African Studies Media Catalog
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Aftertaste (Videocassette : 36 min. ) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8332
Abstract: This video focuses on two South African wine farms where 'empowerment' projects have recently been started in response to calls for change. The wine farm workers receive part of the profits from the sale of 'empowerment' brand wine Winds of Change. They have used this money to buy their own houses and shares in the wine farm business. On the surface, these 'empowerment' projects seem to be a radical departure from the abusive, paternalistic labor relationship between farm owners and workers that has existed for so long. But the legacy of centuries of abuse cannot be eradicated overnight.
Director: Ceridwen Dovey Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: South Africa, viticulture, economic development
Arlit: Deuxieme Paris (DVD : 75 min. ) [2004]
DVD 7605
Abstract: Arlit is a case study in environmental racism set in a uranium mining town in the Sahara desert of Niger. Here European corporations extract nuclear power and profits leaving behind disease, contamination and unemployment.
Director: Idrissou Mora Kpai Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Niger, Sahara desert, environment, uranium, nuclear power, economy, business
Awa: A Mother in West Africa (DVD : 28 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7838
Abstract: This is an intimate portrait of a single mother in Burkina Faso who supports her six children through her street-side rice business. Like so many African women, Awa has received no formal education and operates within the informal sector earning, on average, about $3 a day. As Awa narrates her life story, she never pauses in her unending preparation of the rice. Her father forced her to marry his childhood friend, and she bore four children before her husband died. Her husband's three other wives resented this new favorite and would not help her once she was widowed. Sustained by her faith in God, she began a street vending business to survive. Marrying again, this time for love, she was soon abandoned but left with two more children to feed. The film takes us through Awa's arduous 16 hour workday, interspliced with interviews of her children who are grateful for her hard work on their behalf. Here is a glimpse of some of the economic realities faced by women today in urban Africa.
Director: Alexis Curtis Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Burkina Faso, economy, women, marriage
Chef! (Chief!) & La Tête dans les nuages (Head in the Clouds) (Videocassette : 96 min. ) [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 4854
Abstract: In Chef!, director Jean-Marie Teno locates the roots of Africa's authoritarian regimes in the patriarchal family, reinforced by traditional kingship and the colonial experience. Teno insists that this film was not planned but imposed itself on him during a visit to his ancestral village, Bandjoun, in the Ghomala speaking region of Western Cameroon. He had gone to film dances dedicating a monument to King Kamga Joseph II, the filmmakers' great grand uncle, but the ceremony soon turned into a celebration of one-man rule, in particular Cameroonian President Paul Biya's. In La Tête dans les nuages, Teno investigates the ties between unaccountable government and an unproductive economy. Kleptocracy has become an accepted fact of Cameroonian life described by the proverb: 'The goat grazes where it is tied.' The government controlled formal sector, like its colonial predecessor, is essentially parasitical. An informal sector has emerged parallel to it which increasingly supplies the daily subsistence needs of the people. Irene, for example, works at the Ministry of Education for an unreliable and inadequate salary; she earns the money she needs to eat from selling beignets in the market. She also belongs to a tontine or 'credit union' which offers its members a pool of capital to draw on for business ventures. Such clubs, ubiquitous among African market women, help fill the economic and social vacuum left by the decay of traditional society and the unresponsiveness of the formal banking sector.
Director: Jean-Marie Téno Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Cameroon, politics, history, economy, education
Continent that Overslept: Africa, The (DVD : 58 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8285
Abstract: The award-winning investigative team of Heilbuth and Bulow (Battle of the Titans) produced this thoroughly researched program with a bold disregard for political correctness. They met with a new generation of African businessmen and intellectuals who addressed the appalling lack of progress. These Africans are outraged at the widening gap between the rich heads of state and poor subjects; the lack of a work ethic among African workers; and the fact that famine still claims so many lives when Africa could easily feed itself. The film shows that Africa is a rich area: it has 70% of the world's cobalt reserves; 46% of its diamonds; 44% of its chrome; and great hydroelectric power potential. Contrary to popular belief, Africa is not densely populated. The young, educated Africans feel that colonialism and the rich countries of the world can no longer be blamed for all the ills of Africa. As one African journalist says, 'It is unfortunate and shameful to see Africa with all her potential, always turning to the West and saying 'Give us this, give us that.' A young Kenyan businessman says he is embarrassed by an economy built on aid. Yet, he believes that a change is taking place across Africa and 'we have to take our place amongst the nations.'
Director: Poul Erik Heilbuth and Hans Bulow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: economy, politics, government, development
Controlling Interest: the World of the Multinational Corporation (Motion Picture : 45 min. ) [1978]
MP-16MM 219
Abstract: Examines the scale and underlying dynamics of multinational corporate expansion, and shows the deleterious social and economic effects of the multinationals' power in both the U.S. and the Third World. Includes interviews with several corporate executives and with workers in a small New England city faced with the threat of a runaway shop. Investigates the role of the multi-nationals in influencing U.S. government policy in underdeveloped nations.
Director: Larry Adelman Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: economics, politics, business, development
Deniers Colons (Les) = Last Colonials (The) (Videocassette : 61 min. ) [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 3249
Abstract: Visits with the last of the white population living in Zaire. They are managers, missionaries, businessmen and land owners who have chosen to settle in the heart of Africa, and who remain there in spite of the violence and danger. They reminisce on the 'good old days of the colonial era' and reveal shattered dreams in a country they thought might have been the new El Dorado.
Director: Thierry Michel Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Democratic Republic of Congo, politics, government, colonialism, social conditions, history
God Gave Her a Mercedes Benz: Mama Benz: An African Market Woman (DVD : 48 min. ) [1995]
DVD 8036
Abstract: The colorful markets of Africa are often dominated by strong older women. They control price and determine who can buy their goods. These imperious women rule the market and are treated with deference. Thanks to their business acumen, they have amassed a great deal of wealth. These women are affectionately referred to as Mama Benz. Why? Because each one has as her trademark a prized possession, a chauffeured Mercedes Benz. This film focuses on one woman who presides over the cloth market in Lomé, Togo. She is a lavishly dressed matron with a fully- staffed mansion who proudly travels the rutted dirt roads in her limousine. Despite her success, Mama Benz has not become too grand for the hurly burly of the marketplace. Everyday she takes her accustomed place in the stall, surrounded by gloriously colored textiles, and haggles with her customers. The other market women look up to her. Perhaps one day they too will attain her success and become a Mama Benz.
Director: Katia Petersen Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Togo, Lome, women, textiles, economy, trade
House of Love (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8255
Abstract: This film explores the lives of sex-workers in the small Namibian harbor of Walvis Bay. The women are dependent on the business from the brief visits of foreign shipping trawlers. They give insights into the choices they have made and why they have made them. Their conflicts center around notions of love, sex, sin, and redemption, while the threat of HIV/AIDS exists only in the background. Part of Steps for the Future, a unique collection of documentaries and short films from Southern Africa about life in the time of HIV/AIDS (Volume 16).
Director: Cecil Moller Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Namibia, HIV/AIDS, prostitution, labor, Steps for the Future
It's Not Easy (Videocassette : 48 min. ) [1991]
V.CASS. VHS 7537
Abstract: Dramatic representation of middle-class Africans and their struggle to deal with the realities and challenges posed when a married Ugandan business executive contracts HIV and passes the infection to his wife and unborn child.
Director: Faustin J. Misanvu Distributor:Media for Development International
Keywords: Uganda, family life, HIV/AIDS, drama, class, health
James' Journey to Jerusalem (Videocassette : 87 min. ) [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 8698
Abstract: In the imaginary village of Entshongweni, very far from the Western world, the young James is chosen to undertake a mission--a pilgrimage to Holy Jerusalem. At the airport, however, James is suspected of trying to infiltrate the country in order to work illegally and is jailed by the Israeli immigration authorities. This contemporary Candide is miraculously bailed out by a shady small-time businessman only to become part of his migrant labor pool. Undeterred, James perseveres in his religious quest, until he gets a taste of fortune by exploiting his employer's friends and colleagues for his own profit. Director Ra'anan Alexandrowicz offers an astute exploration of the economic, moral and spiritual hypocrisies of Western society through an evocative portrait of modern Israel's cultural and generational divisions. Topped with a moving and charismatic performance by South African actor Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe, James' Journey to Jerusalem stealthily layers these serious issues with biting wit and a lilting fairy-tale charm. In Hebrew, English and Zulu with English subtitles.
Director: Ra'anan Alexandrowicz Distributor:Zeitgeist Films
Keywords: Israel, South Africa, race, religion, migrant labor, feature film
Kenya, Where Women Rule (DVD : 20 min. ) [2006]
DVD 8230
Abstract: Domestic violence against women is rife among the Samburu in Kenya. In Samburu culture, the women also do all the work, including building the homes, herding, collecting firewood and water and caring for the children. In the 1980s and 90s, two hundred women from the tribe claimed they were raped by men from a nearby British army base. The Samburu men rejected them, whipped them and threw them out of their homes. In 1990 a small group of these stigmatized women decided to band together and create their own village. Under the leadership of one woman, Rebecca Lollosoli, their village has prospered, taking advantage of the income from tourism. The Samburu men have tried to sabotage the tourist business and have also mounted raids on the village. Finally, the Samburu men's chief tried to effect a reconciliation, but the women vehemently rejected his proposal. They are clearly enjoying the advantages of independence!
Director: Stormland Productions Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, Samburu, women, economy, rape, tourism
Living in bondage (DVD : 163 min. ) [1992]
DVD 9686
Abstract: Lagos businessman Andy Okeke sees his friends getting rich and he is upset that he has no success himself. He is torn between his village ways and the modernity of city life. In an attempt to get ahead, he becomes involved in the occult with tragic results. This movie marked the beginning of the video movie industry in Nigeria.
Director: Chris Obi Rapu Distributor:Nigerian Movies
Keywords: Nigeria, filmmaking, urban life, occult, modernity, feature film
Living the HipLife (DVD : 61 min. ) [2007]
DVD 11338
Abstract: This film is a musical portrait of street life in urban West Africa. It follows the birth of Hiplife music in Accra, Ghana, a mix of various African musical forms and American hip hop. Archival footage and hip hop music videos are remixed with interviews and the daily lives of rap artists. We follow Reggie Rockstone, the Godfather of Hiplife in the founding of the musical movement, as well as the Mobile Boys a group of aspiring rap artists as they try to make it in the music business. With humor and personality these characters move across the political and musical landscape of urban Ghana.
Director: Jesse W. Shipley Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Ghana, music, urban life, performance, art, economy
Mama Benz and the Taste of Money (DVD : 52 min. ) [2002]
On Order
Abstract: In West Africa wealthy women enjoy wearing colorful clothing made of 'genuine African' textiles. Ironically, since the early 20th Century, this coveted cloth has been designed and manufactured not in Africa, but in the Netherlands by a company called Vlisco. Local market women who sell the Vlisco cloth and have become extraordinarily rich -they can afford to be driven around in a Mercedes Benz--and are thus called 'Mama Benz.' This film details the interplay between a young ambitious European, Henk Bremer, from the Vlisco company, and an equally ambitious African market woman, Alice Gouba, as they jockey for advantage in marketing the cloth into a new territory. The film shows the difference in business attitudes between Europe and Africa, as they both struggle for a dominant position yet realize they are mutually dependent. Vlisco has for years pursued the strategy of divide and rule, while the Mamas know their power lies in being united. Alice is treading a tightrope between the two factions. A subtle and witty film about the evolving global marketplace.
Director: Karin Junger Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: West Africa, women, economy, textiles, markets, trade
Pain, Passion and Profit (Videocassette : 49 min. ) [1992]
VHS 9402
Abstract: From the director of Bend it Like Beckham and Pride and Prejudice, the film Pain, Passion and Profit is an inspirational look at women entrepreneurs through the eyes of the Body Shop founder, Anita Roddick, who has always maintained a strong commitment to the idea of profits with principles. Several women in Africa who have successfully developed small-scale business enterprises in their own communities provide a focus for Roddick to pose questions about how the role and status of women affects their enterprises and how those enterprises provide a means of community and economic development for women. Pain, Passion and Profit gives an in-depth look at global feminism and economic development as well as a personal and spirited view of the connections between the experiences of women entrepreneurs in the First and Third Worlds.
Director: Gurinder Chadha Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: business, women, economy, development, feminism
T-Shirt Travels (DVD : 57 min. ) [2001]
DVD 8789
Abstract: What happens to all those old clothes you bring to the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries? This comprehensive program is about Third World debt and secondhand clothes. The filmmaker travelled to Zambia and was amazed to find almost everyone wearing Calvin Klein, MTV and James Dean t-shirts! Huge bales of American secondhand clothing are sold to African importers, putting the African manufacturers out of business. We see a secondhand clothing dealer in Zambia carefully select a bale among dozens, bundled and shipped from abroad. He pays for the used clothing and then transports it by bus ten hours to a market. His meager profits support his entire extended family who subsist in shanty towns miles from the market. Their lives exemplify the poverty plaguing Africa today. They have virtually no possibility of advancing themselves and their children. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Harvard University Center for International Studies and other experts discuss the history of colonialism, slavery and the depletion of Africa's natural resources. They draw the connection between this shameful legacy and the current huge debt. As the African governments service their debts according to an IMF/World Bank policy known as 'structural adjustment lending,' people's benefits are slashed drastically, resulting in terrible suffering from malnutrition, poor healthcare, inadequate schools and a crumbling infra-structure. Our old t-shirts come with a high price-tag.
Director: Shantha Bloemen Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zambia, trade, economy, clothing, poverty, history, government, development
This Is Nollywood (DVD : 56 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9589
Abstract: This Is Nollywood tells the story of the Nigerian film industry -- a revolution enabling Africans with few resources to tell African stories to African audiences. Despite all odds, Nigerian directors produce between 500 and 1,000 movies a year. The disks sell wildly all over the continent. Nollywood actors have become stars from Ghana to Zambia. This Is Nollywood shows how the egalitarian promise of digital technology has found realization in one of the world's largest and poorest cities. And it shows the universal theme of people striving to fulfill their dreams.
Director: Franco Sacchi Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Nigeria, Nollywood, film, popular culture, business, media
Trade Trap (The) (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8132
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the struggles by Ghanaian farmers to get a foothold in the international market. The film follows Austustine Adongo, chief executive of the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters, as he visits farmers and business owners across his country, exploring both sides of the globalization issue along the way.
Director: Steve Bradshaw Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, farming, globalization, economic development
Way to Move On (A): Women's Savings Associations in Dakar (DVD : 23 min. ) [2000]
DVD 8048
Abstract: Senegal went through an economic crisis in the l980's, and cut off from government support, many women emerged from their domestic roles to become breadwinners for their families. They formed collectives, called Roscas, which act like credit unions with an emotional component. Participants contribute a predetermined sum which gets redistributed to members who need short term loans to run their business. The women are able to raise their families' standard of living by raising and selling food crops, or making handicrafts. They meet regularly, share problems and help one another out. It is a cooperative very much in keeping with the African sense of community. The Rosca movement may be a key out of poverty.
Director: Elisa Mereghetti and Francesca Lulli Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Senegal, Dakar, women, cooperative societies, credit unions, economy
Xala (Videocassette : 119 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6977
Abstract: In a mythical African country, a rich, self-made businessman and member of the post-colonial ruling elite takes on a third wife to show the world his wealth, only to be stricken by a curse resulting in impotency. His efforts at getting cured lead to disastrous yet comical results.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, polygamy, marriage, social life, traditional beliefs, witchcraft, feature film
Xala (DVD : 123 min. ) [2005]
DVD 4946
Abstract: This savagely funny satire portrays El Hadji, a prosperous, self-satisfied, politically crooked modern businessman who is struck down by the xala (pronounced 'ha-la') - a curse rendering its victim impotent. While he chases after witch doctors and soothsayers on a frantic, often hilarious search for a cure, his impotence becomes a mirror of the powerlessness of young African nations overdependent on white technology. Unable to consummate his third (polygamous) marriage, and neglecting his business affairs and political activities as he seeks a cure, his social stature is stripped away, leaving him shamed and humiliated. And while humorous, there is a sympathy in his downfall at the hands of others who are even more corrupt than he is. Xala is a moving and comical look at a man caught up in the corruption of his country and the tribulations of a changing society.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, polygamy, marriage, social life, traditional beliefs, witchcraft, feature film
Page(s): 1
Aftertaste (Videocassette : 36 min. ) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8332
Abstract: This video focuses on two South African wine farms where 'empowerment' projects have recently been started in response to calls for change. The wine farm workers receive part of the profits from the sale of 'empowerment' brand wine Winds of Change. They have used this money to buy their own houses and shares in the wine farm business. On the surface, these 'empowerment' projects seem to be a radical departure from the abusive, paternalistic labor relationship between farm owners and workers that has existed for so long. But the legacy of centuries of abuse cannot be eradicated overnight.
Director: Ceridwen Dovey Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: South Africa, viticulture, economic development
Arlit: Deuxieme Paris (DVD : 75 min. ) [2004]
DVD 7605
Abstract: Arlit is a case study in environmental racism set in a uranium mining town in the Sahara desert of Niger. Here European corporations extract nuclear power and profits leaving behind disease, contamination and unemployment.
Director: Idrissou Mora Kpai Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Niger, Sahara desert, environment, uranium, nuclear power, economy, business
Awa: A Mother in West Africa (DVD : 28 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7838
Abstract: This is an intimate portrait of a single mother in Burkina Faso who supports her six children through her street-side rice business. Like so many African women, Awa has received no formal education and operates within the informal sector earning, on average, about $3 a day. As Awa narrates her life story, she never pauses in her unending preparation of the rice. Her father forced her to marry his childhood friend, and she bore four children before her husband died. Her husband's three other wives resented this new favorite and would not help her once she was widowed. Sustained by her faith in God, she began a street vending business to survive. Marrying again, this time for love, she was soon abandoned but left with two more children to feed. The film takes us through Awa's arduous 16 hour workday, interspliced with interviews of her children who are grateful for her hard work on their behalf. Here is a glimpse of some of the economic realities faced by women today in urban Africa.
Director: Alexis Curtis Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Burkina Faso, economy, women, marriage
Chef! (Chief!) & La Tête dans les nuages (Head in the Clouds) (Videocassette : 96 min. ) [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 4854
Abstract: In Chef!, director Jean-Marie Teno locates the roots of Africa's authoritarian regimes in the patriarchal family, reinforced by traditional kingship and the colonial experience. Teno insists that this film was not planned but imposed itself on him during a visit to his ancestral village, Bandjoun, in the Ghomala speaking region of Western Cameroon. He had gone to film dances dedicating a monument to King Kamga Joseph II, the filmmakers' great grand uncle, but the ceremony soon turned into a celebration of one-man rule, in particular Cameroonian President Paul Biya's. In La Tête dans les nuages, Teno investigates the ties between unaccountable government and an unproductive economy. Kleptocracy has become an accepted fact of Cameroonian life described by the proverb: 'The goat grazes where it is tied.' The government controlled formal sector, like its colonial predecessor, is essentially parasitical. An informal sector has emerged parallel to it which increasingly supplies the daily subsistence needs of the people. Irene, for example, works at the Ministry of Education for an unreliable and inadequate salary; she earns the money she needs to eat from selling beignets in the market. She also belongs to a tontine or 'credit union' which offers its members a pool of capital to draw on for business ventures. Such clubs, ubiquitous among African market women, help fill the economic and social vacuum left by the decay of traditional society and the unresponsiveness of the formal banking sector.
Director: Jean-Marie Téno Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Cameroon, politics, history, economy, education
Continent that Overslept: Africa, The (DVD : 58 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8285
Abstract: The award-winning investigative team of Heilbuth and Bulow (Battle of the Titans) produced this thoroughly researched program with a bold disregard for political correctness. They met with a new generation of African businessmen and intellectuals who addressed the appalling lack of progress. These Africans are outraged at the widening gap between the rich heads of state and poor subjects; the lack of a work ethic among African workers; and the fact that famine still claims so many lives when Africa could easily feed itself. The film shows that Africa is a rich area: it has 70% of the world's cobalt reserves; 46% of its diamonds; 44% of its chrome; and great hydroelectric power potential. Contrary to popular belief, Africa is not densely populated. The young, educated Africans feel that colonialism and the rich countries of the world can no longer be blamed for all the ills of Africa. As one African journalist says, 'It is unfortunate and shameful to see Africa with all her potential, always turning to the West and saying 'Give us this, give us that.' A young Kenyan businessman says he is embarrassed by an economy built on aid. Yet, he believes that a change is taking place across Africa and 'we have to take our place amongst the nations.'
Director: Poul Erik Heilbuth and Hans Bulow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: economy, politics, government, development
Controlling Interest: the World of the Multinational Corporation (Motion Picture : 45 min. ) [1978]
MP-16MM 219
Abstract: Examines the scale and underlying dynamics of multinational corporate expansion, and shows the deleterious social and economic effects of the multinationals' power in both the U.S. and the Third World. Includes interviews with several corporate executives and with workers in a small New England city faced with the threat of a runaway shop. Investigates the role of the multi-nationals in influencing U.S. government policy in underdeveloped nations.
Director: Larry Adelman Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: economics, politics, business, development
Deniers Colons (Les) = Last Colonials (The) (Videocassette : 61 min. ) [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 3249
Abstract: Visits with the last of the white population living in Zaire. They are managers, missionaries, businessmen and land owners who have chosen to settle in the heart of Africa, and who remain there in spite of the violence and danger. They reminisce on the 'good old days of the colonial era' and reveal shattered dreams in a country they thought might have been the new El Dorado.
Director: Thierry Michel Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Democratic Republic of Congo, politics, government, colonialism, social conditions, history
God Gave Her a Mercedes Benz: Mama Benz: An African Market Woman (DVD : 48 min. ) [1995]
DVD 8036
Abstract: The colorful markets of Africa are often dominated by strong older women. They control price and determine who can buy their goods. These imperious women rule the market and are treated with deference. Thanks to their business acumen, they have amassed a great deal of wealth. These women are affectionately referred to as Mama Benz. Why? Because each one has as her trademark a prized possession, a chauffeured Mercedes Benz. This film focuses on one woman who presides over the cloth market in Lomé, Togo. She is a lavishly dressed matron with a fully- staffed mansion who proudly travels the rutted dirt roads in her limousine. Despite her success, Mama Benz has not become too grand for the hurly burly of the marketplace. Everyday she takes her accustomed place in the stall, surrounded by gloriously colored textiles, and haggles with her customers. The other market women look up to her. Perhaps one day they too will attain her success and become a Mama Benz.
Director: Katia Petersen Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Togo, Lome, women, textiles, economy, trade
House of Love (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8255
Abstract: This film explores the lives of sex-workers in the small Namibian harbor of Walvis Bay. The women are dependent on the business from the brief visits of foreign shipping trawlers. They give insights into the choices they have made and why they have made them. Their conflicts center around notions of love, sex, sin, and redemption, while the threat of HIV/AIDS exists only in the background. Part of Steps for the Future, a unique collection of documentaries and short films from Southern Africa about life in the time of HIV/AIDS (Volume 16).
Director: Cecil Moller Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Namibia, HIV/AIDS, prostitution, labor, Steps for the Future
It's Not Easy (Videocassette : 48 min. ) [1991]
V.CASS. VHS 7537
Abstract: Dramatic representation of middle-class Africans and their struggle to deal with the realities and challenges posed when a married Ugandan business executive contracts HIV and passes the infection to his wife and unborn child.
Director: Faustin J. Misanvu Distributor:Media for Development International
Keywords: Uganda, family life, HIV/AIDS, drama, class, health
James' Journey to Jerusalem (Videocassette : 87 min. ) [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 8698
Abstract: In the imaginary village of Entshongweni, very far from the Western world, the young James is chosen to undertake a mission--a pilgrimage to Holy Jerusalem. At the airport, however, James is suspected of trying to infiltrate the country in order to work illegally and is jailed by the Israeli immigration authorities. This contemporary Candide is miraculously bailed out by a shady small-time businessman only to become part of his migrant labor pool. Undeterred, James perseveres in his religious quest, until he gets a taste of fortune by exploiting his employer's friends and colleagues for his own profit. Director Ra'anan Alexandrowicz offers an astute exploration of the economic, moral and spiritual hypocrisies of Western society through an evocative portrait of modern Israel's cultural and generational divisions. Topped with a moving and charismatic performance by South African actor Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe, James' Journey to Jerusalem stealthily layers these serious issues with biting wit and a lilting fairy-tale charm. In Hebrew, English and Zulu with English subtitles.
Director: Ra'anan Alexandrowicz Distributor:Zeitgeist Films
Keywords: Israel, South Africa, race, religion, migrant labor, feature film
Kenya, Where Women Rule (DVD : 20 min. ) [2006]
DVD 8230
Abstract: Domestic violence against women is rife among the Samburu in Kenya. In Samburu culture, the women also do all the work, including building the homes, herding, collecting firewood and water and caring for the children. In the 1980s and 90s, two hundred women from the tribe claimed they were raped by men from a nearby British army base. The Samburu men rejected them, whipped them and threw them out of their homes. In 1990 a small group of these stigmatized women decided to band together and create their own village. Under the leadership of one woman, Rebecca Lollosoli, their village has prospered, taking advantage of the income from tourism. The Samburu men have tried to sabotage the tourist business and have also mounted raids on the village. Finally, the Samburu men's chief tried to effect a reconciliation, but the women vehemently rejected his proposal. They are clearly enjoying the advantages of independence!
Director: Stormland Productions Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, Samburu, women, economy, rape, tourism
Living in bondage (DVD : 163 min. ) [1992]
DVD 9686
Abstract: Lagos businessman Andy Okeke sees his friends getting rich and he is upset that he has no success himself. He is torn between his village ways and the modernity of city life. In an attempt to get ahead, he becomes involved in the occult with tragic results. This movie marked the beginning of the video movie industry in Nigeria.
Director: Chris Obi Rapu Distributor:Nigerian Movies
Keywords: Nigeria, filmmaking, urban life, occult, modernity, feature film
Living the HipLife (DVD : 61 min. ) [2007]
DVD 11338
Abstract: This film is a musical portrait of street life in urban West Africa. It follows the birth of Hiplife music in Accra, Ghana, a mix of various African musical forms and American hip hop. Archival footage and hip hop music videos are remixed with interviews and the daily lives of rap artists. We follow Reggie Rockstone, the Godfather of Hiplife in the founding of the musical movement, as well as the Mobile Boys a group of aspiring rap artists as they try to make it in the music business. With humor and personality these characters move across the political and musical landscape of urban Ghana.
Director: Jesse W. Shipley Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Ghana, music, urban life, performance, art, economy
Mama Benz and the Taste of Money (DVD : 52 min. ) [2002]
On Order
Abstract: In West Africa wealthy women enjoy wearing colorful clothing made of 'genuine African' textiles. Ironically, since the early 20th Century, this coveted cloth has been designed and manufactured not in Africa, but in the Netherlands by a company called Vlisco. Local market women who sell the Vlisco cloth and have become extraordinarily rich -they can afford to be driven around in a Mercedes Benz--and are thus called 'Mama Benz.' This film details the interplay between a young ambitious European, Henk Bremer, from the Vlisco company, and an equally ambitious African market woman, Alice Gouba, as they jockey for advantage in marketing the cloth into a new territory. The film shows the difference in business attitudes between Europe and Africa, as they both struggle for a dominant position yet realize they are mutually dependent. Vlisco has for years pursued the strategy of divide and rule, while the Mamas know their power lies in being united. Alice is treading a tightrope between the two factions. A subtle and witty film about the evolving global marketplace.
Director: Karin Junger Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: West Africa, women, economy, textiles, markets, trade
Pain, Passion and Profit (Videocassette : 49 min. ) [1992]
VHS 9402
Abstract: From the director of Bend it Like Beckham and Pride and Prejudice, the film Pain, Passion and Profit is an inspirational look at women entrepreneurs through the eyes of the Body Shop founder, Anita Roddick, who has always maintained a strong commitment to the idea of profits with principles. Several women in Africa who have successfully developed small-scale business enterprises in their own communities provide a focus for Roddick to pose questions about how the role and status of women affects their enterprises and how those enterprises provide a means of community and economic development for women. Pain, Passion and Profit gives an in-depth look at global feminism and economic development as well as a personal and spirited view of the connections between the experiences of women entrepreneurs in the First and Third Worlds.
Director: Gurinder Chadha Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: business, women, economy, development, feminism
T-Shirt Travels (DVD : 57 min. ) [2001]
DVD 8789
Abstract: What happens to all those old clothes you bring to the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries? This comprehensive program is about Third World debt and secondhand clothes. The filmmaker travelled to Zambia and was amazed to find almost everyone wearing Calvin Klein, MTV and James Dean t-shirts! Huge bales of American secondhand clothing are sold to African importers, putting the African manufacturers out of business. We see a secondhand clothing dealer in Zambia carefully select a bale among dozens, bundled and shipped from abroad. He pays for the used clothing and then transports it by bus ten hours to a market. His meager profits support his entire extended family who subsist in shanty towns miles from the market. Their lives exemplify the poverty plaguing Africa today. They have virtually no possibility of advancing themselves and their children. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Harvard University Center for International Studies and other experts discuss the history of colonialism, slavery and the depletion of Africa's natural resources. They draw the connection between this shameful legacy and the current huge debt. As the African governments service their debts according to an IMF/World Bank policy known as 'structural adjustment lending,' people's benefits are slashed drastically, resulting in terrible suffering from malnutrition, poor healthcare, inadequate schools and a crumbling infra-structure. Our old t-shirts come with a high price-tag.
Director: Shantha Bloemen Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zambia, trade, economy, clothing, poverty, history, government, development
This Is Nollywood (DVD : 56 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9589
Abstract: This Is Nollywood tells the story of the Nigerian film industry -- a revolution enabling Africans with few resources to tell African stories to African audiences. Despite all odds, Nigerian directors produce between 500 and 1,000 movies a year. The disks sell wildly all over the continent. Nollywood actors have become stars from Ghana to Zambia. This Is Nollywood shows how the egalitarian promise of digital technology has found realization in one of the world's largest and poorest cities. And it shows the universal theme of people striving to fulfill their dreams.
Director: Franco Sacchi Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Nigeria, Nollywood, film, popular culture, business, media
Trade Trap (The) (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8132
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the struggles by Ghanaian farmers to get a foothold in the international market. The film follows Austustine Adongo, chief executive of the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters, as he visits farmers and business owners across his country, exploring both sides of the globalization issue along the way.
Director: Steve Bradshaw Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, farming, globalization, economic development
Way to Move On (A): Women's Savings Associations in Dakar (DVD : 23 min. ) [2000]
DVD 8048
Abstract: Senegal went through an economic crisis in the l980's, and cut off from government support, many women emerged from their domestic roles to become breadwinners for their families. They formed collectives, called Roscas, which act like credit unions with an emotional component. Participants contribute a predetermined sum which gets redistributed to members who need short term loans to run their business. The women are able to raise their families' standard of living by raising and selling food crops, or making handicrafts. They meet regularly, share problems and help one another out. It is a cooperative very much in keeping with the African sense of community. The Rosca movement may be a key out of poverty.
Director: Elisa Mereghetti and Francesca Lulli Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Senegal, Dakar, women, cooperative societies, credit unions, economy
Xala (Videocassette : 119 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6977
Abstract: In a mythical African country, a rich, self-made businessman and member of the post-colonial ruling elite takes on a third wife to show the world his wealth, only to be stricken by a curse resulting in impotency. His efforts at getting cured lead to disastrous yet comical results.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, polygamy, marriage, social life, traditional beliefs, witchcraft, feature film
Xala (DVD : 123 min. ) [2005]
DVD 4946
Abstract: This savagely funny satire portrays El Hadji, a prosperous, self-satisfied, politically crooked modern businessman who is struck down by the xala (pronounced 'ha-la') - a curse rendering its victim impotent. While he chases after witch doctors and soothsayers on a frantic, often hilarious search for a cure, his impotence becomes a mirror of the powerlessness of young African nations overdependent on white technology. Unable to consummate his third (polygamous) marriage, and neglecting his business affairs and political activities as he seeks a cure, his social stature is stripped away, leaving him shamed and humiliated. And while humorous, there is a sympathy in his downfall at the hands of others who are even more corrupt than he is. Xala is a moving and comical look at a man caught up in the corruption of his country and the tribulations of a changing society.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, polygamy, marriage, social life, traditional beliefs, witchcraft, feature film
September 16, 2008: Geoffrey Nyarota
