The 11th New York African Film Festival:

April 3 to 15, 2004

left: cosmic afirca

The 11th New York African Film Festival was organized by Richard Peña and The African Film Festival, Inc. (Mahen Bonetti, Prerana Reddy, Alonzo Speight, Kaine Agary and Muriel Placet-Kouassi). Thanks are due to Tracy Binta Austin, Joan Baffour, Luca Bonetti, Francoise Bouffault, Rumbi Bwerinofa, Joy Elliott, Tunde Giwa, Belynda Hardin, J. Michelle Hill, Brigitte Houngbedji, Kojo Associates, and Seke Somolu.

The programs of AFF are made possible by the generous support of the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, JPMorgan Chase, Diageo, the New York State Council on the Arts, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, American Express, UNDP, UNESCO, 57 Main Street Wine Company, Estudio Inc., The New York Times, Time Warner Cable and the Mayflower Hotel.

The 11th New York African Film Festival will open with the U.S. Premiere of CRITICAL ASSIGNMENT, Africa's first action thriller that combines stunts and special effects with a strong humanitarian message. Entertaining stories, homegrown plots and locally relevant themes are also a feature of the wildly successful Nigerian video industry, or "Nollywood." As part of the Nigerian spotlight this year, AFF is proud to present a mid-career retrospective of Tunde Kelani, one of the most highly regarded cinematographers and Yoruba filmmakers. April 2004 marks ten years of South African democracy. To commemorate this occasion, AFF will screen both classic and contemporary films that demonstrate a dynamic society transitioning from decades of apartheid to a more egalitarian future. Other highlights include the U.S. premiere of THE LEGEND OF THE SKY KINGDOM, Africa's first animated feature, as well as a selection of four films on the controversial issue of sexual minorities in the African context. We also continue the annual tradition of featuring African cinema classics such as the late Lionel Nkagane's JEMIMA & JOHNNY and Kwaw Ansah's LOVE BREWED IN AN AFRICAN POT. With this diverse array of films, AFF continues to lead the mission in bringing the distinctive experience of African cinema to the hearts and imagination of the world.

As usual, African directors and guest speakers will be present during the festival (indicated by an asterisk (*) before the showtime). This program continues at BAM, April 23 - 25. Panel discussion at Columbia University School of the Arts on April 10. For more information go to www.africanfilmny.org.

THE LEGEND OF THE SKY KINGDOM
Roger Hawkins, Zimbabwe, 2003; 73m
Africa's first animated feature and the world's first "Junkmation" movie is a heartwarming tale of adventure and hope, featuring three orphans and their escape from the underground city where they are the slaves of a cruel emperor. In their search for the fabled prince Ariel and his fabulous Sky Kingdom, they are accompanied by many friendly creatures, such as Gugu the bird and Telly, a talking television set, who guide them through these new places. The characters and sets in this film have been made exclusively from junk, giving birth to the world's newest animation style.
preceded by
CORA PLAYER
Cilia Sawadogo, Burkina Faso, 1996; 7m
When a young girl invites her new boyfriend home, her father becomes enraged that he is of the griot caste and tries to end the relationship.
preceded by
TRAIN, TRAIN MEDINA
Mohamadou Ndoye, Senegal/Belgium, 2001; 7m
Noted painter Ndoye won several awards with his animation debut that captures the vibrancy of Dakar's bustling neighborhood, Medina.
Sat April 3: *2; Mon April 5: *4:30

HELLO NIGERIA!
Zina Saro-Wiwa, Nigeria, 2004; 40m
Can we better understand Nigerian society by examining the contents of Ovation!, Nigeria's very own glossy society magazine? This film starts from the premise that there's much to be learned from looking at a people's aspirations and celebrity culture.
preceded by
SOMETHING ELSE / NKAN MII Seke Somolu, Nigeria, 2003; 16m
Yoruba & English with English subtitles
A man in financial distress is left with few options and must turn to his family for help in this microcosmic look at middle-class life in Nigeria today.
preceded by
TWINS OF THE RAINFOREST
Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Nigeria, 1998; 26m
Omote and Okoro live in a village with their 17 year-old son, Oshare. Omote becomes pregnant again and gives birth to twins. According to ancient tradition, the villagers believe that twins are evil and must be drowned immediately. Oshare helps his new siblings escape and in doing so challenges traditional law and forces a whole community to confront their own values.
Sat April 3: *4:30; Thurs April 8: *3:30

CRITICAL ASSIGNMENT (Opening Night )
Jason Xenopoulos, South Africa/UK/Nigeria /Cameroon, 2003; 98m
For several years, the action hero character "Michael Power" has starred in a highly sophisticated pan-African ad campaign for Guinness beer. Now he's the main attraction in Africa's very first big budget, stunt-packed action picture, CRITICAL ASSIGNMENT. Power is an internationally acclaimed reporter who returns home to Africa to cover a story about corrupt politicians. As he gets closer to finding the truth, Africa's answer to James Bond dodges bullets, flies helicopters, gets the girl, and, in the end, restores clean water supply to a grateful nation. Filmed in beautiful locations in six different African countries, with a mostly African cast and crew, this film charts a new direction for African cinema!
preceded by
WHITE HANDKERCHIEF
Tunde Kelani, Nigeria, 1998; 17m
English & Yoruba with English subtitles
Odejimi has a white handkerchief that has to be stained by the virginal blood of Awero. When no blood is produced on their wedding night, the villages of the two lovers prepare for war.
Sat April 3: *7; Mon April 5: *7 Thurs April 15: 9

AGOGO EEWO
Tunde Kelani, Nigeria, 2002; 100m
Yoruba with English subtitles
In this sequel to Saworoide, the death of Lagata, the military usurper of the Jogbo throne, allows the corrupt chiefs to install their own leader. They choose Adebosipo, a retired police officer who they think will not rock the boat of greedy exploitation of Jogbo resources. To their surprise, Adebosipo's resolve to serve the people and his refusal to loot the treasury set him on a collision course with the powerful chiefs who are bent on bringing down his rule. With this critical allegory of Nigerian politics, Tunde Kelani grabbed the top prize at the Nigerian National Film Festival.
Sat April 3: *9:45; Wed April 7: *3:15

COSMIC AFRICA
Craig & Damon Foster, South Africa, 2002; 72m
Astronomer Thebe Medupe embarks on a quest to reunite his science with the origins of celestial knowledge in Africa. His journey takes him to the ancestral lands of the Ju/'hoansi in Namibia, whose ancient creation myths link terrestrial mysteries with the movements of the stars; to the Dogon people of Mali, whose night sky maps provide signposts on how to live on earth; and deep into the Sahara, where a cosmic clock attests to the African origins of astronomy. preceded by
PETITE LUMIERE
Alain Gomis, Senegal, 2002; 15m
Wolof & French with English subtitles
Fatima is a very curious eight-year-old girl in Senegal. This beautifully composed and poignant exploration of childhood wonder follows her thoughts as she figures out life's little mysteries.
Sun April 4: 1; Wed April 14: 7

SAWOROIDE
Tunde Kelani, Nigeria, 1999; 105m
Yoruba and English with English subtitles.
Upon ascending the throne of the Jogbo kingdom, Lapite shows himself to be a corrupt and despotic ruler, terrorizing his subjects and plundering the natural resources for personal gain. A final bid to consolidate his power and suppress an uprising will lead to his downfall and usher in another chapter of horrors for his people. This classic allegory examines the political traumas that have befallen post-independence Nigeria.
Sun April 4: *3; Wed April 7: *12:45

LOVE BREWED IN AN AFRICAN POT
Kwaw Ansah, Ghana, 1980; 125m
In this classic of African cinema a young woman with a posh Cape Coast education falls in love with a semi-literate auto mechanic. Ansah demonstrates the pressures of class, family ties, and society on the lovers in this amusing mix of satire, comedy and melodrama that became one the most popular films of African history.
Sun April 4: 5:30; Fri April 9: 12:30

A NORMAL DAUGHTER: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF KEWPIE OF DISTRICT SIX
Jack Lewis, South Africa, 1998; 50m
Long before the emergence of the post-Stonewall gay scene in Cape Town, gay life in District Six was out in the open, and an accepted part of this racially and religiously diverse community. Kewpie's world revolved around her hairdressing salon, a meeting place where the "girls" organized "moffie" concerts, drag balls, and cabaret performances. Through her amazing collection of snapshots, Kewpie narrates these stories, taking us through District Six, her world, and her memories.
preceded by
FOUR RENT BOYS & A SANGOMA
Catherine Muller, South Africa, 2003; 47m
English, Zulu and Sotho with English subtitles.
Provocative and unprecedented, this documentary charts the inner lives of five black South African men who have sex with men. Set in the ghettos, townships and streets of Johannesburg, it is a story of transactional sex, intimate exchanges, lost dreams, and doing what it takes to get by.
Sun April 4: *8; Mon April 12: 12:30

A LION'S TRAIL
François Verster, South Africa, 2002; 55m
Everyone knows the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" but few people realize that it was originally written by a Zulu shepherd boy, Solomon Linda, who hardly saw a penny from its international success. The Zulu song "Mbube" was transcribed by American folk singer Pete Seeger into "Wimoweh" and finally gained international recognition as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." Today, nearly all international rights to the song are held by Americans, while the descendants of Solomon Linda live in poverty in Soweto, making for a complicated case-study of ethics and intellectual property in the realm of music.
preceded by
JOURNEY TO NYAE NYAE
Daniel Riesenfeld, South Africa, 2004; 25m
English and Ju'hoan with English subtitles
His starring role in The Gods Must Be Crazy made N!xau, a Ju/'hoansi man (or "Bushman" as Dutch settlers referred to them), the most famous African actor in film history and an international sensation. Filmmaker Daniel Riesenfeld journeyed to Namibia to find N!xau in this intimate and poignant portrait, filmed just before N!xau's death in July 2003.
Mon April 5: 1; Mon April 12: 5

QULA KWEDINI: A RITE OF PASSAGE
Mandilakhe Mjekula & Jahmil XT Qubeka, South Africa, 2003; 57m
English & Xhosa with English subtitles
Educated at a posh school, Ndipiwe Mjekula lives a carefree life unlike the rural life of his ancestors. But now Ndipiwe must go to the bush to be circumcised. After a mishap, which lands him in the hospital, Ndipiwe spends three weeks in a seclusion hut in the Eastern Cape, which ends with a celebratory cricket match. An exuberant ceremony back in the suburbs completes this warm and revealing account of the molding of two traditions into one cultural reality. preceded by
MBOUTOUKOU
Victor Viyuoh, Cameroon/U.S., 2002; 14m
Twelve-year-old Napo overhears his older brother, Abel, and his mother express doubts that he will be able to take on a man's responsibilities once Abel goes to boarding school. Hurt by their doubts, Napo sets out to prove them wrong.
preceded by
METSI
Blair Lynzee Doroshwalther, South Africa, 2003; 10m
METSI is a poetic documentary on the water crisis in Orange Farm, a township in a "not-so-post-apartheid" South Africa.
Mon April 5: 2:45; Sun April 11: 2:40

EMOTIONAL CRACK
Lancelot Oduwa-Imasuen, Nigeria, 2003; 105m Chudi is over-possessive and beats his wife, Crystal. She is so in love with Chudi that she forgives every episode of her husband's rage. As Chudi begins to address the problems in his marriage, Crystal finds a new friend who gives her the confidence she needs to deal with her husband, and leads her down a path where modern values and tradition collide.
Mon April 5: 9:30; Fri April 9: 9:45

ME & MY WHITE PAL
Pierre Yameogo, Burkina Faso/France, 2003; 90m
French & Mooré with English subtitles
Mamadi is living in France, and like many other African students, he is waiting for scholarship money that never arrives. To survive, finish his thesis, and renew his residence permit, he takes a job as a parking attendant, a job that allows him to discover all kinds of secrets, including a stash of drugs. His friend convinces him that they can move the drugs and become rich. However, evading the dealers is tougher than they expect. Mamadi and his white pal escape to Burkina Faso, Mamadi's home country, but find that their adventures are just beginning in this light-hearted satire.
Tue April 6: 1; Sat April 10: 10

IN DARKEST HOLLYWOOD
Peter Davis & Daniel Riesenfield, South Africa, 1992; 120m
What was the role of cinema during the 45-year reign of apartheid? This two-part series makes a connection between the institutionalization of apartheid in 1948 with Hollywood cinema's misrepresentation of American blacks and South Africans. Combining feature film and newsreel footage, documentary and propaganda films, and commentary by writers, directors and actors, the film traces an evolving and complex image of apartheid: from "Savage Zulu" and government propaganda, to Hollywood fantasy, and finally, with the downfall of apartheid, the creation of an African voice in the cinema.
Tue April 6: 3; Mon April 12: 6:45

CAMPUS QUEEN (Centerpiece)
Tunde Kelani, Nigeria, 2003; 100m
This drama pits rival university groups, Heavy Weights Club and Silver Lines Movement against each other. SLM vows to oppose all antidemocratic tendencies and economic exploitation on campus. Tokunbo, the President of HWC tries to trade his girlfriend Banke's beauty for money from some business barons in Lagos. When clever Banke escapes and castigates Tokunbo, he organizes a deadly reprisal against her. But SLM steps in to defend her and the battle lines are drawn.
Wed April 7: *6; Sat April 10: *5

OUAGA HIP HOP
Benny Malapa, Cameroon/France/Burkina Faso, 2004; 52m
In French, Wolof, Mooré, Jula, and Bambara with English subtitles In May 2000, a hip hop festival was founded in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. This documentary shows how hip hop culture enables dancers, actors, and rappers from France and West Africa to meet and exchange ideas and details how a movement born in New York City became one of the most exciting forms of cultural expression for urban youths from all over Africa.
preceded by
RAPBIZZ
Benny Malapa, France, 2002; 20m
French with English subtitles
Tony, an African immigrant in Paris, dreams of becoming a rap star. With his demo tape in hand, he heads out to meet the decision-makers in the industry.
Wed April 7: *8:45; Tue April 13: 5

THUNDERBOLT
Tunde Kelani, Nigeria, 2001; 105m
English, Igbo, Yoruba, with English subtitles Ngozi and Yinka fall in love and marry, but in doing so, enflame the ethnic prejudices of those around them. Driven to paranoia and jealousy by the rumors he hears, Yinka tries to ensure his wife's fidelity by using an age-old folk method, which will strike either Ngozi or her next lover dead. This very human and often humorous story sets the well-known pitfalls of the search for love against a Nigerian landscape drenched in tradition and bearing the lingering weight of ethnic mistrust.
Thurs April 8: *1; Wed April 14: 4:45

TRACES, WOMEN'S IMPRINTS / TRACES, EMPREINTES DE FEMMES
Katy L. Ndiaye, Burkina Faso/Senegal, 2003; 52m
Kasem and French with English subtitles Discover the exclusively feminine art of mural paintings in Burkina Faso. Three "kassenas" (grandmothers) attempt to pass their knowledge and technique to their granddaughter, who is part of the first generation of women to leave the village to study.
Co-presented with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festial. preceded by
ALEX'S WEDDING
Jean-Marie Teno, Cameroon/France, 2003; 45m
Bamileke & French with English subtitles
Alex, the husband, goes to his in-laws' to bring home his second wife. Elise, Alex's childhood sweetheart and first wife, accompanies him - as she must, according to tradition. And Josephine, the young bride, leaves her parents to begin a new life.... From the preparations to the minister's blessing, the wedding party to the awkward end of the festivities, the director films a polygamous marriage ceremony with all its contradictions yet genuine tenderness.
Fri April 9: *3; Sat April 10: *7:30

MAPANTSULA
Oliver Schmitz, South Africa, 1988; 100m
Afrikaans, English, Sotho and Zulu with English subtitles
The first anti-apartheid feature film by, for, and about black South Africans was filmed inside Soweto and scored to the urban beat of "Township Jive." MAPANTSULA tells the story of Panic, a petty gangster caught up in the events of the student riots in Soweto and his transformation from irresponsible loner to someone compelled to take a stand.
Fri April 9: 5:30; Thurs April 15: 1:45

VALLEY OF THE INNOCENT
Branwen Okpako, Nigeria/Germany, 2003; 84m
German with English subtitles
Shortly before her 40th birthday, police officer Eva Meyer is transferred from Frankfurt to Dresden. There, she re-visits the orphanage where she grew up with the intent of unraveling her confused identity. Looking up the archives of the Stasi, the East German secret police, she discovers that her birth was the result of a one-night stand her mother Helga had with a Kenyan named Shepard. When Eva is called in to uncover the murder of Helga's husband, her personal and professional life collide in this claustrophobic noir thriller.
Fri April 9: *7:45; Tue April 13: *12:30

TASUMA
Daniel Sanou Kollo, Burkina Faso, 2003; 90m
Dioula and French with English subtitles
This comedy tells the story of Sogo, a veteran of the French Army who served in Indochina and Algeria. After his demobilization in 1962 he returned to his village in Burkina Faso. He's finally due his war pension, but his efforts at collecting seem to be hitting a brick wall. Having already bought a flourmill for the village's women on credit, he becomes desperate for the money. Tired of the bureaucracy, Sogo goes back to the official one last time with gun in hand, takes him hostage, and dictates a letter to General de Gaulle!
Sun April 11: 12:45; Mon April 12: 9:15

OWO BLOW - THE GENESIS
Tade Ogidan, Nigeria, 1997; 80m
Yoruba with English subtitles
Even the most corrupt societies have good elements within them, and Mr. Owolabi is one example. His quest to create a just, fair and corruption-free society unwittingly earns him a ten-year jail term. His incarceration wreaks havoc on his family. In order to find the money for food and schooling, his son, Wole, turns to the streets, Mrs. Owolabi turns to their unscrupulous landlord for help, and Wole's sister, Mope, consummates an immoral affair with a much older lover. This is just the beginning in a series of misfortunes that befalls the Owolabis. What else does fate have in store for them?
preceded by
KEMI
Amo, Nigeria/U.S., 2003; 26m
Kemi is a teenage girl from Africa who comes to America to care for the five-year-old son of a family friend, Bola. He wants an African influence in his son's life, while his African-American wife feels threatened by Kemi. Kemi thought she would have a better life in America, but she unwittingly gets drawn into the middle of a relationship already in turmoil
Sun April 11: *4:15; Tue April 13: 2:45

DIRT FOR DINNER
Branwen Okpako, Nigeria/Germany, 2000; 75m
German with English subtitles
Sam Meffire is the son of an African father and East-German mother in what was once the German Democratic Republic. In 1992 he became the first black policeman in the former Eastern Republic and became famous thanks to an advertising campaign featuring his face under the headline "A Saxon." In 1996 Sam committed several armed robberies and blackmail and is now serving a 10-year prison sentence. A detailed reconstruction of Sam's life, from childhood to the present day, this documentary is much more than a portrait; it tries to find answers to the intriguing question of how a man who was once seen as the symbol of a new, united Germany could ultimately sink so deep. preceded by
JEMIMA & JOHNNY
Lionel Ngakane, South Africa, 1966; 30m
This tale explores the friendship between Johnny, a white boy whose father is a bigot, and Jemima, a little black girl whose family has just arrived from the West Indies. The two strike up an instant friendship and embark on various adventures. Their whereabouts unknown, the parents and neighbors launch a frantic search. The story is driven by excellent background music to a clever and unforced resolution in this well-crafted film by the recently deceased African cinema pioneer, Lionel Ngakane. Though inspired by the racial tensions of 1960s London, the film's insights retain their social relevance forty years later.
Sun April 11: *7; Thurs April 15: *4

WOUBI CHÉRI
Philip Brooks & Laurent Bocahut, Ivory Coast/France, 1998; 62m
French with English subtitles
WOUBI CHÉRI is the first film to give the African homosexual and trans community a chance to describe their world in their own words. Often funny, sometimes ribald, but always real, it introduces us to gender pioneers demanding their right to self-determination and to a cross-section of Abidjan's woubi community. The woubis' "We're here, we're queer" attitude may remind some of similar movements in this country, but the very untraditional djémé, or feast, which ends the film will convince anyone this is queer liberation African style.
preceded by
SURRENDER
Celine Gilbert, Tanzania/Zimbabwe, 2000; 30m
Swahili with English subtitles
In the tranquil setting of a small fishing community in the East Coast of Zanzibar, we meet Amri, a man trapped between the traditional role of the family man his father expects him to fulfill and his own personal desire for Mashua, a local fisherman.
Sun April 11: 9:30; Wed April 14: 12:30

KOUNANDI
Apolline Traore, Burkina Faso, 2003; 49m
Dioula with English subtitles
An itinerant woman dies after giving birth to a girl. The girl, Kounandi, is adopted by a childless couple that later realize that she is a dwarf. After the death of her protective adoptive mother, her abusive father chases her out of the house. Rejected by the rest of the village, she is aided by a kind young man, Karim. She gradually falls in love with Karim, but he is already married to Awa.
preceded by
ABOUT BRAIDS / HISTOIRE DE TRESSES
Jacqueline Kalimunda, Rwanda, 2003; 23m
French with English subtitles
Dorylia, a gifted hairstylist, braids hair all day long, confined in the tiny Parisian flat she shares with her young daughter. Siham is looking for someone to braid her hair, and when Dorylia and Siham meet their lives change.
preceded by
LE PACTE
Guy Desire Yameogo, Burkina Faso, 2002; 24m
Mooré with English subtitles
LE PACTE is the story of Tinga, a man who makes a pact with his village's fetishes to build up his fortune. His business is thriving, but he finds it difficult to keep his promise of sacrificing a human being after seven years or else fear the reversal of his fortunes.
Mon April 12: *2:30; Wed April 14: *9

SOLDIERS OF THE ROCK
Norman Maake, South Africa, 2003; 94m
To experience the world in which his father died, Vuyo decides to join a jaded well-muscled Johannesburg crew of deep level miners, taking a break from his business studies to work long shifts far underground. Intense fraternization alternates with efforts of ex-con laborer Suto to organize the purchase of their own mine. His tragic fate prompts a shift in power that leads to a dramatic subterranean showdown with crazed dissenter Husuthu.
Wed April 14: *2:30; Thurs April 15: *6:30

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