• Home
  • Bio
  • Media
    • Read
    • Watch/Listen
  • Speaking
  • Work with me
  • Contact

MsAfropolitan

FEMINISM. PAN-AFRICA. SOCIAL CRITICISM. DIASPORA. CULTURE.

  • feminism
  • Africa
  • Pop Culture
  • Social Criticism
  • decolonisation
  • Afropolitanism
  • seven
  • Sensuous Knowledge
    • Sensuous Knowledge references and recommended reading
    • International
    • Sensuous Knowledge news
  • Other Books
  • The MsAfropolitan Philosophy Book Club @ Waterstones

7 films directed by African women to see at Film Africa

October 28, 2015 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

The fifth edition of the Royal African Society’s annual film festival, Film Africa, is taking place on the 30 Oct – 8 Nov in London. Film Africa celebrates the best African cinema with a wide-ranging film programme. This year, over 60 films from 26 African countries will be screened.

As one of the Friends of Film Africa, I have selected seven films directed by African women for you to check out – there will also be Q & A sessions with some of the directors after the screenings. The topics of the seven films range from coming-of-age stories to romantic quandaries to defiance of patriarchal traditions. But as films directed by African women, what they share in common is that they all contribute to the articulation of a female voice in African film. It is a voice, which no matter how profound, trivial, heavy, entertaining, serious, informative or seductive, – unwaveringly insists on being heard (or seen).

All is well_Still image

All Is Well by Pocas Poscoal – In the late summer of 1980, Alda (16) and her sister Maria (17), arrive in Lisbon to escape civil war in Angola. Left to their own devices, they start to build a new life from scratch in unfamiliar surroundings. Faced with many obstacles and bad news, the girls struggle between a past they can no longer return to and a future that doesn’t seem to exist. As they enter womanhood, they must find the strength to decide their own fate. In her much acclaimed, award-winning debut, director Pocas Pascoal uses her personal story of escape and exile in order to find a voice for a whole generation of refugees, who fled to Portugal in their thousands as war raged back in Angola. 

Price of Love - Still 01

Price of Love by Hermon Hailay – A young Addis Ababa taxi driver gets caught up in the dark side of love in this off-beat romance. Teddy is trying to take the high road and put his khat-chewing and drinking days behind him. When his taxi is stolen after he helps a young girl escape her violent ex-pimp, he sees his livelihood and source of redemption abruptly disappear. Feeling guilty, this mysterious beauty offers to help Teddy get his taxi back, and before long he’s falling for her charms. Having grown up in proximity to sex work, renowned writer/director Hermon Hailey draws on personal experience to add depth to this courageous and bittersweet film, capturing the dark underbelly of a city in flux.

Love the One You Love_Still Image

Love the One You Love by Jenna Cato Bass – Phone sex operator Terri might be comfortable voicing the most intimate of thoughts over the phone with strangers. However, words don’t come so easily when it comes to communicating her feelings towards Sandile, her attentive boyfriend who spends his time looking after animals. In another corner of Cape Town, a computer technician struggles to let go of a lost love, rubbing self-indulgent salt in his wounds by insisting on spending time with his ex’s younger brother. As fate would have it, their parallel paths intersect and they begin to suspect that their love is a peculiar conspiracy – setting in motion an intimate, funny and bittersweet exploration of some of the more sacred ideals of young life in contemporary South Africa.

Between Rings - The Esther Phiri Story

Between Rings: The Esther Phiri Story by Sala Sorri and Jessie Chisi – Esther Phiri has literally had to fight to carve out an independent life on her own terms. Whilst most young women in her native Zambia were busy planning weddings, Esther had other ideas – to stay single, be a professional boxer and complete the high school education that she abandoned when her family fell on hard times. Her sudden meteoric rise to undefeated world champion took the boxing world by surprise and she was soon dubbed ‘Zambia’s Million Dollar Baby’. In private, Esther slowly crumbled under the weight of her own success. This is an astute documentary about a tenacious woman who is full of the contrasts, conflicts and inner tensions that come with fame and celebrity.

ALMA - still1

Alma by Christa Eka Assam – Alma is a beautiful young woman living with her husband in a fishing village in rural Cameroon. What seems an idyllic existence in the beginning soon turns into a harrowing story of domestic abuse, which unfolds in the context of a community that does nothing. With a great performance by protagonist/ director Christa Eka Assam, Alma bluntly explores the tragic consequences of gender based violence when un-denounced.

Tjitji the Himba Girl_Still image

Tjitji the Himba Girl by Lomboleni Oshosheni Hiveluah – Tjitji is a young, successful and ambitious student who dreams of being the next famous Talk Show host, like her idol Oprah. Tjitji also lives dutifully in the time-honoured Himba tradition. As is the custom, she soon learns that her Father is arranging for her marriage to a young Himba man. Tjitji is faced with a dilemma – should she defy her culture to follow her dream?

Ayanda-Fulu-Mugovhani-OC-Ukeje-

Ayanda by Sara Blecher – 21-year-old Afro-hipster and artist Ayanda (Fulu Mugovhani) is the child of a Nigerian father and a South African mother. Since the death of her mechanic father, she’s been thrown into a world of greasy overalls, gender stereotypes and abandoned vintage cars as she struggles to keep his dwindling garage business afloat. When her uncle announces that the garage is to be sold, Ayanda sees the tangible connection to her beloved father start to fade, and so with the help of her boyfriend David (OC Ukeje) embarks on a new business venture, refurbishing old vintage cars for resale in a bid to save the garage. Ayanda’s own freewheeling inventiveness is an allegory for a modern South Africa in transition, where communities are diverse, ideas flow, and where women have a voice.

A pdf of the programme brochure is available here or view all events on the Film Africa website.

Cross-posted on the Film Africa blog.

Filed Under: Africa, feminism, Pop Culture, seven Tagged With: African feminism, African Film, Afrocentric, Female Directors, Film Africa, gender, identity

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Feminism. Africa. Popular Culture. Social Criticism.

Hi! I'm Minna Salami, I'm a Nigerian-Finnish and Swedish writer and social critic, and the founder of the multiple award-winning blog, MsAfropolitan, which connects feminism with critical reflections on contemporary culture from an Africa-centred perspective. As a lecturer and keynote speaker, I have spoken at over 300 universities, cultural events and conferences, on five continents. I am the author of "Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone - a collection of thought provoking essays that explore questions central to how we see ourselves, our history, and our world." (Harper Collins US) Read full bio

View My Blog Posts

Follow My social media

Visit Us On InstagramVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookCheck Our Feed

Subscribe to my newsletter

* indicates required

An African Feminist mixtape

Essay: Oyalogy – A poetic approach to African feminism through Yoruba mythology

ESSAY: A brief history of African feminism

ESSAY: A brief history of African feminism

VIDEO: TEDxTalk – To change the world, change your illusions

VIDEO: TEDxTalk – To change the world, change your illusions

VIDEO: ARISE TV TALKING AFRICA INTERVIEW

VIDEO: ARISE TV TALKING AFRICA INTERVIEW

Recent Comments

  • Evgen on There were no matriarchies in precolonial Africa
  • ทางเข้าเล่น joker on The challenge for western feminism in the 21st century
  • Schües on On Abortion
  • AneM on Polygamy in Africa has little to do with sex
  • Khalifa on Polygamy in Africa has little to do with sex

Sensuous Knowledge – Get the book (US version)

Sensuous Knowledge – Get the book (UK version)

Archives

  • August 2022 (4)
  • May 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (2)
  • December 2021 (1)
  • August 2021 (1)
  • May 2021 (5)
  • April 2021 (3)
  • March 2021 (4)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • October 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (3)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (2)
  • March 2020 (4)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (1)
  • December 2019 (1)
  • November 2019 (1)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • May 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (1)
  • December 2018 (2)
  • November 2018 (1)
  • October 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (1)
  • July 2018 (2)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • May 2018 (2)
  • March 2018 (2)
  • February 2018 (2)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (1)
  • November 2017 (1)
  • October 2017 (2)
  • September 2017 (3)
  • August 2017 (6)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (3)
  • May 2017 (6)
  • March 2017 (2)
  • February 2017 (3)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (3)
  • October 2016 (3)
  • September 2016 (2)
  • August 2016 (2)
  • July 2016 (2)
  • June 2016 (1)
  • May 2016 (3)
  • April 2016 (1)
  • March 2016 (2)
  • February 2016 (2)
  • January 2016 (3)
  • December 2015 (2)
  • November 2015 (3)
  • October 2015 (4)
  • September 2015 (4)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (2)
  • June 2015 (3)
  • May 2015 (4)
  • April 2015 (4)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (4)
  • December 2014 (3)
  • November 2014 (5)
  • October 2014 (1)
  • September 2014 (2)
  • August 2014 (4)
  • July 2014 (3)
  • June 2014 (3)
  • May 2014 (5)
  • April 2014 (4)
  • March 2014 (2)
  • February 2014 (4)
  • January 2014 (3)
  • December 2013 (3)
  • November 2013 (4)
  • October 2013 (3)
  • September 2013 (4)
  • August 2013 (5)
  • July 2013 (4)
  • June 2013 (4)
  • May 2013 (6)
  • April 2013 (3)
  • March 2013 (7)
  • February 2013 (3)
  • January 2013 (5)
  • December 2012 (4)
  • November 2012 (9)
  • October 2012 (8)
  • September 2012 (4)
  • August 2012 (6)
  • July 2012 (6)
  • June 2012 (5)
  • May 2012 (8)
  • April 2012 (7)
  • March 2012 (5)
  • February 2012 (4)
  • January 2012 (6)
  • December 2011 (5)
  • November 2011 (6)
  • October 2011 (6)
  • September 2011 (8)
  • August 2011 (6)
  • July 2011 (5)
  • June 2011 (5)
  • May 2011 (5)
  • April 2011 (4)
  • March 2011 (7)
  • February 2011 (6)
  • January 2011 (7)
  • December 2010 (5)
  • November 2010 (9)
  • October 2010 (7)
  • September 2010 (5)
  • August 2010 (4)
  • July 2010 (6)
  • June 2010 (5)
  • May 2010 (3)
  • April 2010 (3)
  • March 2010 (1)

more articles

A Historical Overview of African Feminist Strands

August 24, 2022 By MsAfropolitan 3 Comments

… [Continue Reading...]

On Abortion

August 23, 2022 By MsAfropolitan 1 Comment

… [Continue Reading...]

Privacy Policy

https://msafropolitan.com/gdpr

Copyright MsAfropolitan © 2023