Fourth Annual
Africa World Documentary Film Festival PROGRAM

AFRICA WORLD DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL - 2011
4th ANNUAL FESTIVAL

Missouri History Museum - St. Louis
May 12-15

Cave Hill, Barbados
March 5-13

Yaounde, Cameroon
April 20-23

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The Africa World Documentary Film Festival (AWDFF) is sponsored by the E. Desmond Lee Professorship in African/African American Studies, International Studies and Programs; and the College of Fine Arts and Communication, University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The AWDFF has as its objective the promotion of knowledge and culture of the people of Africa, in a Pan-African context.

In promotion of the Pan African context, public viewings of submission accepted by AWDFF shall also occur in Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.

Though the AWDFF is non-competitive, prizes of $1,000 and $500 shall be awarded to two documentaries judged by the AWDFF committee as furthering understanding and contributing significantly to knowledge of the African World.

ORGANIZERS
Ephrem Andemariam; Niyi Coker, Jr. (Filmmaker)

2011 FESTIVAL PROGRAM

MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM
5700 Lindell Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63112-0040

Thursday, May 12th, 2011
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Tunahaki
Mason Bendewald (82m, Tanzania, USA)

Tunahaki is the courageous story of a group of African orphans that practice acrobatics to survive. An American volunteer promises to bring them to America to study with Cirque du Soleil. In America they are treated like superstars performing at sold out shows and honored at celebrity fundraisers that raise huge donations. The trip culminates with the children visiting Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. But the children must return to Africa where the impact from the trip has sobering effects on everyone involved.

Unearthing the Pen
Carol Salter (13m, Uganda, United Kingdom)

A young goatherd in northern Uganda yearns to be able to read and write. But the odds are stacked against him. Forty years ago, tribal elders buried a pen, placing a curse on the written word. Unearthing the Pen is an intimate portrait of a boy’s struggle to reconcile tradition with his desire to learn.

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Niger '66, A Peace Corps Diary
Judy Irola (75m, Niger, USA)

In the summer of 1996 a group of 65 idealistic Peace Corps volunteers headed for Africa and landed in the dusty, heat-scorched desert of Niger, where we stayed for two years, working in agriculture, digging wells and starting health clinics for women and their babies. In 2008 five of them returned to Niger to revisit the country, see old friends and witness how their work has improved the lives of the people in Niger. The documentary explores the culture shock of re-entry into the US in the turmoil of 1968 and how their experiences in Africa influenced their future work.

Home Free
Christopher Redmond (22m, Burundi, Canada)

In 1972, civil war and ethnic massacres forced hundreds of thousands of Burundians from their homes. Most fled to Tanzania, where they would live as refugees for generations. Thirty-six years later, they are finally finding a place to call home. Home Free follows three Burundian families; one has chosen to stay in Tanzania and become citizens, another has chosen to return to Burundi and a third that has resettled in Canada. The film reveals the process developed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to handle refugee situations around the world and humanizes one of Africa's most prolonged situations.

A Man and a Stick
Kees-Jan Husselman (17m, Netherlands)

In a small village in Zambia, far away from running water, electricity or social services where people survive mainly on agriculture, a disabled person does not have many chances to survive. Xavier Chibale, however, has found a stick in the woods that changed his life and is now an example within his community.

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Reconciliation
Michael Wilson (89m, South Africa, USA)

The documentary details the events that lead up to what South African's have coined 'Mandela's miracle,' a strategy that prevented a bloodbath and shepherded in a peaceful transition from apartheid to a democracy. It is driven by the notion that even the most terrible tyranny can be overcome through reconciliation, as both the oppressed and the oppressors need to be liberated from the vice-grip of blind prejudice and injustice. The film also explores the perspective of peacemakers who brought about the creation of the Rainbow Nation: Desmond Tutu, F.W. de Klerk, Ahmed Kathrada, Zindzi Mandela and many more. In addition, the film makers visit Clint Eastwood on the set on “Invictus,” a film that shows how President Mandela unites South Africa when it hosts the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

125 Franco's Blvd.
Sia Nyorkor, Jacob Templin (22m, USA)

This documentary tells the story of Franco the Great, an artist who has been painting murals on the storefront gates of 125th street since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Today, Franco is known worldwide and single-handedly brings in bus-loads of tourists every Sunday to meet him and take photos of his gates. Now, a massive rezoning and recent City Council vote threatens Franco's legacy. The new requirement bans steel security gates and calls for see-through ones. Old security gates will be replaced with the new ones, basically removing Franco's canvas from underneath him.

7:00 PM – 9:05 PM

Resilience: Stories of Single Black Mothers
Lana Lovell (48m, Canada)

The film is an intimate, richly detailed documentary that confronts long-held stereotypes by stepping inside the lives of three real women in the real world. With honesty, intelligence and humor, Nancy, Simone and Gloria reflect on their experiences of balancing single parenthood, working life, relationships and the fulfillment of their own goals in the context of a society that is often harshly judgmental. By interweaving these intimate stories, the documentary offers a deeper understanding of the challenges, practical strategies and dreams of three resilient women and, indeed, of many black single mothers in Canada.

While Women Weep
Nikole Lim (30m, USA)

War. Famine. Disease. Poverty. These words often correspond with the ongoing crises in Kenya. Women are at the heart of these issues solely because of their gender. Yet despite such political unrest, social turmoil, skewed sexism and relentless poverty, there are enthralling stories of strength, perseverance and dignity. In this documentary, Genes, Peninah and Grace share stories of triumph over adversity. Their lives are dedicated to empowering widows and orphans to live freely in hope.

Awra Amba
Paulina Tervo (30m, Ethiopia, United Kingdom)

40 years ago, an illiterate Ethiopian farmer created his own heaven on earth - Awra Amba - a remarkable, rural weaving community in Northern Ethiopia. He was driven by a belief that there is a way out of poverty, hunger and inequality, simply by working hard, reversing traditional values and getting rid of lengthy religious practices. This is the story of his brainchild. It is a story of belief in a better, more equal world where humans don’t have to suffer, but live in peace and harmony. The film follows the lives of two women in the village, a mother and her daughter. The daughter has just arrived in the village, seeking refuge with her five children after a violent marriage. We follow her trying to become a member and adjusting to a new way of life.

Hear Us: Women affected by the political violence in Zimbabwe speak out
The Research and Advocacy Unit; Witness (16m, USA, Zimbabwe)

In 2008, political violence erupted throughout Zimbabwe as a result of the contested national elections. Zimbabwean women of all ages, targeted for their political affiliations, were abducted from their workplaces and homes, raped, tortured, and beaten in secret torture centers. The local police have ignored these women's pleas for protection and justice, and national leaders have been equally unresponsive to local and international demands for an end to the violence. The documentary features four of these women, who have come forward to demand justice from the Zimbabwean government and the Southern African Development Community. These women, who struggle daily with the physical and psychological scars of their abuse, tell their stories to uncover the enduring effects of this violence on the women of Zimbabwe and their families.

Friday, May 13th, 2011
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

The Zambezi - A Source of Life
Michael Schlamberger (52m, Austria)

'Zambezi - Source of Life' is the first part of this visually stunning two part series that follows the river from its headwaters to the thundering power of the Victoria Falls. As the river ebbs and flows with the season, the Zambezi dominates the life of both the wild animals and the human cultures that depend upon its waters. This is the story of the river through the times of rain and plenty to the dry months when its waters are the only source of life.

King Lati the First
Uri Bar-on (70m, Israel)

Aziz Diouf, Lati's father, arrived in Israel from Senegal as a foreign worker 17 years ago. Irena, Lati's mother, immigrated to Israel from Belarus 15 years ago. Eight year old Lati is an Israeli as Western as can be, he likes McDonalds, is a big fan of Maccabi Tel-Aviv basketball club and speaks only Hebrew. One afternoon Lati's life gets turned around when his father tells him that he is the guardian of a royal dynasty in Senegal. The father's dream is for Lati to be king of the tribe one day, ruling over more than one million people. Diouf expects Lati to learn how to be king of an African tribe so that he can 'save' the tribe and lead it back to its former glory.

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Helluva Way to Treat a Soldier
Blake Miller (60m, USA)

A century after his death, the remains of Private Thomas Smith, a 19th century 'buffalo soldier,' were stolen from a remote cemetery in New Mexico. Making matters worse, the perpetrator then kept the soldier's remains in his home for thirty years. When he died at Fort Craig in 1865, Private Smith was buried with military honors. How he wound up as a macabre trophy in someone's personal artifact collection is the focus of the documentary film 'Helluva Way to Treat a Soldier.'

Wheels of Change
Produced by: Alexandre Trudeau, Booker Sim, Jeff Peeler (45m,Canada)

Wheels of Change is a story about the transformative power of the bicycle. It is an intimate portrait of the Africa we rarely read about in the papers or see on TV, an Africa with good news stories, where conditions are improving, and where dreams sometimes come true. Through our host and guide, Bob, who is on a personal journey to decide whether to become chief of his remote northern village, we learn how something as simple as a bicycle is changing the face of a nation.

Tuned In
Aoibheann O'Sullivan (14m, Ireland)

In a dusty, dilapidated school on the outskirts of the Nigerian capital city, Abuja, a group of actors and radio technicians come together in searing 40’C heat to record the 17th series of ‘Story Story’. This much loved radio soap opera is set in a bustling motor park somewhere in West Africa, and it uses drama to trigger discussions on a variety of topical issues. Tuned In takes us behind the scenes to meet the cast and crew as they reunite in Abuja and record the entire series in an intense and grueling 2-week schedule.

7:00 PM - 9:05 PM

Enter the Demon Drummer
Ram Loevy (70m, Israel)

It seemed like a simple story: a group of Israeli 'drum addicts' travels to the Republic of Mali, to study the Djembe, the ceremonial African drumming. Gradually it becomes a highly charged encounter between black Muslims and white Jews, between Hi-Tech experts and poor villagers and ends as a heart breaking love affair.

Fire Burn Babylon
Sarita Siegel (53m, United Kingdom)

Celebrated DJ Don Letts, narrates us through the story of a crew of Rastafarians evacuated to London in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption in Montserrat. Living in exile in inner city East London, three friends reinvent themselves as “rude-boy” rappers and small time hustlers on the nightclub circuit. The filmmaker has been a part of Montserrat’s exiled Rastafarian community for several years and blends the point of view of three charismatic Rastamen, the elders that guide them and the women who love them. Elroy, Lyndon and I-Shaka pitch between enjoying the thrills of the city and committing to Rastafarian ideals as they run the streets of London, chase success in music, become fathers and run into trouble with the Law. Will their dreams of celebrity be realized before the law catches up with them? Can these ‘mighty-lions-of-Judah’ remain true to their spiritual identity?

Saturday, May 14th, 2011
1:00 PM – 3:30 PM

An African Election
Jarreth Merz (89m, Ghana, Switzerland, USA)

The 2008 presidential elections in Ghana serve as a backdrop for this feature documentary that looks behind-the-scenes at the complex, political machinery of a third world democracy struggling to legitimize itself to its first world contemporaries. At stake in this race are the fates of two political parties that will do almost anything to win. The film follows the key players for almost three months to provide an unprecedented insider’s view of the political, economic and social forces at work in Ghana. Throughout the documentary, the film maker depicts the pride and humanity of the larger-than-life politicians, party operatives and citizens who battle for the soul of their country.

Wrong Side of the Bus
Rod Freedman (56m, Australia)

There is a high price to pay for being a bystander. Sidney Bloch, a professor of psychiatry, returns to South Africa from Melbourne for his medical school reunion, determined to resolve his guilt for colluding with Apartheid, that has troubled him for forty years. He is accompanied by his teenage son, Aaron who turns out to be his harshest critic. Wrong Side of the Bus is one man's journey to forgiveness.

4:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Sombras
Oriol Canals (94m, France, Spain)

Every year, immigrants beach on the Spanish coasts. At times, it's like they've always been there, as if they were part of some strange rites of spring, irrevocably doomed to be washed up on the shores of my land. Nameless faces haunting my thoughts... How to film people who are afraid to be seen? How to tell their stories when all they want is to forget? The strength and originality of Sombras (shadows) is that it gives a voice to illegal immigrants as they tell their stories, full face, to their families back in Africa. These audiovisual letters form the structure of the film. Scraps of shattered lives. A brief journey from the shadows into the light. Speaking directly to us, looking us in the eye, they hold up a mirror to whatever is left of our humanity.

Kids Living with Slim
Sam Kauffmann (50m, USA, Uganda)

A follow-up of the winner of the short documentaries category in our inaugural film festival in 2007. This film begins in 2004, when seven African children, ages 6 to 17, talk openly about what it's like to be HIV positive. The story continues, five years later, when the filmmaker returns to Africa in an attempt to find those seven children and document the changes in their lives.

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Where Do I Stand?
Molly Blank (38m, South Africa)

When xenophobic attacks broke out across South Africa in 2008, many were shocked by a violence that felt like a violation of the principles of their democratic nation. Where Do I Stand? is a window into the lives of seven young people grappling with their actions during and after this violence. They include a Rwandan refugee, a girl wrestling with the reality of foreigners in her township, a boy facing calls of cowardice, a girl whose family sheltered their Malawian gardener. This violence was another challenge to a country still struggling with the legacy of apartheid, poverty, unemployment, and racial divisions. The film captures the optimistic voices of youth struggling with their experiences and expectations while trying to figure out their own places in this complex nation.

The Stinking Ship
Bagassi Koura (27m, USA)

The Stinking Ship is a documentary about the Probo Koala, a tanker ship from Europe that, on August 19, 2006, dumped 528 tons of toxic waste in Cote d’Ivoire. This caused the sickness of thousands of individuals and the death of several people, in what quickly became known as the Probo Koala scandal, one of the biggest environmental disasters of the past decade.

Cointelpro 101
Produced by: Andres Alegria, Anita Johnson, Prentis Hemphill, Claude Marks (56m, USA)

Cointelpro 101 exposes illegal surveillance, disruption, and outright murder committed by the US government in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Cointelpro refers to the official FBI COunter INTELligence PROgram carried out to surveil, imprison, and eliminate leaders of social justice movements and to disrupt, divide, and destroy the movements as well. Many of the government's crimes are still unknown. Through interviews with activists who experienced these abuses first-hand, with rare historical footage, the film provides an educational introduction to a period of intense repression and draws relevant lessons for the present and future.

Sunday, May 15th, 2011
1:00 PM – 2:20 PM

DreamTown
Betty Bastidas (24m, USA)

DreamTown is a story capturing the lives of three Afro-Ecuadorians in their ardent pursuit of playing professional soccer. Players, Ulyses, Carlos, and Anibal's contrasting accounts embody the spirit of soccer as a vehicle to transcend racial, economic and social barriers that previously have divided a country and neglected this region. It is a story of striving for athletic success juxtaposed against the story of Ecuador's disenfranchised Afro-descendants, whose esteemed athletes have brought Ecuador to the World Cup. The film is set in the impoverished backwater towns of El Chota Valley, and captures a region that, prior to the 2002 World Cup, was invisible to the rest of the world.

The Team that Never Played
Greg Appel (54m, Australia)

In the 1970's South African soccer players were some of the best in the world. But because they agreed to support sporting sanctions against the apartheid regime they never played in the international arena. Their legacy however, is very significant. The documentary is told primarily through the eyes of three of the star township players of that era, three players who should have been international superstars but whose careers were cut short by the politics of the time. These stories will capture the world of the fans, helpers and the township youth of today whose hopes and dreams seem to be so different and yet can benefit from the experience the legends of old can offer.

2:30 PM – 5:00 PM

After the Genocide
Manon Boivin (52m, Canada)

Each year Canada receives up to 300,000 immigrants. They come from everywhere. 10 % are refugees. They land here and disappear into Canadian society. Who are they? Have they left the conflicts behind them? Do they feel safe here? How is their integration into Canadian society progressing? Among them we find a Burundian who arrived in Canada in 2001. He was a cameraman in the president’s office of Burundi from 1993 to 1998, a period marked by the assassination of the first Hutu president, the beginning of a civil war, and an explosion of ethnic violence that inflamed the entire region. Another refugee, now a resident of Québec City, escaped the Congo on foot, eight months pregnant, with her 4 children aged 3 to 9 years old. Both discover that despite everything, this is only the beginning of a difficult road to freedom and peace.

Strangers No More
Karen Goodman, Kirk Simon (40m, U S A)

In the heart of Tel Aviv, there is an exceptional school where children from forty-eight different countries and diverse backgrounds come together to learn. Many of the students arrive at Bialik-Rogozin fleeing poverty, political adversity and even genocide. Here, no child is a stranger. The film follows several students' struggle to acclimate to life in a new land while slowly opening up to share their stories of hardship and tragedy.

Africa Shafted: under one roof
Ingrid Martens (55m, South Africa)

The film is a serious, poignant, humorous, and uplifting universal documentary. It is filmed in Ponte building, Africa’s tallest residential apartment, built during apartheid in1976 for white people only. Today it is feared, as it is now home to more than 4000 people from every corner of Africa. It gives you an honest glimpse at the tragic reality of xenophobia through the eyes of people from every corner of Africa, living under one roof. It also coveys a powerful message, that through dialogue and understanding, respect starts to take root.z

CLICK HERE for up-to-date-information on the festival at each location.

Cave Hill, Barbados Cinematheque

Saturday, March 5, 2011
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM - Venue: Arts Lecture Theatre

Launch: A Director's Dialogue - Moussa Sene Absa Talks to Jane Bryce

REnowned Senegalese film director, currrently based in Barbados, discusses his work and artistic vision with African film specialist Professor Jane Bryce.

Wednesday, March 9 - Saturday, March 12
Screening in the EBCCI CINEMATHEQUE

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 - Session One: Creative Solutions
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Tuned In
Aoibheann O'Sullivan (14m, Ireland)

An African Election
Jarreth Merz (89m, Ghana, Switzerland, USA)

In post-conflict Burundi one thing remains affordable to all: the grenade. Journalist Teddy Mazina follows the stories behind the headlines of never-ending explosive lethal attacks. The film will take us to meet the actual victims of the attacks who share with Mazina how it is impossible to have a semblance of unity when it is so easy to solve problems by throwing grenades, rather than working through issues peacefully. The film shows how the personal accounts are living, breathing statistics resulting from the greater problem of illegal arms transfers which has handicapped a nation from moving forward in a mature, functional, healthy manner.

Sombras
Oriol Canals (94m, France, Spain)

Every year, immigrants beach on the Spanish coasts. At times, it's like they've always been there, as if they were part of some strange rites of spring, irrevocably doomed to be washed up on the shores of my land. Nameless faces haunting my thoughts... How to film people who are afraid to be seen? How to tell their stories when all they want is to forget? The strength and originality of Sombras (shadows) is that it gives a voice to illegal immigrants as they tell their stories, full face, to their families back in Africa. These audiovisual letters home form the structure of the film. Scraps of shattered lives. A brief journey from the shadows into the light. Catharsis. Speaking directly to us, looking us in the eye, they hold up a mirror to whatever is left of our humanity.

Thursday, March 10, 6-10 PM - Session Three: Land & Freedom
6.00 PM – 8.00 PM

The Stars Know Our Home
Dhruv Sharma, Gregg Lillie, Kelsie Steinke, Marc Shuller, Tyler Gurd (14m, USA)

Home to the San for thousands of years, the Kalahari Desert has become the focus of a critical human rights disaster. The Stars Know Our Home explores the work of two San leaders who refuse to watch their ancient traditions disappear to make room for tourist attractions and diamond mines. Living in a country that considers the San to be categorized as 'fauna' rather than human beings, Roy Sesana and Jumanda Gakelebone are in a race against time to protect the rights and traditions of one of the world's oldest peoples.

Shadows in the Forest
Carly Pandza, Jacob Taylor, Matthew Prouty, Roxanna Amini (17m, USA)

The indigenous communities of Cameroon are losing the very essence of their culture and are powerless to prevent it. These communities, commonly known as Pygmies, have lived in the forests of the Congo Basin for thousands of years and are now being removed from their land. Their own government does not acknowledge their existence and as their protests go unheard their land is destroyed and replaced by uninhabitable palm oil plantations. There are those who have come to aid the Pygmies in their plight, but they are desperately in need of funding and support.

DreamTown
Betty Bastidas (24m, USA)

A Place Without People
Andreas Apostolidis (54m, Greece)

A documentary film about how the local population of Tanzania has been evicted to make way for the creation of the world's most famous nature reserves. Set in the spectacular Serengeti park and the Ngorongoro crater, the film explores how the parks came to be and how Western perceptions about nature radically altered east African landscape and society. The film focuses on the people who 'shouldn't be there' not only because their voices are rarely heard but also because they are still being antagonised and excluded, whilst the tourist industry is rapidly depleting the area's natural resources.

8.10 PM – 10.00 PM - Session Four: Woman Version

Hear Us: Women affected by the political violence in Zimbabwe speak out
The Research and Advocacy Unit; Witness (16m, USA, Zimbabwe)

Former Poet Laureate of Trinidad & Tobago, Eintou Springer, reveals her life in rural Santa Cruz, migration to urban centers and primary school from which she experienced the horrors of ghetto life and Indian racism. Avid reader and budding poet/writer she is encouraged and grows to be story-teller, poet, librarian, playwright, activist and champion of women's rights. Her story is told through extracts of her two plays, plus a poetry performance, interviews with family & friends, academics and dramatizations of selected aspects of her life.

Friday, March 11, 6-10 PM - Session Five: South Africa Stories
*** South Africa based filmmaker Akin Omotoso will be on hand for both sessions this evening to answer questions and offer his views.

6.00 PM – 8.00 PM

Promised Land
Yoruba Richen (53m, USA)

Promised Land examines post-apartheid South Africa's efforts to bring about racial reconciliation through land redistribution. The film follows two black communities that are trying to get back land they say their ancestors were removed from during apartheid. The land is currently owned by white landowners and the film follows the mutli-year efforts of both groups to get and keep possession of the land. Through these two stories, the epic battle over race and land is played out with very real consequences for all sides. The audience will see why many inside the country call the land issue the 'ticking time bomb' that has the potential to destroy the fragile racial compact that the new South Africa was built on.

Africa Shafted: Under One Roof
Ingrid Martens (55m, South Africa)

The film is a serious, poignant, humorous, and uplifting universal documentary. It is filmed in Ponte building, Africa’s tallest residential apartment, built during apartheid in 1976 for white people only. Today it is feared, as it is now home to more than 4000 people from every corner of Africa. It gives you an honest glimpse at the tragic reality of xenophobia through the eyes of people from every corner of Africa, living under one roof. It also coveys a powerful message, that through dialogue and understanding, respect starts to take root.

8.10 PM – 10.00 PM - Session Six: Stand Up and Be Counted

Cointelpro 101
(Andres Alegriak Anita Johnson, Prentis Hemphill, Claude Marks, 56m, USA)

How U.S. government surveillance and covert operations sought to undermine social justice movements from the 1950s to the 1970s. Those affected tell their stories.

Where Do I Stand?
Molly Blank (38m, South Africa)

Kenya Safari
Issac Goeckeritz (4m, Kenya)

Hours from any major city, the Kenyan wilderness is home to a native people rarely seen by the outside world. Kenya Safari is a series of three short films that showcase the creativity and beauty of the Kenyan people. The first segment, Kenyan Road-trip, takes the viewer on a seemingly perilous journey by way of a jam-packed Kenyan highway. In the second segment, Kenyan Soccer, Goeckeritz captures an exciting pick -up game of soccer played by Kenyan school children. Finally, the film concludes with Faces of Kenya, a touching montage of Kenyan women and children.

The Stinking Ship
Bagassi Koura (27m, USA)

Enter the Demon Drummer
Ram Loevy (70m, Israel)

6.00 PM – 8.00 PM - Session Eight: A Life in Art

Mozambique
Alcides Soares (14m, USA)

Alcides Soares is a sixteen-year-old AIDS orphan, one of half a million living in Mozambique today. An American television writer and the movie director gave Alcides a movie camera and taught him how to shoot. The result is a moving chronicle directed by Alcides himself. His journey to find a family and make a new life in a country that has been ravaged by AIDS is a story repeated millions of times everyday throughout Africa.

Lamidi Olonade Fakeye: The Life of a Master Carver
Joe Reese (42m, USA)

An international ambassador for African art, Nigerian woodcarver Lamidi Fakeye and friends tell his remarkable life story. Featuring stunning sculptures spanning a 70-year career.

Mas Man – An Exploration into the Carnival Art of Peter Minshall
Dalton Narine, Benedict Joseph (56m, Trinidad and Tobago)

Peter Minshall awakens topics about modern humanity that not only display a curious slant in art but also inform audiences that are privileged to discern his work, whether in the annual Carnival in Trinidad or at appearances around the world. The film celebrates Minshall’s three decades in the Mas (not to be confused with masquerade, for Mas hews more to the inventiveness of mobile street theater than simply dressing up). Art has its share of uncredited heroes, and Mas Man assesses the heft of a Trinidadian artist’s refreshing point of view about the perils of man and the environment.

Sunday, March 13
4:00 - 7:30 PM - Venue: Arts Lecture Theatre

Finale: "The Director Presents" with Akin Omotoso

Akin Omotoso, "Bagerian" (Barbadian-Nigerian) actor and producer based in South Africa, presents Wole Ssoyinka: Child of the Forest, on the Nobel Prize winning Nigerian activist and man of letters, and Gathering the Scattered Cousins, an absorbing chronicle of the filmmaker's exploration into the Barbaadian side of his family, which included some surprising discoveries. There will be light refreshments served at the end of the event.

CLICK HERE for up-to-date-information on the festival at each location.

University of Vaoundé
Yaoundé Cameroon

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
3:00 PM

Opening Reception

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Cellular Wisdom*
Lisa Brody (54m, Cameroon, Venezuela)

In the Clinic of Hope a revolutionary vaccine called Vanhivax is being used to treat patients with HIV/AIDS. Today there is documented evidence of 25 sero-conversions (HIV+ to HIV-). If this treatment is so effective, why haven't we heard about it? 'Cellular Wisdom' tell us why.

* Cellular Wisdom is an entry from the 2010 AWDFF and is included in the 2011 Festival because it is about Cameroon. It is not in competition this year.

6:35 PM – 7:00 PM

Discussion Session

7:05 PM - 8:05PM

Shadows In The Forest
Carly Pandza, Jacob Taylor, Matthew Prouty, Roxanna Amini (17m, U S A)

The indigenous communities of Cameroon are losing the very essence of their culture and are powerless to prevent it. These communities, commonly known as Pygmies, have lived in the forests of the Congo Basin for thousands of years and are now being removed from their land. Their own government does not acknowledge their existence and as their protests go unheard their land is destroyed and replaced by uninhabitable palm oil plantations. There are those who have come to aid the Pygmies in their plight, but they are desperately in need of funding and support.

Unearthing the Pen
Carol Salter (13m, Uganda, United Kingdom)

The Stinking Ship
Bagassi Koura (27m,USA)

The Stinking Ship is a half-hour documentary about the Probo Koala, a tanker ship from Europe that, on August 19, 2006, dumped 528 tons of toxic waste in Ivory Coast. This caused the sickness of thousands of individuals and the death of several people, in what quickly became known as the Probo Koala scandal, one of the biggest environmental disasters of the past decade.

8:10 PM – 8:30 PM

Discussion Session

Thursday, April 21st, 2011
2:00 PM – 4:10 PM

Liemba
Andrew Subin, John Billingsley (50m, USA)

A voyage down the longest lake in the world aboard Africa's last surviving steamship reveals how people living along the remote shores of Lake Tanganyika continue to rely on this battered old relic of the German colonial era for their livelihood as they have for almost one hundred years. Narrated by Chiwoniso Maraire, a rising star in African music, and featuring an entirely original, locally-recorded soundtrack, this documentary brings Liemba's colorful history to life and celebrates her role in this region of Africa. Compelling passenger narratives, breathtaking footage and upbeat music combine to take the audience on an unforgettable trip down Lake Tanganyika.

Niger '66, A Peace Corps Diary
Judy Irola (75m, Niger, USA)

In the summer of 1996 a group of 65 idealistic Peace Corps volunteers headed for Africa and landed in the dusty, heat-scorched desert of Niger, where we stayed for two years, working in agriculture, digging wells and starting health clinics for women and their babies. In 2008 five of us returned to Niger to revisit the country, see our old friends and witness how our work has improved the lives of the people in Niger. The documentary explores the culture shock of re-entry into the US in the turmoil of 1968 and how our experiences in Africa influenced our future work. This is our collective story.

4:10 PM – 4:45 PM

Discussion Session

5:00 PM – 8:05 PM

Fati and Aissatta
Baba Hillman (79m, France)

Aissatta, 16, and Fati, 23, live in the banlieue north of Paris, in a cité called “La Rose des Vents.” Their father emigrated to France from Mauritania 40 years ago to work on the Citroën assembly line. Shot over a period of three years, the film follows the stories of the two sisters, their refusal of traditional ideas of “Frenchness,” and their search for independence within a community where arranged marriages and patriarchal rule continue to dominate.

Feast & Sacrifice
Clare Major (25m, USA)

Feast & Sacrifice is a carefully observed portrait of a Senegalese family living on the ragged edges of globalization. Questions of work, gender, and aspirations emerge as the family prepares for the biggest holiday of the year, the Islamic Feast of the Sacrifice.

Twiga Stars: Tanzania's Soccer Sisters
Nisha Ligon (78m, Tanzania, Thailand, USA)

Follow a year in the life of the Twiga Stars, Tanzania's national women's football team, as they come together for their biggest competition ever. Through the gruel of intensive practices, the heartbreak of team cuts, and the tragedies of life that strike along the way, the girls support each other and work together to achieve what no one could have imagined. Cheer on the Twiga Stars as they fight together to prove 'wanawake wanaweza,' meaning 'women are capable.'

8:10 PM – 8:30 PM

Discussion Session

Friday, April 22nd, 2011
2:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Kamenge, Northern Quarters
Manu Gerosa, Salva Muñoz (59m, Italy, Spain)

Kamenge, Northern Quarters is the picture of a whole country, Burundi, which asks for freedom and justice, the ideals Alexis Sinduhije is fighting for. The Northern Quarters of the capital city Bujumbura are the symbol of one of the most cruel wars the world has ever known, the conflict between Hutu and Tutsi. The background and the glances of the ones who have not left are interwoven with the life of Alexis who gave up his job as a journalist in 2007 to stand for President in 2010. It is possible to build a livable Burundi. You must only believe it and take the risk. Alexis says. In Burundi, although the present government was elected democratically, the people who profess freedom of speech put their life in danger.

Bang For Your Buck
Seth Chase (15m, Burundi)

In post conflict Burundi one thing remains affordable to all: the grenade. Journalist Teddy Mazina follows the stories behind the headlines of never-ending explosive lethal attacks. The film will take us to meet the actual victims of the attacks who share with Mazina how it is impossible to have a semblance of unity when it is so easy to solve problems by throwing grenades, rather than working through issues peacefully. The film shows how the personal accounts are living breathing statistics resulting from the greater problem of illegal arms transfers which has handicapped a nation from moving forward in a mature, functional, healthy manner.

After the Genocide (Après le Génocide)
Manon Boivin (52m, Canada)

Each year Canada receives about 300,000 immigrants. They come from everywhere. 10 % are refugees. They land here and disappear into Canadian society. Who are they? Have they left the conflicts behind them? Do they feel safe here? How is their integration into Canadian society progressing? Among them we find a Burundian who arrived in Canada in 2001. He was a cameraman in the president’s office of Burundi from 1993 to 1998, a period marked by the assassination of the first Hutu president, the beginning of a civil war, and an explosion of ethnic violence that inflamed the entire region. Another refugee, now a resident of Québec City, escaped the Congo on foot, eight months pregnant, with her 4 children aged 3 to 9 years old. Both discover that despite everything, this is only the beginning of a difficult road to freedom and peace.

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Laduma: Benin's Journey
Richard Shepherd (98m, USA)

The film follows the underdog national soccer team of the poor West African nation of Benin (known as The Squirrels) as they try to reach the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa, the first ever on African soil. The film follows 5 players on the team, young men crossing the continent to play, suffering tragedy and enjoying good times. The film examines the role of football in community-building and whether this process of these young men discovering their continent can help lead to a pan-African spirit and unity. The film also introduces the fascinating country of Benin, it’s tragic slave trade history, its historical importance as the center of the kingdom of Dahomey, its renown as the birthplace of voodoo (the film visits voodoo shrines, including the most powerful in the country), its landscapes and wildlife, its people, and its music and dance. It also features interviews and music from internationally-known Beninese singer and philanthropist Angelique Kidjo, and Ziggy and Rohan Marley.

Soka Afrika
Suridh Hassan (77m, United Kingdom)

Soka Afrika is a feature length documentary film celebrating African football in the run up to World Cup 2010. Following the different paths of aspiring young African players from South Africa, Ivory Coast, Egypt and Cameroon, Soka Afrika explores the power of football to influence Africa for better or worse. Follow Kermit Erasmus and Ndomo Sabo as they pursue very different routes to potential stardom and witness as a former Cameroon international makes it his mission to save those hopefuls falling through the cracks.

8:05 PM – 8:30 PM

Discussion Session

Saturday April 23rd, 2011
1:00 PM - 3:40 PM

King Lati the First
Uri Bar-on (70m, Israel)

Enter the Demon Drummer
Ram Loevy (70m, Israel)
It seemed like a simple story: a group of Israeli 'drum addicts' travels to the Republic of Mali, to study the Djembe, the ceremonial African drumming. Gradually it becomes a highly charged encounter between black Muslims and white Jews, between Hi-Tech experts and poor villagers and ends as a heart breaking love affair.

Tuned In
Aoibheann O'Sullivan (14m, Ireland)

In a dusty, dilapidated school on the outskirts of the Nigerian capital city, Abuja, a group of actors and radio technicians come together in searing 40’C heat to record the 17th series of ‘Story Story’. This much loved radio soap opera is set in a bustling motor park somewhere in West Africa, and it uses drama to trigger discussions on a variety of topical issues.'Tuned In' takes us behind the scenes to meet the cast and crew as they reunite in Abuja and record the entire series in an intense and grueling 2-week schedule.

?3:50 PM - 6:55 PM

The Team that Never Played
Greg Appel (54m, Australia)

In the 1970's South African soccer players were some of the best in the world. But because they agreed to support sporting sanctions against the apartheid regime they never played in the international arena. Their legacy however, is very significant. The documentary is told primarily through the eyes of three of the star township players of that era, three players who should have been international superstars but whose careers were cut short by the politics of the time. These stories will capture the world of the fans, helpers and the township youth of today whose hopes and dreams seem to be so different and yet can benefit from the experience the legends of old can offer.

Where Do I Stand?
Molly Blank (38m, South Africa)

When xenophobic attacks broke out across South Africa in 2008, many were shocked by a violence that felt like a violation of the principles of their democratic nation. Where Do I Stand? is a window into the lives of seven young people grappling with their actions during and after this violence. They include a Rwandan refugee, a girl wrestling with the reality of foreigners in her township, a boy facing calls of cowardice, a girl whose family sheltered their Malawian gardener. This violence was another challenge to a country still struggling with the legacy of apartheid, poverty, unemployment, and racial divisions. The film captures the optimistic voices of youth struggling with their experiences and expectations while trying to figure out their own places in this complex nation.

Sombras
Oriol Canals (94m, France, Spain)

Every year, immigrants beach on the Spanish coasts. At times, it's like they've always been there, as if they were part of some strange rites of spring, irrevocably doomed to be washed up on the shores of my land. Nameless faces haunting my thoughts... How to film people who are afraid to be seen? How to tell their stories when all they want is to forget? The strength and originality of Sombras (shadows) is that it gives a voice to illegal immigrants as they tell their stories, full face, to their families back in Africa. These audiovisual letters home form the structure of the film. Scraps of shattered lives. A brief journey from the shadows into the light. Catharsis. Speaking directly to us, looking us in the eye, they hold up a mirror to whatever is left of our humanity.

7:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Discussion Session
7:20 PM - 8:00 PM

Coexist
Adam Mazo (40m, Rwanda, USA)

Coexist tells the emotional stories of women who survived the Rwandan genocide in 1994. They continue to cope with the loss of their families as the killers who created this trauma return from prison back to the villages where they once lived. Faced with these perpetrators on a daily basis, the victims must decide whether they can forgive them or not. Their decisions are unfathomable to many, and speak to a humanity that has survived the worst violence imaginable.

CLICK HERE for up-to-date-information on the festival at each location.

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Fourth Annual Africa World Documentary Film Festival PROGRAM

Fourth Annual
Africa World Documentary Film Festival PROGRAM