So on Saterday, late afternoon I headed to the Hackney Picturehouse, one of the 3 venues in London, playing host to this years FILM AFRICA 2011.
I was not quite sure what to expect as I had done a little bit of reading about the all films showing in the festival but had not planned to head to anything in particular just turn up and give it a go.
I am really glad I did as it was a great event. For £10 I got to see 4 great and very different films and watch and if I was brave enough take part in a Q&A with Zina Saro-Wiwa the writer of two of the films.
Zina spoke so eloquently about her films The Deliverence of Comfort and Phyllis which were already captivating and interesting in there own right. I really enjoyed the way she captured some of the themes and references of Nollywood cinema and I am exited to see more of her work in the future.
A still form The Deliverance of Comfort
A still from Phyllis
Drexcia was a haunting film about an empty swimming pool in Ghana I think the film maker Akosua Adoma Owusu captured perfectly the emptiness of the space. I could not help but be left with chills.
Me Broni Ba (My White Baby) was an interesting tale about hair braiding and the practice of learning to braide on white dolls. Black hair in the west is something that is regularly discussed and I often heard arguments regarding the virtues of weave vs natural hair. However Me Broni Ba was not attempting to cover this ground but discuss hair and how it is worn and the larger issues associate with being an ex colonial country in a way I had not seen before.
All in all Film Africa is a great event and one tht is definalty worth a visit and its not over yet you have untill sunday to get some African Film action so check out the website http://www.filmafrica.org.uk/ and get yourself there.
No comments:
Post a Comment