Yesterday marked the opening of the longest-running African film festival in the country, The Cambridge African Film Festival. Incredibly, this was started in May 2002 by an innovative group of graduates as a society of the University of Cambridge. Led by Lindiwe Dovey, the students realised that there was no showcase in the UK for contemporary African film, despite the high quality and growing productivity of filmmaking from the continent. The vision of the festival, which still stands today, was to provide a UK audience for African filmmakers, to increase knowledge and awareness of African and black culture in the country, and thereby offer an important counter-balance to the Western stereotypical view of Africa.
This year the festival has partnered with the Royal African Society’s Film Africa film festival, and is offering a great selection of films which everyone at TakeOne is excited about.
The festival opened on Sunday 6th November with the deeply personal and autobiographical FRAGMENTS, charting the lives of the Belabbes family and presenting a first-hand view of Moroccan society and culture. This is also a recording of the first steps taken by the director into film and photography, documenting an incredible filmmaker finding his voice through the medium. Through his eyes, a beautiful and bravely human film emerges, showing how personal stories portrayed in film are able to expose universal issues that apply to us all.
On Monday 7th November, there is a special screening of NOTRE ETRANGERE (THE PLACE IN BETWEEN), which follows Amy on her search for her long-lost mother from Bukina Faso. Exploring her African roots, yet still unable to find what she is looking for, Amy is caught adrift between two worlds. Following the screening, lead actress Dorylia Calmel will attend a Q&A about her extraordinary performance.
KOUNDI AND THE NATIONAL THURSDAY follows on Tuesday 8th November. Set in Eastern Cameroon, the film breaks the traditional view of a poverty-stricken Africa. This is an inspiring and important documentary which chronicles a community of people who come together to start a cacao plantation, and to change their future on their own.
On Wednesday 9th November the penultimate screening is DREAMS OF ELIBIDI. Filmed in the slums surrounding Nairobi, the film brilliantly walks the line between dramatic social issues and playful comedy, while tackling some dark and sensitive themes such as HIV/AIDS. Director Kamau wa Ndung’u will be appearing after the screening to talk about the making of this unique film.
The festival closes on Thursday 10th November with an AFRICAN SHORTS PROGRAMME which features an electrifying selection of films. From the heartfelt and moving to the fast-paced and surreal, the films originate from various countries all over the continent including Algeria, Mali, Zambia and Ethiopia.
Over the course of its ten years the festival has won a reputation as a high-profile and important cinematic, entertaining and educational event. We will be covering every film, so check back at TakeOne for updates, including reviews, interviews with filmmakers and recordings of the Q&As. For tickets to the festival, visit the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse website.