CHALLENGE the stereotypes — that was what Nashen Moodley, programmer, looked for in the seven films he picked for the first ‘In Honour of Africa’ segment of Diff. The artistic director of Durban International Film Festival, Moodley says that even though these films address grim socio-political realities, each film reflects optimism and hope.
“These are films about courageous people, and despite talking about serious issues they challenge the stereotypes about Africa,” he says. “These films also bring out the beauty of the continent.”
It was a difficult task for Moodley, a journalist and film critic, to pick the films for Diff. “Whenever I select films for any festival, I look for great films. It is almost impossible to define what a great film is but if you look at our programme, there are films that address serious issues like Aids and civil war while also having a fantastic aesthetic quality. And then there is a less tangible aspect to them all, which makes them truly great. They are all by directors who are not swayed by conventions and who resist formula.”
Surprisingly, despite the march that the Nigerian film industry — now known as Nollywood — makes in Africa, Diff does not showcase any of its productions. Moodley says it was not deliberate. “Nigerian cinema has to be put into context and showcased as a package, and choosing one film alone from Nigeria wouldn’t have worked at Diff.”
His challenge was to find films that reflect African cinema in its totality. “You can’t define African films easily — it is made up of productions from different countries and cultures. Cinema from these countries is different, like, say, the varied fare from (the various states of) India. What we have tried to do is present a selection of films that have some geographic representation of the continent.”
The selection includes Yesterday, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2004; Forgiveness, an examination of betrayal and revenge in post-apartheid South Africa; The Hero, directed by Zeze Gaomboa, and winner of the Grand Prize at the World Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival 2005; a Franco-Senegalese production, Moolaade by Ousmane Sembene, who is regarded as the great master of African cinema; Fanta Regina Nacro’s The Night of Truth, an insightful feature on war and peace set in an imaginary African country; and Ougasaga from Burkina Faso, about a group of friends struggling to live in a poor neighbourhood.
The highlight of the segment is Carmen in Khayelitsha, the winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival 2005 to be screened on Dec.15. The film by Mark Dornford-May is an inventive reinvention of George Bizet’s opera, Carmen, relocated in modern-day Khayelitsha, one of South Africa’s largest townships.
Moodley hopes that these films will give an insight into the cultures of Africa. “My hope is that people will see the films and also learn a little more about Africa. They are strong films that will appeal to anyone; you don’t have to come in with any expertise in African films.”
