...along with favorites from other international festivals, offering Bay Area audiences an opportunity to gain insight into Africa's changing cultural and social landscape.
Many of the directors featured here are concerned with rebuilding their countries and transforming their societies, as expressed in films that trace the legacy of colonialism or civil war, explore women's attempts to change traditional culture, or document staggering economic challenges.
But even beyond urgent social concerns, this series is a chance to experience the vibrant voices and visions of recent cinema from across the African continent, including Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, and Niger as well as countries with more established film traditions such as Senegal and Burkina Faso. As Stuart Klawans wrote in The Nation, African productions "are few in number, but they can be extraordinarily good-beautifully clear and poised in style [and] complex in tone (by turns funny, angry, argumentative, and hopeful)."

FRI JAN 27 2006
7:00, 8:50
Delwende
A daughter searches for her mother, accused of witchcraft and chased out of her village, in this feminist cry against injustice and sexual oppression from Burkina Faso. Based on a true story, it's "a fine example of issue-based African cinema" (Variety), comparable in emotional power to Ousmane Sembene's Moolaadé.

THU FEB 2 2006
5:30
Al'lèèssi... An African Actress (Free Screening!)
Introduced by Lisa Marie Rollins. The history of African cinema as told through the rebellious life of Zalika Souley, the first professional African actress.
"Warm and revelatory."-L.A. Film Festival

FRI FEB 3 2006
7:00
Sisters in Law
Two female judges in Cameroon lay down the law in this inspiring documentary from the director of Divorce, Iranian Style and The Day I Will Never Forget. "These women are brave, fierce, and ultimately joyous in their support for each other."-Vancouver International Film Festival

FRI FEB 3 2006
9:05
The Colonial Misunderstanding
Introduced by LaToya Beck. The connection between Christian evangelism and European colonialism is exposed in Jean-Marie Teno's documentary about Germany's activities in Namibia, including their first use of concentration camps. "[Teno is] surely one of the freshest talents in African cinema today."-Film Comment

SAT FEB 4 2006
4:00
The Golden Ball
A young boy must overcome poverty, the police, and rival teammates in this uplifting tale of soccer, Guinean style. Bring the family.

FRI FEB 10 2006
7:00
The Hero
Introduced by Cornelius Moore. A wounded veteran of Angola's murderous 30-year civil war returns to civilian life in this nuanced story of a man, and a country, seeking reconstruction. Winner, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Sundance Film Festival.

FRI FEB 10 2006
9:15
New Voices from Africa
Four films from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Guinea, and Burkina Faso offer a hard-hitting, provocative introduction to current African cinema.

FRI FEB 17 2006
7:00
Dôlé
A thoughtful young man moves from skipping class to robbery in this "400 Blows in Gabon" (California Newsreel), set in a hip-hop-ruled contemporary urban Africa. "A droll film that knows how to turn the tragic into candid satire."-Libération

FRI FEB 17 2006
8:50
Niiwam
Introduced by Alassane Paap Sow. A fisherman journeys from his small Senegalese village to the big city in search of aid for his dying child in a "simple but moving portrait of a modern tragedy" (London Film Festival). Based on the novel by Ousmane Sembene.


The African Film Festival Traveling Series has been organized by African Film Festival, Inc. This series is supported of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts, UC Berkeley's Department of African American Studies and Center for African Studies

For contacts write to: call: BAM/PFA (510) 642-0808