Africa Dreaming
A series of six dramatic shorts, each from a different African country and all on the broad theme of "love in Africa."
Abderrahmane Sissako
João Ribeiro
Joseph Gaï Ramaka
Farai Sevenzo
Richard Pakleppa
Palesa Ka Letlaka
Also Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako
Sissako visits a war-torn Angola after thirty years of war in search of a friend and thereby through interviews reflects on the lost utopias of a generation of Africans who experienced the liberation struggles. His camera is witness to the dislocation and despair of those he encounters living in Angola, however he also discovers the resilient spirit of Africa and optimism for its future in unexpected ways.
Ira wanders around the streets of Moscow. She's pregnant with the child of Adrissa, an african student.
Melé is a bar singer, her husband Chaka is out of work and the couple is on the verge of breaking up... In the courtyard of the house they share with other families, a trial court has been set up. African civil society spokesmen have taken proceedings against the World Bank and the IMF whom they blame for Africa's woes... Amidst the pleas and the testimonies, life goes on in the courtyard. Chaka does not seem to be concerned by this novel Africa's desire to fight for its rights.
The story of two people who cross paths in Nouhadhibou.
8 shorts centered around 8 themes directed by 8 famous film directors involved and sharing their opinion on progress, on the set-backs and the challenges our planet faces today.
A cattle herder and his family who reside in the dunes of Timbuktu find their quiet lives -- which are typically free of the Jihadists determined to control their faith -- abruptly disturbed. A look at the brief occupation of Timbuktu by militant Islamic rebels.
Ahmed’s father has only a day with his wife and son before he must return to war. With haunting, innocent cruelty, the children play games that mirror the adult world, leading them to discover the harshness of destiny
In Ethiopia, in a small country school, children have a lesson on the Millennium Development Goals. But one of the pupils, Tiya, is distracted, she doesn’t listen. She is staring at the window. Outside, some children are playing rugby... Abderrahmane Sissako's contribution to 8 (2008).
La Vie Sur Terre (Life on Earth) is a 1998 Malian comedy/drama film written and directed by, and starring Abderrahmane Sissako. It is set in the village of Sokolo and depicts rural life on the eve of the 21st century. Runtime is 61 minutes.The film earned Sissako awards at the Fribourg International Film Festival, the Ouagadougou Panafrican Film and Television Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Also Directed by João Ribeiro
In a small coastal African village, Jaki lives, in a house full of cousins ruled with an iron fist by grandmother Agnette and haunted by the mysterious figure of Grandmother Catarina. The life of the neighbourhood revolves around the construction of a Mausoleum for a deceased President that threatens to demolish the local residents’ houses. “Granma Nineteen and the Soviet’s Secret” is an adaptation of Ondjaki's novel.
Tizangara, Mozambique. After the peace agreement. A mystery. UN soldiers exploding. An investigation is begun and Massimo is appointed to solve the mystery. Joaquim will have to translate, not only the words but the facts, in order for him to understand.
Also Directed by Joseph Gaï Ramaka
In times of social distance and the barrier gesture to protect one's neighbor, expression becomes an invaluable act to preserve our humanities. In Mbas mi, the director invites Goo Mamadou Ba to lend his voice to revive an essential text by Albert Camus. In the twilight of memory island, an incantatory voice rises. Carried by the surf, it changes according to a memory. From the alleys dotted with man-lanterns to the tops of sentinel baobabs, the words of "La Peste" resonate.
One shot on May 15, 1993 ended the life of Maître Babacar Sëye, the vice-president of Senegal's Constitutional Council.
Bizet's Carmen gets a modern adaptation. Seducting, provocating, sensual. All the ingredients for a perfect drama. With her charm, Karmen gets out of many situations.
Senegalesian film directed by Joseph Gaï Ramaka.
Documentary directed by Joseph Gaï Ramaka.
Based on a play by Wole Soyinka, The Strong Breed, SO BE IT offers an emotionally searing allegory of present-day Africa's bloody internecine convulsions.
Also Directed by Richard Pakleppa
Sophia's Homecoming reminds us that the devastating personal effects of the massive social dislocations caused by apartheid can never be erased. Sophia, like so many other women, becomes a self-reliant provider for her family, working as a domestic for a white family in Windhoek for 12 years. When her husband Naftali finally finds a job, she returns home with the dream of resuming her former family life. She quickly discovers that during her absence her sister Selna has replaced her in the affections of her children - and her husband.
Rachel struggles to survive a drought that has hit her farm and her life. A water-diviner brings dramatic changes to her life. She is confronted with a desert deep within herself and discovers a way to survive.
The film sheds light on a country in which, after twenty-seven years of war and three years of official peace, there is an overwhelming discrepancy between poor and rich. A sensitive and respectful approach towards a traumatised society.