartheid in South Africa is at its peak. 16-year-old Otelo, his brother and best friend escape the growing threat of political violence through their shared passion for surfing. But just as they learn to master the waves and begin to win competitions, tragedy strikes. Otelo is forced to make a choice between the allure of surfing and a struggle for justice. Otelo Burning won two awards at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2012.
Parental advice: This film is suitable for General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. The film contains some scenes of violence and strong language, in the context of the story and of the culture involved.
