A-Z Films

SARA GOMEZ: AN AFRO-CUBAN FILMMAKER

SARA GOMEZ: AN AFRO-CUBAN FILMMAKER

Regular price $295.00
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SARA GOMEZ: AN AFRO-CUBAN FILMMAKER 

DIRECTED BY ALESSANDRA MULLER
CUBA AND SWITZERLAND / 2005 / SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 76 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Sara Gomez, An Afro-Cuban Filmmaker is a rich, multilayered documentary about Afro-Cuban director Sarah Gomez. Born in 1943, she studied literature, piano, and Afro-Cuban ethnography before becoming the first female Cuban filmmaker. A woman of great intelligence, independence and generosity, she was a revolutionary filmmaker with intersecting concerns about the Afro-Cuban community and the value of its cultural traditions, women's issues, and the treatment of the marginalized sectors of society. Through archival footage of her works and interviews with her children and husband Germinal Hernandez, cast members of her best-know film De cierta manera,as well as colleagues and friends, we get closer to a filmmaker who invented new landscapes and brought together opposite worlds.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Alessandra Muller
Starring: Sara Gómez
 

GENRES

  • Documentary
  • Part of 2-set DVD Afro-Cuba: Yesterday and Today which also includes The last Rumba of Papa Montero.
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SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY

SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY

Regular price $295.00
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Scheherazade, Tell Me A Story Trailer from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY

DIRECTED BY YOUSRY NASRALLAH
EGYPT / 2009 / ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 135 MIN

SYNOPSIS

SCHEHERAZADE: TELL ME A STORY is a tale ripped from today’s headlines and yet a clever reference to the myths and lore of the Middle East. When her husband (Hassan Saeed) asks her to tone down the subversive political rhetoric on her program, Egyptian talk show host Hebba (Mona Zaki) draws even more heat by beginning a series that explores the experience of women in contemporary Egypt. As three women speak out about the mistreatment they've suffered in a deeply patriarchal society, Hoda must contend with her own disintegrating marriage. 

"Lively, swift, vibrantly colorful and for the most part wonderfully acted, the film is slyly aware of the daytime talk show as a vehicle for women's concerns." ~ The New York Times

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Yousry Nasrallah
Starring: Mona Zaki
Starring: Rehab El Gamal
Starring: Hassan El Raddad
 

GENRE

  • Drama 


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SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE
SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE

SCHEHERAZADE, TELL ME A STORY + FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE & ROTATING SQUARE

Regular price $395.00
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Scheherazade, Tell Me A Story Trailer from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

SCHEHERAZDE, TELL ME A STORY

DIRECTED BY YOUSRY NASRALLAH
EGYPT / 2009 / ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 135 MIN

SYNOPSIS

SCHEHERAZADE: TELL ME A STORY is a tale ripped from today’s headlines and yet a clever reference to the myths and lore of the Middle East.   When her husband (Hassan Saeed) asks her to tone down the subversive political rhetoric on her program, Egyptian talk show host Hebba (Mona Zaki) draws even more heat by beginning a series that explores the experience of women in contemporary Egypt. As three women speak out about the mistreatment they've suffered in a deeply patriarchal society, Hoda must contend with her own disintegrating marriage. Yousry Nasrallah directs this drama.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Yousry Nasrallah
Starring: Mona Zaki
Starring: Rehab El Gamal
Starring: Hassan El Raddad
 

GENRES

  • Drama 
  • Also features Fallen Angels Paradise

FALLEN ANGELS PARADISE
(GANNAT AL SHAYATEEN) 

DIRECTED BY OUSSAMA FAWZI
EGYPT / 1999 / ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 80 MIN

SYNOPSIS

A homeless man dies of an overdose in a popular Cairo neighborhood. He was once an ideal husband and represented security for his family. Then one day, everything changed. Upon his death his friends from the underworld drag the corpse around for a whole night of madness, drinking and hallucinating situations. A game with death where the dead man becomes more alive than the living and fallen angels live according to their own rules, laws and desires in the chaos of the Egyptian capital. The film is based on a famous short story written by the Brazilian writer Jorge Amado. 

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Oussama Fawzi
Starring: Mahmood Hemaidah
Starring: Lebleba
Starring: Caroline Khalil

GENRE

  • Dramatic Comedy
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SEASONS OF A LIFE

SEASONS OF A LIFE

Regular price $245.00
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SEASONS OF A LIFE 

DIRECTED BY C. SHEMU JOYAH
MALAWI / 2010 / ENGLISH / 102 MIN

SYNOPSIS

A housemaid, who is sexually abused by her boss and made pregnant, is forced to give up her son in order to go on with her education.

Six years later she comes back to claim her son. From Malawi comes this moving story about sexual abuse, women rights and the legal justice system in Malawi.

This film tackles universal themes in an African setting giving an understanding of some of the modernization and democratization processes in Africa.

Flora Suya stars as the lead character, Sungisa Malango, a maid turned lawyer who fights for custody of her child.

"This is not exactly a film I would have sought out but since it was made in Malawi by a Malawian director, I decided to watch it and am damned glad I did. This is a film that will tell you far more about the ascending middle class in Africa than any Thomas Friedman column plus it is a well-written and well-acted old fashioned tale of the sort that might have starred Bette Davis. Strongly recommended." - Film critic Louis Proyect

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: C. Shemu Joyah
Starring: Flora Suya
Starring: Tapiwa Gwaza
Starring: Neria Chikhosi
 

GENRES

  • Drama 
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SEXY MONEY

SEXY MONEY

Regular price $295.00
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SEXY MONEY

DIRECTED BY KARIN JUNGER
NIGERIA AND THE NETHERLANDS / 2014 / ENGLISH / 85 MIN

SYNOPSIS

A reflection of the difficult social conditions of women in many societies in different parts of the world, SEXY MONEY explores frontally with much sensitivity and compassion the broken hopes and hard choices of poor Nigerian women as they struggle to reintegrate Nigerian society with dignity after being expelled from Europe where they were looking for a better life.

SEXY MONEY presents a subtle indictment of the social reality of poor women in contemporary Nigeria. In recent years, a growing number of Nigerian women, among other West African women, have settled in the suburbs of major cities in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. The women go there in order to escape poverty. But for most of them, the European adventure is a disappointment that ends when they fly back to their native countries empty-handed.

The film listens to these women talk about their European adventure and follows the development of two women in particular who, after returning to Nigeria, try to build a new life. There are countless obstacles. The film exposes the challenges these women face while celebrating their resilience.

Music, as a source of pleasure and beauty plays an important role in the lives of these women and also in the film, with songs especially composed for it by Nneka, one of Nigeria’s best.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Karin Junger
Starring: Nneka
Starring: Laura Akuoyibo
Starring: Janet Ogheneovo
 

GENRES

  • Documentary 
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SHAIHU UMAR
SHAIHU UMAR
SHAIHU UMAR
SHAIHU UMAR
SHAIHU UMAR
SHAIHU UMAR
SHAIHU UMAR
SHAIHU UMAR

SHAIHU UMAR

Regular price $395.00
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SHAIHU UMAR

Didi Cheeka works as a director and film critic and has been working for years to reappraise the Nigerian film heritage. He initiated the archive project “Reclaiming History, Unveiling Memory” with the aim of restoring, digitizing and curating rediscovered Nigerian films.

SHAIHU UMAR is one of the most important works in Nigerian film history, but was long considered lost. Located in northern Nigeria at the end of the 19th century, the film is based on a novel by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, who later became Nigeria’s first prime minister. Only the rediscovery of the camera negative in 2016 made the reconstruction of the film possible. The digitally restored version had its premiere at the Berlinale in February 2018.

Set in northern Nigeria towards the end of the 19th century, Shaihu Umar starts with a discussion between Islamic students and their renowned teacher, the wise man Shaihu Umar. Asked about his origins, Umar begins to tell his story: he comes from a modest background and is separated from his mother after his father dies and his stepfather is banished. His subsequent trials and tribulations are marked by slavery, and he is put to any number of tests until he finally becomes the adopted son of his Arabic master Abdulkarim. He attends Koran School and is made an imam upon reaching adulthood. Following a particular dream, he resolves to search for his mother.


Adamu Halilu filmed Shaihu Umar in Hausa in 1976. Arsenal - Institute for Film and Video Art restored the film with the support of the German Embassy in Abuja.

by Adamu Halilu, Epic Drama, Nigeria, 1976, 142', Hausa with English Subtitles.

WITH

Umaru Ladan (Shaihu Umar)
Mairiga Aliyu (Fatima)
Husaini Mohammed (Umar, 3 Jahre alt)
Umaru Dembo (Makau)
Assad Yasin (Abdulkarim)
Harira Kachia (Kaka)

CREW

Director
Adamu Halilu
Screenplay
Adamu Halilu, based on the novel of the same title by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
Director of Photography
Yusuf Mohammed, Zakari Yusufu
Editing
Edwin Apim
Sound
Baba Gana
Production Design
Assad Yasin
Producers
Umaru Ladan, Umaru Dembo

BIOGRAPHY

Adamu Halilu

Born in the state of Adamawa, Nigeria in 1936. He studied screenwriting and editing in London. Along with his work as a feature film director, Adamu Halilu also wrote screenplays and took part in the production of almost 70 documentary films. Adamu Halilu died in 2001.

Filmography (selection)

1963 Mama Learns a Lesson; 48 min. 1971 Child Bride; 70 min. 1976 Shaihu Umar 1978 Kanta of Kebbi 1981 Moment of Truth; 90 min. 1982 Zainab

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2018


PRODUCED BY

Federal Ministry of Information (Federal Film Unit Kaduna)

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SHE HAD A DREAM
SHE HAD A DREAM
SHE HAD A DREAM
SHE HAD A DREAM
SHE HAD A DREAM
SHE HAD A DREAM

SHE HAD A DREAM

Regular price $395.00
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SHE HAD A DREAM - Young, Tunisian and Black

Ghofrane, 25, is a young Black Tunisian woman. A committed activist who speaks her mind, she embodies Tunisia's current political upheaval. As a victim of racial discrimination, Ghofrane decides to go into politics.

We follow her extraordinary path, ranging from acting on her ambition to be in politics to disillusion. Through her attempts to persuade both close friends and complete strangers to vote for her, her campaign reveals the many faces of a country seeking to forge a new identity.

In its own unique way, this documentary sheds light on the place of women and Black people in Tunisia's changing society.

Directed by Raja Amari, Tunisia, 2020, 90min, documentary, Arabic and French w/English subtitles

* IDFA 2020 - World Premiere

"Binous' determination to be an agent of change lends the film an engaging, upbeat energy that enhances its appeal..." ~ Screen International

"Effortlessly balancing the personal and the political - and the invisible line between them - the filmmaker offers a glimpse into the future of a better Tunisia through Binous's unique odyssey." ~ Film Inquiry

"As a Black woman from a working-class neighborhood in Tunisia, 25-year-old Ghofrane Binous has spent her whole life dealing with class inequality, racism, and sex discrimination. Following an extremely racist incident in 2018 while working as a flight attendant, she posted a cry for help on social media that was widely viewed, then joined a women’s movement and became politically active. The film follows this charismatic figure in the run-up to the 2019 national elections—during the turbulent campaign period, on the way to countless meetings, and in heated conversations with family members, friends, and party members.

The camera stays close to this young woman who is keen to perpetuate the myth of her own invulnerability—and maybe that’s exactly what she needs to do to rise to the top. The backdrop to her political ambition is a divided society where people have little confidence in their own democracy. Connecting it all is the voice-over in which Binous shares her vision of life, and her motivations for becoming politically active in a paternalistic, segregated society where women generally draw the shortest straw." IDFA

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SIA, THE DREAM OF THE PYTHON

SIA, THE DREAM OF THE PYTHON

Regular price $295.00
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SIA, THE DREAM OF THE PYTHON

DIRECTED BY DANI KOUYATÉ
BURKINA FASO / 2001 / BAMBARA WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 96 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Kombi is a poverty-stricken city dominated by a tyrant king. In order to bring back prosperity, the king is advised by his priests to make the traditional human sacrifice of a young virgin to a mystical snake god. Sia, the most beautiful young woman of the village, has been designated. Lieutenant Mamadi, her fiancé, rebels against the decision to perform this ritual and the village becomes divided. Struggles and revelations follow as the characters confront issues of honour, corruption and power. 

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Dani Kouyaté
Starring: Fatoumata Diawara
Starring: Sotigui Kouyaté
Starring: Habib Dembélé
 

GENRES

  • Epic Drama 
  • also includes feature film Tasuma, The Fighter
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SINS OF THE FLESH / (HARAM EL GASAD)

SINS OF THE FLESH / (HARAM EL GASAD)

Regular price $345.00
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SINS OF THE FLESH (HARAM EL GASAD)

DIRECTED BY KHALED EL HAGAR
EGYPT / 2016 / ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 125 MIN

SYNOPSIS

From one of Egypt's most controversial and taboo-breaking filmmakers comes a drama of betrayal, passion and political upheaval. A year after the events that kicked off the Arab Spring, millions of Egyptians gathered to demand the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak. The January protests lasted 18 days and saw numerous attempts by the government to silence dissent using censorship and violence. In his latest film, director Khaled El Hagar establishes a parallel narrative, in which an erotic and symbolic struggle for freedom plays out on a farm while the urban revolt serves as a backdrop.

Confined to a marriage of convenience, Fatma (Nahed El Sebai) is torn between tradition and a drive to rebel against her oppressive circumstances. Her desire for renewal is ignited when an escaped convict turns up seeking shelter. The affair is extremely transgressive, especially given the rigorous religious standards that underpin Egyptian society. Much like the undemocratic political establishment, the farm's master governs with terrifying impunity. The film caused a firestorm of media debate over freedom of expression in its home country. Ironically, even under the newer government, the film was censored and subjected to numerous edits before Egyptians could view it. It's a scathing critique of the establishment, building to an unflinching ending that questions where the revolution is headed and what it has accomplished. (VIFF)

"Outstanding both as neo-film noir and as penetrating examination of class relations in Egypt that help explain the continuation of capitalist oligarchic rule." ~ Louis Project

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Khaled El Hagar
Starring: Nahed El Sebai
 

GENRES

  • Drama 
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SOUL IN THE EYE

SOUL IN THE EYE

Regular price $245.00
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SOUL IN THE EYE

DIRECTED BY ZOZIMO BULBUL
BRAZIL / 1974 / SILENT / 8 MIN

SYNOPSIS

This short film on the legacy of culture and survival bestowed by enslaved Africans brought to the Americas features the music of John Coltrane.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Zozimo Bulbul
 

GENRES

  • Drama 
  • Inquire for pricing info
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STAMBALI

STAMBALI

Regular price $245.00
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STAMBALI

DIRECTED BY NAWFEL SAHEB-ETTABA
TUNISIA / 1999 / ENGLISH AND ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 52 MIN

SYNOPSIS

In Tunisia, the history of stambali goes back to the arrival of the first Africans taken as slaves from Mali, Timbuktu specifically. Practicing their music and worship in the house of their masters, the enslaved and their musical traditions survive to this day.

Stambali is a religious ritual in Tunisia, a journey with the rhythm of the "gombri" and "chkackek," traces an individual and collective hypnosis, an annual tribute that the disciples of Sidi Saad pay to their master during an initiatory journey and rite of purification that lasts three days.

In "Stambali," the camera, video and film follow the rhythm of the possession, dances, and goes into a trance, in the cemetery, in an open space of grass, trees, dust and sand, in the eroticism that is released by this physical and spiritual representation.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Nawfel Saheb-Ettaba
 

GENRES

  • Documentary
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STAND DOWN SOLDIER

STAND DOWN SOLDIER

Regular price $245.00
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STAND DOWN SOLDIER

DIRECTED BY JERYL PRESCOTT
U.S.A. / 2015 / ENGLISH / 82 MIN


SYNOPSIS

Stand Down Soldier, directed by Jeryl Prescott, is a compelling narrative that delves into the complex realities faced by African American women in the military. The film follows the journey of Sergeant Stacy Armstrong as she returns home from multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, battling the invisible wounds of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The film adeptly portrays the struggles of reintegrating into society, family life, and finding a sense of normalcy after the life-altering experiences of war and adds another layer to Sergeant Armstrong’s challenges by addressing the unique trauma associated with being a woman in the military. It explores the difficulties she faces in a predominantly male environment, including gender-based discrimination and the additional mental health stresses that arise from such experiences.

Stand Down Soldier not only highlights the personal battles of Sergeant Armstrong but also sheds light on broader themes such as the mental health issues faced by women veterans, the lack of adequate support systems, and the specific experiences of African American soldiers. It is a poignant reflection on the sacrifices and unseen scars of war, emphasizing the need for greater understanding and support for veterans' mental health.

As Sergeant Armstrong struggles with the transition back to civilian life, the film portrays her battle against not only the trauma of combat but also the internal conflicts stemming from her experiences as a female soldier. These experiences include navigating a system that often lacks sufficient support for the specific needs of women veterans.

This film is particularly relevant for discussions in Africana and Women Studies for its exploration of intersecting themes of race, gender, and military service. It provides a unique perspective on the African American military experience, particularly focusing on the often-overlooked narratives of women veterans. This film is a poignant reminder of the need for greater awareness and support for all veterans, especially those facing compounded challenges due to their gender and race.

Writer, director, producer, and lead actress in Stand Down Soldier, Jeryl Prescott - an actress best known for her portrayal of Jacqui in The Walking Dead - started writing the award-winning script for Stand Down Soldier after conversations with female family members and friends from her home state of SC who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

 “It was both revelatory and refreshing to see that a film about a soldier’s return home from active duty in Iraq is focused on a woman.”  ~ Highbrow Magazine
Read Full Review HERE


Stand Down Soldier is a poignant film about an African-American female soldier back to civilian life after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. This film took me by surprise, and I really enjoyed it.” ~ Film Monthly.

Read Full Review HERE

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Jeryl Prescott
Starring: Jeryl Prescott
Starring: Maria Russell
Starring: Harry Lennix
 

GENRES

  • Drama 
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Stories in Exile: The Citizen & Black Dju

Stories in Exile: The Citizen & Black Dju

Regular price $295.00
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STORIES IN EXILE: THE CITIZEN & BLACK DJU: Two fiction films that explore life in exile. Set in Hungary, THE CITIZEN follows Guinea-Bissau political refugee Wilson. BLACK DJU is a drama set in Luxembourg about a young man from Cape Verde looking for his father.

THE CITIZEN

In his late fifties Wilson, whose family was killed during an outbreak of civil war in Guinea-Bissau, enters Europe as a political refugee and settles for a sedate life as a security guard in a Budapest shopping center. Wilson's main desire is to acquire Hungarian citizenship. The story follows Wilson as he attempts to find his place in Hungarian society in his daily life, at work, with Mari, a history teacher who helps him study for the citizenship and Shirin, a young Iranian woman whose only hope to avoid deportation is to marry a Hungarian citizen. The Citizen is an Award-winning drama that poignantly dwells on some of the most complex issues of contemporary modern European society.

Directed by Roland Vranik | Hungary | 2018 | Drama | 109 min


BLACK DJU

From the sea and sun of the Cape Verde Island, it's a very big step to rainy, gloomy, land-locked Luxembourg, but that's the journey 20-year-old Dju Dele Dibonga must take to track down his dad, whose yearly visits and monthly guest worker checks have stopped. But it's not just the weather that's not welcoming, Dju also has to face overzealous immigration cops intent on filling deportation quotas and the noisy outrage of a hard-boozing police lieutenant (veteran actor Philippe Léotard). Dad's trail looks cold, until lieutenant decides to join in the hunt and to become Dju's partner in this tale of love and friendship. With the exceptional participation of Cape Verdian singer Cesaria Evora as Dju's mother and Manu Dibango as himself.

Directed By Pol Cruchten / Cape Verde And Luxembourg / 1997 / Portuguese & French With English Subtitles / 80 Min

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STORIES OF POST-COLONIALISM

STORIES OF POST-COLONIALISM

Regular price $395.00
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STORIES OF POST-COLONIALISM is a double DVD that is a source of information, reflection, retrospective and critical thinking regarding the presence of foreign powers on the continent and what that entails for the general population as very well illustrated in THE BIG BANANA. In the nation building process, governments have to face a multiplicity of tasks to build the countries' economic, educational, health, and justice systems, to name a few. CELL 512 illustrates the challenges of building a democratic society in a new nation.

THE BIG BANANA

Banned in Cameroon,The Big Banana illustrates the poor working conditions in banana plantations and exposes the adverse impact on the people of a corporatocracy government that affords super profits for corporations at the expense of the local population.

The Big Banana outlines land grabbing tactics by company Plantation du Haut Penja (PHP) and the ensuing devastation for communities: poverty, pollution, and sickness from pesticides. Bieleu, who spent two years filming residents in the remote countryside of Cameroon also features local cooperatives resisting the devastation through business alliances with fair trade organizations.

By Franck Bieleu, Cameroon, 2011, 85min, Documentary in French with English subtitles.

 

CELL 512

A spoiled young man makes a bet with his friends: riding a motorbike at a brisk pace without brakes or lights for a week, without being worried. He will be hit by Honorine, a woman driving her car. She will end up in jail. Should corruption, rape and denial of justice be the lot of those without financial means to defend themselves?

By Missa Hebie, 2015, Burkina Faso, Drama, 99 min, French w/ English subtitles.

 

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Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA

Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA

Regular price $395.00
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SUGAR CANE MALICE / MAL DE CAÑA
 
A documentary about the working conditions of Haitian workers in one of the largest sugar cane plantations in the world, located in the Dominican Republic and belonging to the Fanjul Family, one of the most powerful families in America.
 

When Maria’s husband died, she was told to either leave the sugarcane plantation or to work in the only existent job: cutting and planting cane.

She decided to work in exchange for a miserable wage and a rudimentary barrack she and her five children call home. With that, she was accepting a precarious life without electricity, drinkable water and sanitary services. This is how people are stuck in a house provided by the Company, ensuring that no other basic service neither civil rights are provided, maintaining people in a life of misery. The vast extension of a sugarcane plantation in Dominican Republic offers this deal to thousands of Haitian workers. Some struggle to leave – like Maria’s daughter, with few chances of working in a hotel by the coast. Some others are forced to leave – like Leidy and her baby, when her father-in-law retires after 50 years of work. Yet, some others – like Yudelka and Telemin – organize and try to change the miserable situation everyone is living in the cane fields. They are an obstacle that hinders the functioning of the great machine that is the Plantation.

Directed by Juan A. Zapata, Dominican Republic/Spain, 2021, 76min, Documentary, Spanish w/English subtitles

 Sugar Cane Malice is the third film from director [Juan A.] Zapata, a native of the Dominican Republic, who is also an architect and visual artist. Both sensibilities are on display in Sugar Cane Malice, which pays particular attention to the built environment of the workers, and contrasts it through a series of helicopter (or drone) shots with modern construction in the island’s cities and the luxurious beach resorts that are beloved of tourists. He also finds beauty even in the sugar cane fields where these workers labor for the benefits of others. Above all, he respects the dignity of his subjects, who haven’t let their difficult lives become their only story." ~ Sarah Boslaugh

AWARDS

FULL FRAME Documentary Film Festival 2021
Official Competition 

Festival des Libertés 2021
Official Competition 

EATSA Art & Tourism is an International Film Festival 2021
Official Competition 

SOMCINEMA Festival (Spain) 2021
Official Competition 

Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam 2021
Official Competition

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SUSANA BACA; MEMORIA VIVA

SUSANA BACA; MEMORIA VIVA

Regular price $245.00
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SUSANA BACA: MEMORIA VIVA

DIRECTED BY MARC DIXON
PERU ND BELGIUM / 2003 / SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 54 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Susana Baca is not only a champion in the performance and preservation of Afro-Peruvian heritage, but also an elegant singer whose shimmering voice sings of love, loss and life. Susana and her husband Ricardo Pereira have founded the Instituto Negrocontinuo “Black Continuum” in Lima, a spirited facility for the exploration, expression, and creation of Black Peruvian culture. While Baca has dedicated herself to researching and performing virtually all forms of Afro-Peruvian folklore, it is the lando that has become her trademark. This slow to mid-tempo, highly evocative mix of Spanish, Indigenous and African rhythms has become what the son is to Cuba, or the samba to Brazil--the lando is the sound of Black Peru.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Marc Dixon
 

GENRES

  • Musical Documentary
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TASUMA, THE FIGHTER

TASUMA, THE FIGHTER

Regular price $295.00
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TASUMA, THE FIGHTER

DIRECTED BY DANIEL KOLLO SANOU
BURKINA FASO / 2003 / DJULA AND FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 90 MIN

SYNOPSIS

A comedy set in contemporary Burkina Faso, Tasuma tells the story of a World War II veteran who has been trying for more than 50 years to obtain his well-deserved military pension. Convinced that he will be paid shortly, Sogo buys a mill on credit for the village. But the money does not arrive. When Sogo is put in prison because he cannot reimburse his loan, the women of the village rally to set him free.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Daniel Kollo Sanou
Starring: Ali Keita
Starring: Mamadou Zerbo
Starring: Noufou Ouédraogo
 

GENRES

  • Comedy
  • DVD entitled GREAT AFRICAN FILMS - VOL 2- also includes feature film Sia, the Dream of the Python
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TAZZEKA
TAZZEKA
TAZZEKA
TAZZEKA
TAZZEKA
TAZZEKA
TAZZEKA
TAZZEKA

TAZZEKA

Regular price $395.00
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TAZZEKA 

DIRECTED BY JEAN-PHILIPPE GAUD
FRANCE and MOROCCO / 2018 / FRENCH, ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 95 MIN

 

SYNOPSIS

Growing up in the Moroccan village of Tazzeka, Elias learned the secrets of traditional Moroccan cuisine from his grandmother who raised him. Years later, meeting a top Paris chef and a young woman named Salma inspires him to leave home.

 

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Jean-Philippe Gaud
Starring: Madi Belem
Starring: Ouidad Elma
Starring: Olivier Sitruk
 

GENRES

  • Comedy/Drama 
  • Immigrant Experience
  • French Language
  • Staff Favorites
  • New Release 
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THE BIG BANANA

THE BIG BANANA

Regular price $245.00
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THE BIG BANANA

DIRECTED BY FRANCK BIELEU 
CAMEROON / 2011 / FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 85 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Banned in Cameroon, The Big Banana illustrates the poor working conditions in banana plantations and exposes the adverse impact on the people of a corporatocracy government that affords super profits for corporations at the expense of the local population.

The Big Banana outlines land grabbing tactics by company Plantation du Haut Penja (PHP) and the ensuing devastation for communities: poverty, pollution, and sickness from pesticides.

Bieleu, who spent two years filming residents in the remote countryside of Cameroon also features local cooperatives resisting the devastation through business alliances with fair trade organizations. As a result, The Big Banana not only exposes multinational corporations culpability in the land grab of Africa but also makes us reconsider where we get our fruit from.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Franck Bieleu 
 

GENRES

  • Documentary
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THE BLACK MOZART IN CUBA

THE BLACK MOZART IN CUBA

Regular price $295.00
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THE BLACK MOZART IN CUBA

DIRECTED BY Stephanie James, Steve James
CUBA/ 2008/ ENGLISH, FRENCH & SPANISH with ENGLISH SUBTITLES/HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY/ 52 MINS
SYNOPSIS

The Black Mozart in Cuba is the latest act in the rehabilitation of the memory of this extraordinary human being. The film skillfully combines biographical information with performances of his works.

Born in Guadeloupe of a Senegalese enslaved woman and a French nobleman, Joseph Boulogne, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), became one of the most remarkable figures of the 18th century. He influenced the music and political life of his time. He was a genius composer and conductor, a virtuoso violinist, the best fencer in Europe, as well as the first black general in the French army. For 200 years after his death his music was rarely heard, due in part to Napoleon’s efforts to erase his existence from history. Today, his music is being rediscovered and played by orchestras and music groups around the world. In this documentary, Cuba dedicates a week of cultural activities to his memory and welcomes Saint Georges as “a great hero of the Caribbean.”



DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Stephanie James, Steve James
 

GENRES

  • Historical Documentary
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THE CATHEDRAL

THE CATHEDRAL

Regular price $195.00
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THE CATHEDRAL 

DIRECTED BY HARRIKRISNA ANENDEN 
MAURITIUS / 2006 / CREOLE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 78 MIN
SYNOPSIS

The Cathedral is a lyrical narration set in the beautiful and unusual setting of Port-Louis, capital of Mauritius. Lina, a young woman in search of her identity interacts daily with friends and family in a carefree happy manner that will be challenged when one day her dancing catches the eye of a photographer... The Cathedrale is based on a sort story by his wife Ananda Devi.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Harrikrisna Anenden
Starring: Ingrid Blackburn
Starring: Ashwin Anenden
Starring: Gaston Valayden
 

GENRES

  • Drama/Comedy
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THE CITIZEN (AZ ALLAMPOLGAR)

THE CITIZEN (AZ ALLAMPOLGAR)

Regular price $395.00
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THE CITIZEN

Directed by Roland Vranik | Hungary | 2016 | Drama | 109 min

SYNOPSIS

In his late fifties Wilson, whose family was killed during an outbreak of civil war in Guinea-Bissau, enters Europe as a political refugee and settles for a sedate life as a security guard in a Budapest shopping center. Wilson's main desire is to acquire Hungarian citizenship. The story follows Wilson as he attempts to find his place in Hungarian society in his daily life, at work, with Mari, a history teacher who helps him study for the citizenship and Shirin, a young Iranian woman whose only hope to avoid deportation is to marry a Hungarian citizen. The Citizen is an Award-winning drama that poignantly dwells on some of the most complex issues of contemporary modern European society.BBC

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Rolad Vranik
 
 

GENRES

  • Drama 
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THE DESERT ARK

THE DESERT ARK

Regular price $295.00
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THE DESERT ARK 

DIRECTED BY MOHAMED CHOUIKH 
ALGERIA / 1997 / ARABIC WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 90 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Romeo and Juliet in the Algerian desert. Amin and Myriam are secretly in love. Their families are rivals and when their relationship is discovered, conflict is inevitable. In the quiet atmosphere of the palm groves, the two communities have long nurtured the seeds of discord and hatred. The persecution is the first signal of inevitable evil. From inside the cave where they have taken refuge, the two young people hear the cries of a senseless murderous raid. A universal metaphor to denounce the horror of all extremist violence, The Desert Ark is a splendid and terrifying metaphor for a burning contemporary reality. 

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Mohamed Chouikh
Starring:  Hacen Abdou
Starring: Messaouda Adami
Starring: Shyraz Aliane
 

GENRES

  • Epic Drama 
  • Part of 2 DVD set Great African Films Vol 3 with Daratt (Dry Season)
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THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH

THE ESMERALDAS BEACH

Regular price $395.00
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The Esmeraldas Beach Trailer  from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

THE ESMERALDAS BEACH 

In today’s Ecuador, the black population, the descendants of enslaved Africans, continue to experience strong racial and social discrimination. Yet people in the community still strive to value their specific culture and transmit the rebellious memory of their ancestors who fought for freedom. The Es­meraldas Beach sets out to expose the invisibility of Afro-Ecuadorians and rectify the narrative of the country’s history with the film’s central protagonist, Juan García, who has worked on that project for years. He developed a school book that presents black Ecuadorians prominently since the only Afro-descendants shown in local school books are portrayed next to a marimba and football.  The documentary also addresses the 1999 assassination of Afro-Ecuadorian legislator and presidential hopeful, Jaime Hurtado.

Directed by Patrice Raynal, 2020, France/Ecuador, 58 minutes, documentary, French and Spanish with English subtitles.

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