I was fortunate enough to be invited to the launch of a fantastic new service online called the African Film Library.
What is the African Film Library?
The African Film Library is an M-Net initiative showcasing the best of the African film industry – making the movies easily accessible for movie aficionados around the world.
The African film industry is one of the oldest – with its roots in Ain el Ghezel (The Girl of Carthage), which was produced in Tunisia by Chemama Chikly in 1924. M-Net has spent the last three years negotiating the rights to almost 600 works in English, French, Arabic and Portuguese and digitally remastering them.
The library forms an important archive of the continent’s cultural cinematic heritage, and also, for the first time, makes the African artists’ works easily accessible by a wide viewership around the globe – creating a new audience for existing and emerging filmmakers.
The library consists of award-winning works from more than 80 producers including Senegalese Ousmane Sembene and Djibril Mambety, Yousef Chahine from Egypt and Haile Gerima from Ethiopia. – source
John Kani
John Kani formed a major part of the launch event held at Monte Casino.
Why? Because the man is a genius, put simply.
The film that we were shown as part of the launch has won many awards and was written by Kani. He also directed and starred in the film.
Nothing But The Truth
The awards that the film received were plentiful, see the list below:
Awards
2009: Fespaco – Silver Stallion award
2009: Fespaco – Inaugural Ousmane Sembene award for Peace
2009: Milan International film festival – Best African film
2009: Milan International film festival – Catholic Church peace prize
2009: Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) – Best film; Best actor
2009: Youande film festival – Best Film
I am 100% in support of an initiative such as this one. The world needs to see that Africa has artistic offerings to match up with the rest of the world.
This is an absolutely incredible short story told by Neil Blomkamp. I can’t help but see the link between literal aliens from the skies and illegal aliens from other countries in South Africa.
Blomkamp seems to be a maverick that is making waves in his field of expertise and I for one, cannot wait to see District 9.
It’s coming. They’re coming. They aren’t human either.
It appears to be a very simple concept based on real events but with a twist that makes it further away from home. Yet the fact remains that this movie seems to be based on the Xenophobic attacks that took place around South Africa last year (2008). (See below comment from coda regarding the possible origins of the films concept.)
The launch of this film seems to have been extremely well thought out and carefully orchestrated. It’s very underground and relatively viral.
He has asked me to help Filmakers Against Racism (FAR) gain some exposure.
From the FAR website:
FILMMAKERS AGAINST RACISM (FAR) – an initiative launched on 23rd May 2008 in response to the shocking wave of xenophobic violence hitting South Africa – will be producing six x 24 minute documentaries, as well as 8 x 30 second Public Service Announcements, which will be broadcast by SABC, and hopefully e.tv and MNET as well as community TV stations.
The site seems to be a general awareness site with more of an action based campaign at the centre of the awareness. I think it’s a fantastic idea and it is great to see filmmakers and the arts getting involved practically and taking the initiative. If the filmmakers lead the publis is bound to follow.
One of the posts on their site that caught my eye is their attempts to make a film about “the burning man” caught on camera recently in the midst of the xenophobic attacks.
Our intention is to create a film that reclaims the identity of Ernesto Nhamuave – known to the world simply as ‘the burning man’ after the horrific images of his flame-engulfed body that have come to represent what, on the surface of it, is simply explained as ‘xenophobia’.
We seek to give Ernesto his dignity back, to introduce people to who he was, what he dreamt of, whom he loved and who loved him. We want to create a poignant, thought-provoking film that creates a “collection of memories” for a man who belonged to a community, and a family. We want to reveal the real human being.
Ed’s note: Today’s blog is yet another great sumbission from a reader! I like the idea and in essence the below does what SA Rocks is trying to do, we just use different media to portray a message.
Here’s a video to see in the post:
Dear SA Rocks,
I dont know if you have heard about this but it seems like there aren’t many South African events on this day.I am not even sure if any of the South African TV channels are broadcasting it.
Pangea Day taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion while uniting millions of people to create a better future.
In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it’s easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that – to help people see themselves in others – through the power of film.
On May 10, 2008 – Pangea Day – venues in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro will be linked to produce a 4 hour program of power films, visionary speakers, and uplifting music.
More importantly, the program will be broadcast live to the world through the Internet, television, digital cinemas, and mobile phones.
Of course, movies alone can’t change the world. But the people who watch them can. So following May 10, 2008, Pangea Day organizers will facilitate community-building activities around the world connecting inspired viewers with numerous organizations which are already doing groundbreaking work.
I try to keep my posts clean, formal and sex-less here on SA Rocks. But how is that possible when Charlize Theron is so damn fine?
I just couldn’t help but post about her today and remind all of us here in SA that we have one of the most gifted, talented and sexy woman on Earth as our own: Charlize Theron.
Some movies she has been in include:
The Devil’s Advocate
Mighty Joe Young
Reindeer Games
The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Italian Job
Monster
North Country
She has won an Oscar and been nominated for and won 22 other awards in her career. Come on, that’s fantastic!
We all know how mobile mad SA is, has become and will be in the near future. I am sure (someone help me out with the stats here) that SA has way, way, way more cellphone users than PC users. This invariably means that SA has more internet access possibilities via cellphones than via PC’s. Interesting.
Speaking of Mobile madness:
The South African film industry is credited with starting the mobile-phone-as-movie-camera revolution by shooting the world’s first full-length movie, SMS Sugar Man, entirely on cellphones.
In 2006 the world’s first television commercial, filmed using only a mobile phone, was shot in South Africa.
And finally:
Vodacom was the first GSM operator in the world to offer fax and data communications and access to the Internet, the first cellular network to implement satellite links, the first network to develop the SIM Surgeon, a diagnostic device aimed at detecting and repairing problems with SIM cards and the first cellular network to offer free voicemail access.
I must admit that I haven’t verified these facts, but have a list of references. If you would like that list please contact me.
Thanks to Jo’blog for this one. What incredible news, Gavin Hood, the South African Oscar winner, has been announced as the director of Wolverine. Hugh Jackman is taking his X-man character in to a spin-off movie and SA is being represented in the creative process.
This is phenomenal news for South African, Gavin and the SA film industry. Finally we are receiving some recognition internationally. I think that this will do great things in terms of exposure for the unknown movie buffs, directors, producers and actors in this country. If one of our own can be recognised internationally and prove to be a success (following Charlize’s success) then more should follow eventually!
Now all we need is for more local films to be recognised internationally.
Hood’s next film, Rendition, is opening in October and stars Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaaal. While production on Wolverine begins early next year.
The film below is a short film directed by Fausto Becatti. Becatti has been featured on SA Rocks before. He is definitely an up and coming South African film director in the humble opinion of SA Rocks so keep a lookout for his work.
If you know of any other directors or media practitioners who would like to put their work on SA Rocks please contact the Editor.
