African Studies Media Catalog
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21 Up South Africa (DVD : 68 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9883
Abstract: Featuring scenes shot in 1992, 1999 and 2006, this documentary follows the lives of South African children -- rich and poor, black, white and 'mixed race' -- from all over the country, from the townships to the bushveldt. In the process 21 Up South Africa offers unique insights into the social and political changes occurring throughout the country since the fall of Apartheid. First filmed as 7-year-olds in 1992, these 11 individuals are ordinary South Africans growing up at a time of enormous social change. We see them now at the age of 21 making their way in the new South Africa and, as we roll back time in this unique chronicle of their lives, we also see them aged 14 and 7. We see where they started -- in township slums, old-school mansions and white suburbs -- their world divided along racial lines, as the policy of apartheid begins to crumble. While the fall of apartheid presented them with new opportunities, it also confronted them with new challenges. In successive interview sessions, characterized by disarming honesty, touches of humor and sadness, we see how their attitudes and experiences changed regarding many issues, from race relations and educational opportunities, crime and unemployment, to marriage and the AIDS crisis, which has already claimed the lives of several of the children.
Director: Angus Gibson Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, psychology, child development, history, politics
Another Man's Garden (DVD : 80 min. ) [2006]
DVD 10219
Abstract: For a young girl who wants to study medicine in Mozambique, the obstacles extend far beyond the distractions of her boyfriend and her family. A moment of weakness or an error in judgment can cost her a place at the university, an irretrievable loss in a country with so few opportunities for women.
Director: Sol de Carvalho Distributor:Icarus Films
Keywords: Mozambique, women, gender, education, health
Apartheid Revisited: Confronting History (Videocassette : 40 min. ) [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 5091
Abstract: Developed by the Bill of Rights Education Program of the A.C.L.U., Project HIP-HOP (Highways Into the Past, History, Organizing & Power) is a 'traveling classroom.' In the summer of 1996, veterans of previous 'HIP-HOP' excursions traveled to South Africa. Their goal was to learn about the history of South Africa and the resistance movement that led to the end of apartheid.
Director: Charlotte Angel and Kyle Boyd Distributor:Cambridge Educational
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, history, race relations, education
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
Condoms, Fish and Circus Tricks: The AIDS Pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa (Videocassette : 47 min. ) [2002]
VHS 9182
Abstract: Shot in Malawi, South Africa and Zambia, this is a compelling documentary on the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is ravaging Southern Africa. It takes an intimate look at the people who are dying, those who are caring for them, and why this disease has had such a devastating impact on African society. In a remote village in Malawi, the struggle against AIDS is led by local volunteers who care for the orphan children and those that are dying, without medicines, clean water, or even rubber gloves. In a fishing village on Zambia's Kafue Flats the local fishermen earn their livelihood by selling their catch. When women don't have the money to pay, the men often trade their fish for sex. The result has been a huge surge of AIDS patients, overwhelming the local hospital which has only three doctors and three hundred beds. The film reveals a 'quiet revolution' is underway as young people are talking about sex and challenging traditional concepts of sexuality. Through performances in a street circus young people are spreading the message of AIDS prevention. It is these young people that offer hope for Africa's future.
Director: Brenda & Robert Rooney Distributor:Filmakers Library, N.Y. [www.filmakers.com]
Keywords: Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, children, HIV/AIDS, health education, disease prevention, orphans, youth
Deadline, The (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1996]
VHS 9184
Abstract: Filmed during the closing stages of South Africa's Constitutional Assembly, The Deadline is an inside look at the 'realpolitik' negotiations. May 10th, 1996 was chosen by the major South African political parties as the deadline for the new constitution. Following the first democratic elections (April, 1994), the ANC-led parliament set about the two-year task of creating a blue-print for an apartheid-free society, a blueprint that was to include a set of inalienable rights. By the final four weeks most of the Constitution had been written, but disputes over a few key issues - property rights, labor rights, education, and language - remained. Tension grew as the deadline loomed, and the playful camaraderie that had characterized much of the negotiations gave way to open antagonism, accusations, and counter-accusations. A deadlock over outstanding issues continued until the final night, threatening to derail the transition to democracy. The Deadline, commissioned by the Constitutional Assembly, provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at one of the most historic and dramatic constitutional processes of the 20th century.
Director: Harriet Gavshon Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, African National Congress, South African constitution, history, law, politics
Ebola War: the Nurses of Gulu (Videocassette : 46 min. ) [2002]
VHS 9185
Abstract: Ebola is one of the most contagious and frightening diseases that exist today. It can kill its victim in as little as 48 hours. When it broke out in Northern Uganda, there were scant resources and little knowledge about how to deal with it at Lacor Hospital, in Gulu, Uganda. For nearly a month, medical staff treated Ebola patients without knowing what it was. Soon, however, it became clear that the nursing and medical staff were at risk from this hemorrhagic disease. In the end, thirteen nurses and the medical superintendent, Dr. Mathew Lukwiya, died from the disease. In Ebola War, the nurses tell the emotional stories of how they struggled to contain the outbreak. Medical teams had to go into the war-ravaged countryside to test and educate the population to isolate those infected. Through interviews, personal accounts and archival footage, this intimate and moving film documents a five-month heroic battle in an African hospital against a modern-day plague, and the final triumph over the outbreak.
Director: Yoti Zabulon, Bonnie Henry Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Uganda, disease control, ebola virus, hemorrhagic fever, health education
Educating Lucia (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8926
Abstract: Part of a series on how the globalized world economy affects ordinary people. Across the African continent only 24 percent of girls actually complete primary school, compared to 65-70 percent for boys. This program focuses on the story of three African sisters who want to graduate to secondary school but are more likely to receive no formal education, working as seasonal laborers on one of Zimbabwe's large tobacco farms. They're being raised by their grandmother who can only afford school fees for one girl.
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Africa, Zimbabwe, women, education
Femmes aux yeux ouverts (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 4471
Abstract: Surveys social conditions faced by women in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Benin, including circumcision, forced marriage, AIDS, and economic repression. Examines grass-roots efforts toward education and improvement as Africa opens to democracy.
Director: Anne-Laure Folly Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, West Africa, HIV/AIDS, female circumcision, feminism, marriage, health, women
From Congo to Zaire (DVD : 52 min. ) [2001]
DVD 7895
Abstract: The Congo, the largest country in Central Africa, was granted its independence from Belgium in 1960. This riveting historical documentary, using a wealth of archival material, illustrates how the legacy of colonialism effected modern Congo, led first by Patrice Lumumba, then by General Mobutu for thirty years. From 1908, when King Leopold II ceded his land grants to the Belgian people, economic development was seen as the first stage of the process of colonization. A new industrial port, along with road and rail networks, opened up the Congo to overseas trade. The Belgians brought with them an efficient system of administration, education and healthcare. By the end of World War II, the relationship between the colonizers and colonized changed. The pace accelerated towards decolonization. However, independence brought its own problems. Two leaders emerged, Patrice Lumumba and General Mobutu, and conflict between them ended with the murder of Lumumba and Mobutu's seizure of power. From Congo to Zaire takes a fresh look at the Congo's turbulent history and provides new insights into the problems it faces today.
Director: Olivier Moser and Frederic Tadino Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Congo, Zaire, colonialism, history, Mobutu, Lumumba
Future of Mud: A Tale of Houses and Lives in Djenne: A Constructed Documentary (DVD : 58 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9917
Abstract: Through the story of a mason in Djenne, Komusa Tenapo, and his family, this documentary examines an African tradition of mud architecture in Mali.
Director: Susan Vogel Distributor:Icarus Films
Keywords: Mali, architecture, construction, heritage, education, art
In the Name of God: Changing attitudes Towards Mutilation (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1997]
VHS 9189
Abstract: Ethiopian women who refuse to be circumcised are called 'filthy dog.' There is a whole mythology going back thousands of years that such women are repulsive and unmarriageable. Even today, over 115 million women's genitals are mutilated by razors, scissors or even more primitive and painful methods. Twenty-five nations in Africa, in parts of Asia, and in Arabic countries maintain this practice and through refugees it is being performed in Europe and the U.S. On the bright side, there are small inroads being made. This film takes us to the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, one of the few places giving medical care to victims of infibulation. Here, recovered patients are even trained to assist doctors in repairing the damages to other women. An increasing number of Ethiopian women have started to protest against these ancient traditions, even giving out information in schools. But change will not happen overnight.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Ethiopia, education, female circumcision, infibulation, social condition, women
Invisible Children (DVD : 55 min. ) [2006]
DVD 5486
Abstract: In Uganda's long-lasting civil war, many children have been abducted to be trained as child soldiers. This film documents the children's life and general social conditions in Uganda in 2003. What started out as a film-making adventure in Africa, transformed into much more, when the three young Americans original travels took a divine turn, and they found themselves stranded in Northern Uganda. They discovered children being kidnapped nightly from their homes and subsequently forced to fight as child soldiers. Children as young as eight are methodically kidnapped from their homes by a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The abducted children are then desensitized to the horror of brutal violence and killing, as they themselves are turned into vicious fighters. Some escape and hide in constant fear for their lives. Most remain captive, and grow to maturity with no education other than life in the bush and fighting in a guerilla war. Of the many ramifications that a 20 -year-long war can cause, the film highlights what the community refers to as 'night commuters.' We watch thousands of children commute out of fear, from their villages to nearby towns each night in order to avoid the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) abductions. They sleep in public places, vulnerable, and without supervision.
Director: Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole Distributor:Invisible Children
Keywords: Uganda, children, civil war, child soldiers
Last grave at Dimbaza (Videocassette : 54 min. ) [2006]
VHS 9290
Abstract: Shot illegally in the Republic of South Africa, this documentary exposes the oppression of Blacks and other people designated as 'coloured' under apartheid rule in South Africa. The film contrasts the lives of black and white South Africans, focusing on inequities in housing, education, wages and health care. This is a digitally remastered version of the original 1973 film.
Director: Chris Curling and Pascoe MacFarlane Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, economy, apartheid, race, history, politics
Maragoli (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 1823
Abstract: A documentary in which the villagers of the Maragoli region in Kenya describe their reaction to 'development' by explaining their aspirations, why they have so many children and why they fear the destruction of their traditional ways. Portrays the interlocking problems of high fertility rates, land scarcity, lack of education and employment and migration.
Director: NA Distributor:Sandra Nichols Production
Keywords: Kenya, Luhya, development, fertility, migration
Masai Manhood (Videocassette : 53 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4598
Abstract: An ethnographic view of Maasai culture and society, focusing on the preparation of young Maasai boys for manhood and leadership in their society. Follows the seven years of transition in which the boys serve as warriors and learn about survival and the outside world, as dictated by their elders. Consultant: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies. [1991 (orig. 1970s)]
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Films Inc.
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, education, gender, ritual
Nkuleleko Means Freeedom (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1982]
VHS 9339
Abstract: The central theme of Nkuleleko Means Freedom is education with production, a system of education that combines theory with practice and is meant to develop a new 'integrated' person as well as to dignify manual labor. Back home in Zimbabwe, the former refugees, now students, have built new schools and are participating in the building of a new society.
Director: Ron Hallis Distributor:First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, education, exile, refugees, work
O Jardim do Outro Homem = Another Man's Garden (DVD : 80 min. ) [2006]
DVD 10219
Abstract: For a young girl who wants to study medicine in Mozambique, the obstacles extend far beyond the distractions of her boyfriend and her family. A moment of weakness or an error in judgment can cost her a place at the university, an irretrievable loss in a country with so few opportunities for women.
Director: Sol de Carvalho Distributor:Icarus Films
Keywords: Mozambique, gender, education, poverty, feature film
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography (Videocassette : 241 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS. Ten videocassettes (volumes five through seven concern African nations): (v. 1) Central America: Costa Rica; (v. 2) Central America: Cuba; (v. 3) South America: Brazil; (v. 4) South America: Paraguay; (v. 5) Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt; (v. 6) Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya; (v. 7) Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho; (v. 8) Asia: Mongolia, China, Nepal; (v. 9) Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam; (v. 10) South Pacific/Oceania: The Philippines, Kiribati.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Paraguay, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Mongolia, China, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Oceania, the Philippines, Kiribati, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 5 Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 6. Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 7 Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, politics, history, economics
Paying the Price (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7421
Abstract: Paying the Price investigates the history of AIDS treatment in Africa. It details Uganda's success with a UN-sponsored program of price reduction and medical education, and South Africa's refusal to begin a national AIDS treatment program despite defeating a drug company court challenge to the government's import and manufacture of generic anti-retroviral drugs. Finally, it looks at the success of smaller local programs that are bringing hope for the future to many infected Africans. Additional materials available at: http://www.tve.org/lifeonline/index.cfm?aid=1171
Director: Toni Strasburg Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Uganda, South Africa, HIV/AIDS, health, politics, drugs
Population 6 Billion (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 6140
Abstract: Discusses problems created by the growing human population, which surpassed the six billion mark in 1999. Covers topics such as poverty, illiteracy, the toll on the environment, and water, food and other resource shortages. Addresses the grim realities of life in Third World nations while discussing population control initiatives in Vietnam, Uganda, and Mexico that include family planning, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, sex education, and efforts to improve the economic status of women.
Director: Sam Shinn, Jonathan Silvers Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Uganda, population, development, environment, poverty
Race Against Time: The AIDS Crisis in Africa (DVD : 48 min. ) [2002]
DVD 8057
Abstract: The AIDS crisis in Africa is an epidemic of staggering proportions. Thirty-six million people are infected with the HIV virus worldwide, with over 25 million of them in Africa, and a staggering number of Africans -- 17 million -- have died. This film is about the inspiring work of Canadian Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa as he searches for solutions to the pandemic ravaging the continent. Lewis describes the 'Herculean effort' that has begun to relieve the suffering. A global trust fund has been set up through the United Nations, which has grown to $1.5 billion. Drug companies have slashed their prices for anti-viral drugs for Africans, and there is now hope for the dying. After years of denial, there is now a new willingness on the part of African leaders to confront the disease. Lewis travels to Zambia and Kenya witnessing the challenges first hand as he talks to widows of AIDS victims, who are often infected themselves. In many instances, these ill women must care for their deceased relatives' children as well as their own, despite their desperate financial situation. On the plus side, he finds many creative, community-based educational programs that feature preventive 'safe sex' songs, dances and dramas.
Director: Stephen Lewis Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Zambia, HIV/AIDS, United Nations, politics, health, performance
Right to Choose (The) (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8928
Abstract: Part of a series on how the globalized world economy affects ordinary people. Nibret is eleven -- and they're marrying her off to a man she's never met. Forced marriage isn't unusual in northern Ethiopia -- it helps to cement ties between families and establish land rights. Some Islamic leaders in northern Nigeria also advocate child-marriage. They believe women's role is to comfort men, and see nothing wrong with marrying girls as young as seven, often in polygamous marriages. This program reports on the dissonant voices arguing for change in local cultures -- and calls for reproductive health care and primary education for women and looks at widespread discrimination and violence against women.
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, Nigeria, women, children, marriage, human rights, land, education
Sango Malo (Videocassette : 95 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4472
Abstract: Sango Malo is the tale of two schoolteachers and two philosophies of education. The strict headmaster insists on a conventional French-style curriculum which doesn't challenge the village power structure. When an innovative young teacher Sango Malo (Mr. Malo) arrives, he introduces a more practical education designed to make the peasants the focus of rural development. Soon his ideas spread to the rest of the village and the peasants open a cooperative store and farm. But Malo is impatient with local customs and alienates many of his supporters. The village chief, store owner and priest now call in the army to arrest him. But Malo has taught his lessons well, and the peasants carry on the reforms he introduced without him. .
Director: Bassek ba Kobhio Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Cameroon, education, development, feature film
Sangoma: Traditional Healers in Modern Society (Videocassette : 54 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 2960
Abstract: A documentary on traditional healers in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The film addresses how they are being integrated into the new South Africa's health care system in the area of AIDS education and plant conservation. Produced by Peter Davis and Harvey McKinnon.
Director: Peter Davis Distributor:Villon Films
Keywords: South Africa, Zulu, HIV/AIDS, medicine, health, traditional healing
Senegal: the Power to Change (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 6299
Abstract: The protest against female genital mutilation in Senegal started with an educational program set up by the United Nations in cooperation with a local NGO. News of the declarations spread through the media, inspiring women in other villages to demand education and to take similar decisions. This is a success story which shows that education makes all the difference.
Director: Gerd Inger Polden Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Senegal, female genital cutting, women's rights, gender, development
Spares & Besties (Videocassette : 54 min. ) [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 6955
Abstract: A sexuality, HIV/AIDS video workshop for youth. Produced with the help of the students of Guguletu Comprehensive and Tafelsig Senior Secondary in Cape Town, young men and women discuss their experiences of sex with startling frankness. The programme is not a safer sex information tape. Rather, it seeks to place the basic facts about safer-sex in the context of the real world in which young people are expected to act on this information.
Director: NA Distributor:Idol Pictures
Keywords: South Africa, sexuality, health, HIV/AIDS, youth, education
TemeTTeme (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [1998]
VHS 9348
Abstract: Set in the beautiful drylands region of northern Ethiopia, TemeTTeme is a moving parable about progress and the values of family life. TemeTTeme tells the story of 12-year-old Belete who runs away from his father's desertified farm to pursue an education in the city of Addis Ababa. The story illustrates the African proverb, 'begezza rasu 'bab TemeTTeme', which means, 'by his own doing, he wrapped a snake around himself.' It reveals hope and resourcefulness in the midst of social and economic problems in rural and urban Ethiopia. The young actors in this film and many of the production team are street children in Addis Ababa. This film is dedicated to them and to the thousands of children whose talent and potential lies wasting and unseen on the streets of towns and cities throughout the world.
Director: Richard Duplock Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, youth, desertification, rural-urban migration, street children, poverty, family
These Girls Are Missing: The Gender Gap in Africa's Schools (DVD : 60 min. ) [1997]
DVD 8006
Abstract: Everybody knows this instinctively -- educate women and you will change society. Perhaps that's why in many African countries, fewer than 20% of girls ever enter a schoolroom, and across the continent, only one woman in three learns to read. It's not official policy. In fact, an international industry devoted to changing the status quo exists. Still the deck is stacked against African girls. How can a schoolgirl be such a threat to traditional concepts of appropriate gender roles and control of fertility? These Girls Are Missing offers small sets of stories, sharp glimpses into a few intimate relationships layered to mirror the complex reality: Nadouba and Bintu in their West African village, Taz and Patricia from elite St. Mary's Secondary School in Malawi, Ethel and her mother torn between village and the modern world, a relaxed and riotous conversation among a group of Malinke elders. Through knowing them, the audience grows to understand how deep cultural attitudes, more than economics, undermine the future of Africa's women. More provocative than prescriptive, this film aims to inspire reflection, argument and deeper understanding.
Director: Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Malawi, Malinke, women, education, gender
They Carry Their Families: A Village in Mauritania (DVD : 14 min. ) [1999]
DVD 8972
Abstract: Life in a rural village in Mauritania is hard on women. Tradition and Islamic religion are intertwined to reinforce strict gender roles. The husband is the protector and keeper; his word is law. While the men take their ease, the girls and women are off to the fields during the peanut planting and harvest season, walking five miles each way, and coming home with heavy burdens from the fields to prepare the family dinner. They carry the water, sweep the yard, wash the clothes, and care for the children. This short, beautifully filmed video captures succinctly the subservience of women, while at the same time remaining respectful of tradition and culture. There are no drugs, alcohol or loneliness in this kind of community, where family bonds are very strong. We hear from several young Peace Corps workers in the village who are hopeful that by educating and thereby widening the horizons of young women, eventually women will have more choices. From a Western perspective, the future of Africa depends on education and family planning.
Director: Ingo A. Zamperoni Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Mauritania, women, gender, religion, family, work, education
Uganda: A Different Drummer (Videocassette : 34 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7444
Abstract: Uganda has begun eradicating poverty with a unique approach. Gone is the old way of government telling the poor what's good for them. Instead--via community meetings around the country-- the poor are telling government what they want. The results so far: better healthcare, free elementary education, new roads and agricultural extension programs. The government is further helping with poverty reduction by working with the International Monetary Fund for debt relief. Electronic access at: http://www.imf.org/external/mmedia/view1.asp?eventId=54&file=1
Director: Frances Anne Hardin Distributor:International Monetary Fund
Keywords: Uganda, poverty, IMF, development, democracy
Uganda: Education Reforms (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [1999]
V.CASS. VHS 7787
Abstract: Describes the education reforms instituted in Uganda since Yoweri Museveni's rise to power. Sweeping reforms in primary school education and the use of tutors to find solutions to the problems of teachers and work with communities have contributed to the success of education in Uganda. Present political stability and a new government committed to making education a priority have challenged parents and educators to make the reforms successful.
Director: Cecilia Domeyko Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Uganda, education, Yoweri Museveni
Wandering Warrior (DVD : 56 min. ) [1996]
DVD 8247
Abstract: This is a unique story of a leap across cultural boundaries as a Maasai warrior from the pastoral valleys of southern Kenya adapts to life on the fast track in suburban Massachusetts. At age nineteen, Maasai warrior Mpeti Ole Surum met an American tourist on a safari in Kenya. This meeting changed his life forever. The American encouraged him to get an education and learn about the world beyond his valley. Changing his name to 'Tom,' he went to school and learned to read and write English. For several years he held different jobs at a resort, where he impressed guests by speaking about the Maasai culture. Possessed of the courage and strength needed to kill lions, he also had the talent of a natural showman. Sent abroad to encourage tourism, Tom quickly became a sought after lecturer, entertainer and talk show guest. Today he has several agents booking his performances at schools and universities across the United States. Even the most complacent high school students sit up and take notice when Tom bellows tribal incantations across the stage while dressed in full hunting regalia. A self-styled cultural ambassador, Tom also shares what he has learned of America with young Maasai. While he partakes of the bounty of American life, including Armani suits, a luxury car, and credit cards, he is still strongly attached to his tribe and its traditions.
Director: Cliff Moskow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, emigration, tourism
We Jive Like This (Videocassette : 54 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 6302
Abstract: Records the dance, poetry, theatre and music of South Africa's streets and backyards which provide a kind of street education, an outlet for self-expression, and a celebration of everyday life.
Director: Deborah May Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, music, popular culture
World through Children's Eyes (The) (Videocassette : 67 min. ) [1996]
V.CASS. VHS 8275
Abstract: These six short programs provide an intimate and unique insight into the reality and dreams of children from all over the world with a candor that can only be achieved by self-documentation. While the rights of the child have been the subject of many documentaries, this is the first time children have been given the opportunity to create one themselves. Each story reflects one of the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but from the uncensored and sometimes unsparing viewpoint of children themselves. Contents: Philipines: sexual exploitation (15 min.); Peru: child workers (12 min.); Brazil: street kids (11 min.); USA: inner city kids and police brutality (7 min.); India: girls and education (12 min.); South Africa: political violence (11 min.). Accompanied by discussion guide.
Director: Ilan Ziv Distributor:Maryknoll World Productions
Keywords: Philipines, Peru, Brazil, United States, India, South Africa, children, human rights, U.N.
Page(s): 1
21 Up South Africa (DVD : 68 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9883
Abstract: Featuring scenes shot in 1992, 1999 and 2006, this documentary follows the lives of South African children -- rich and poor, black, white and 'mixed race' -- from all over the country, from the townships to the bushveldt. In the process 21 Up South Africa offers unique insights into the social and political changes occurring throughout the country since the fall of Apartheid. First filmed as 7-year-olds in 1992, these 11 individuals are ordinary South Africans growing up at a time of enormous social change. We see them now at the age of 21 making their way in the new South Africa and, as we roll back time in this unique chronicle of their lives, we also see them aged 14 and 7. We see where they started -- in township slums, old-school mansions and white suburbs -- their world divided along racial lines, as the policy of apartheid begins to crumble. While the fall of apartheid presented them with new opportunities, it also confronted them with new challenges. In successive interview sessions, characterized by disarming honesty, touches of humor and sadness, we see how their attitudes and experiences changed regarding many issues, from race relations and educational opportunities, crime and unemployment, to marriage and the AIDS crisis, which has already claimed the lives of several of the children.
Director: Angus Gibson Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, psychology, child development, history, politics
Another Man's Garden (DVD : 80 min. ) [2006]
DVD 10219
Abstract: For a young girl who wants to study medicine in Mozambique, the obstacles extend far beyond the distractions of her boyfriend and her family. A moment of weakness or an error in judgment can cost her a place at the university, an irretrievable loss in a country with so few opportunities for women.
Director: Sol de Carvalho Distributor:Icarus Films
Keywords: Mozambique, women, gender, education, health
Apartheid Revisited: Confronting History (Videocassette : 40 min. ) [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 5091
Abstract: Developed by the Bill of Rights Education Program of the A.C.L.U., Project HIP-HOP (Highways Into the Past, History, Organizing & Power) is a 'traveling classroom.' In the summer of 1996, veterans of previous 'HIP-HOP' excursions traveled to South Africa. Their goal was to learn about the history of South Africa and the resistance movement that led to the end of apartheid.
Director: Charlotte Angel and Kyle Boyd Distributor:Cambridge Educational
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, history, race relations, education
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
Condoms, Fish and Circus Tricks: The AIDS Pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa (Videocassette : 47 min. ) [2002]
VHS 9182
Abstract: Shot in Malawi, South Africa and Zambia, this is a compelling documentary on the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is ravaging Southern Africa. It takes an intimate look at the people who are dying, those who are caring for them, and why this disease has had such a devastating impact on African society. In a remote village in Malawi, the struggle against AIDS is led by local volunteers who care for the orphan children and those that are dying, without medicines, clean water, or even rubber gloves. In a fishing village on Zambia's Kafue Flats the local fishermen earn their livelihood by selling their catch. When women don't have the money to pay, the men often trade their fish for sex. The result has been a huge surge of AIDS patients, overwhelming the local hospital which has only three doctors and three hundred beds. The film reveals a 'quiet revolution' is underway as young people are talking about sex and challenging traditional concepts of sexuality. Through performances in a street circus young people are spreading the message of AIDS prevention. It is these young people that offer hope for Africa's future.
Director: Brenda & Robert Rooney Distributor:Filmakers Library, N.Y. [www.filmakers.com]
Keywords: Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, children, HIV/AIDS, health education, disease prevention, orphans, youth
Deadline, The (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1996]
VHS 9184
Abstract: Filmed during the closing stages of South Africa's Constitutional Assembly, The Deadline is an inside look at the 'realpolitik' negotiations. May 10th, 1996 was chosen by the major South African political parties as the deadline for the new constitution. Following the first democratic elections (April, 1994), the ANC-led parliament set about the two-year task of creating a blue-print for an apartheid-free society, a blueprint that was to include a set of inalienable rights. By the final four weeks most of the Constitution had been written, but disputes over a few key issues - property rights, labor rights, education, and language - remained. Tension grew as the deadline loomed, and the playful camaraderie that had characterized much of the negotiations gave way to open antagonism, accusations, and counter-accusations. A deadlock over outstanding issues continued until the final night, threatening to derail the transition to democracy. The Deadline, commissioned by the Constitutional Assembly, provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at one of the most historic and dramatic constitutional processes of the 20th century.
Director: Harriet Gavshon Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, African National Congress, South African constitution, history, law, politics
Ebola War: the Nurses of Gulu (Videocassette : 46 min. ) [2002]
VHS 9185
Abstract: Ebola is one of the most contagious and frightening diseases that exist today. It can kill its victim in as little as 48 hours. When it broke out in Northern Uganda, there were scant resources and little knowledge about how to deal with it at Lacor Hospital, in Gulu, Uganda. For nearly a month, medical staff treated Ebola patients without knowing what it was. Soon, however, it became clear that the nursing and medical staff were at risk from this hemorrhagic disease. In the end, thirteen nurses and the medical superintendent, Dr. Mathew Lukwiya, died from the disease. In Ebola War, the nurses tell the emotional stories of how they struggled to contain the outbreak. Medical teams had to go into the war-ravaged countryside to test and educate the population to isolate those infected. Through interviews, personal accounts and archival footage, this intimate and moving film documents a five-month heroic battle in an African hospital against a modern-day plague, and the final triumph over the outbreak.
Director: Yoti Zabulon, Bonnie Henry Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Uganda, disease control, ebola virus, hemorrhagic fever, health education
Educating Lucia (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8926
Abstract: Part of a series on how the globalized world economy affects ordinary people. Across the African continent only 24 percent of girls actually complete primary school, compared to 65-70 percent for boys. This program focuses on the story of three African sisters who want to graduate to secondary school but are more likely to receive no formal education, working as seasonal laborers on one of Zimbabwe's large tobacco farms. They're being raised by their grandmother who can only afford school fees for one girl.
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Africa, Zimbabwe, women, education
Femmes aux yeux ouverts (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 4471
Abstract: Surveys social conditions faced by women in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Benin, including circumcision, forced marriage, AIDS, and economic repression. Examines grass-roots efforts toward education and improvement as Africa opens to democracy.
Director: Anne-Laure Folly Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, West Africa, HIV/AIDS, female circumcision, feminism, marriage, health, women
From Congo to Zaire (DVD : 52 min. ) [2001]
DVD 7895
Abstract: The Congo, the largest country in Central Africa, was granted its independence from Belgium in 1960. This riveting historical documentary, using a wealth of archival material, illustrates how the legacy of colonialism effected modern Congo, led first by Patrice Lumumba, then by General Mobutu for thirty years. From 1908, when King Leopold II ceded his land grants to the Belgian people, economic development was seen as the first stage of the process of colonization. A new industrial port, along with road and rail networks, opened up the Congo to overseas trade. The Belgians brought with them an efficient system of administration, education and healthcare. By the end of World War II, the relationship between the colonizers and colonized changed. The pace accelerated towards decolonization. However, independence brought its own problems. Two leaders emerged, Patrice Lumumba and General Mobutu, and conflict between them ended with the murder of Lumumba and Mobutu's seizure of power. From Congo to Zaire takes a fresh look at the Congo's turbulent history and provides new insights into the problems it faces today.
Director: Olivier Moser and Frederic Tadino Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Congo, Zaire, colonialism, history, Mobutu, Lumumba
Future of Mud: A Tale of Houses and Lives in Djenne: A Constructed Documentary (DVD : 58 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9917
Abstract: Through the story of a mason in Djenne, Komusa Tenapo, and his family, this documentary examines an African tradition of mud architecture in Mali.
Director: Susan Vogel Distributor:Icarus Films
Keywords: Mali, architecture, construction, heritage, education, art
In the Name of God: Changing attitudes Towards Mutilation (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1997]
VHS 9189
Abstract: Ethiopian women who refuse to be circumcised are called 'filthy dog.' There is a whole mythology going back thousands of years that such women are repulsive and unmarriageable. Even today, over 115 million women's genitals are mutilated by razors, scissors or even more primitive and painful methods. Twenty-five nations in Africa, in parts of Asia, and in Arabic countries maintain this practice and through refugees it is being performed in Europe and the U.S. On the bright side, there are small inroads being made. This film takes us to the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, one of the few places giving medical care to victims of infibulation. Here, recovered patients are even trained to assist doctors in repairing the damages to other women. An increasing number of Ethiopian women have started to protest against these ancient traditions, even giving out information in schools. But change will not happen overnight.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Ethiopia, education, female circumcision, infibulation, social condition, women
Invisible Children (DVD : 55 min. ) [2006]
DVD 5486
Abstract: In Uganda's long-lasting civil war, many children have been abducted to be trained as child soldiers. This film documents the children's life and general social conditions in Uganda in 2003. What started out as a film-making adventure in Africa, transformed into much more, when the three young Americans original travels took a divine turn, and they found themselves stranded in Northern Uganda. They discovered children being kidnapped nightly from their homes and subsequently forced to fight as child soldiers. Children as young as eight are methodically kidnapped from their homes by a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The abducted children are then desensitized to the horror of brutal violence and killing, as they themselves are turned into vicious fighters. Some escape and hide in constant fear for their lives. Most remain captive, and grow to maturity with no education other than life in the bush and fighting in a guerilla war. Of the many ramifications that a 20 -year-long war can cause, the film highlights what the community refers to as 'night commuters.' We watch thousands of children commute out of fear, from their villages to nearby towns each night in order to avoid the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) abductions. They sleep in public places, vulnerable, and without supervision.
Director: Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole Distributor:Invisible Children
Keywords: Uganda, children, civil war, child soldiers
Last grave at Dimbaza (Videocassette : 54 min. ) [2006]
VHS 9290
Abstract: Shot illegally in the Republic of South Africa, this documentary exposes the oppression of Blacks and other people designated as 'coloured' under apartheid rule in South Africa. The film contrasts the lives of black and white South Africans, focusing on inequities in housing, education, wages and health care. This is a digitally remastered version of the original 1973 film.
Director: Chris Curling and Pascoe MacFarlane Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, economy, apartheid, race, history, politics
Maragoli (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 1823
Abstract: A documentary in which the villagers of the Maragoli region in Kenya describe their reaction to 'development' by explaining their aspirations, why they have so many children and why they fear the destruction of their traditional ways. Portrays the interlocking problems of high fertility rates, land scarcity, lack of education and employment and migration.
Director: NA Distributor:Sandra Nichols Production
Keywords: Kenya, Luhya, development, fertility, migration
Masai Manhood (Videocassette : 53 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4598
Abstract: An ethnographic view of Maasai culture and society, focusing on the preparation of young Maasai boys for manhood and leadership in their society. Follows the seven years of transition in which the boys serve as warriors and learn about survival and the outside world, as dictated by their elders. Consultant: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies. [1991 (orig. 1970s)]
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Films Inc.
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, education, gender, ritual
Nkuleleko Means Freeedom (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1982]
VHS 9339
Abstract: The central theme of Nkuleleko Means Freedom is education with production, a system of education that combines theory with practice and is meant to develop a new 'integrated' person as well as to dignify manual labor. Back home in Zimbabwe, the former refugees, now students, have built new schools and are participating in the building of a new society.
Director: Ron Hallis Distributor:First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, education, exile, refugees, work
O Jardim do Outro Homem = Another Man's Garden (DVD : 80 min. ) [2006]
DVD 10219
Abstract: For a young girl who wants to study medicine in Mozambique, the obstacles extend far beyond the distractions of her boyfriend and her family. A moment of weakness or an error in judgment can cost her a place at the university, an irretrievable loss in a country with so few opportunities for women.
Director: Sol de Carvalho Distributor:Icarus Films
Keywords: Mozambique, gender, education, poverty, feature film
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography (Videocassette : 241 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS. Ten videocassettes (volumes five through seven concern African nations): (v. 1) Central America: Costa Rica; (v. 2) Central America: Cuba; (v. 3) South America: Brazil; (v. 4) South America: Paraguay; (v. 5) Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt; (v. 6) Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya; (v. 7) Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho; (v. 8) Asia: Mongolia, China, Nepal; (v. 9) Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam; (v. 10) South Pacific/Oceania: The Philippines, Kiribati.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Paraguay, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Mongolia, China, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Oceania, the Philippines, Kiribati, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 5 Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 6. Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 7 Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, politics, history, economics
Paying the Price (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7421
Abstract: Paying the Price investigates the history of AIDS treatment in Africa. It details Uganda's success with a UN-sponsored program of price reduction and medical education, and South Africa's refusal to begin a national AIDS treatment program despite defeating a drug company court challenge to the government's import and manufacture of generic anti-retroviral drugs. Finally, it looks at the success of smaller local programs that are bringing hope for the future to many infected Africans. Additional materials available at: http://www.tve.org/lifeonline/index.cfm?aid=1171
Director: Toni Strasburg Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Uganda, South Africa, HIV/AIDS, health, politics, drugs
Population 6 Billion (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 6140
Abstract: Discusses problems created by the growing human population, which surpassed the six billion mark in 1999. Covers topics such as poverty, illiteracy, the toll on the environment, and water, food and other resource shortages. Addresses the grim realities of life in Third World nations while discussing population control initiatives in Vietnam, Uganda, and Mexico that include family planning, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, sex education, and efforts to improve the economic status of women.
Director: Sam Shinn, Jonathan Silvers Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Uganda, population, development, environment, poverty
Race Against Time: The AIDS Crisis in Africa (DVD : 48 min. ) [2002]
DVD 8057
Abstract: The AIDS crisis in Africa is an epidemic of staggering proportions. Thirty-six million people are infected with the HIV virus worldwide, with over 25 million of them in Africa, and a staggering number of Africans -- 17 million -- have died. This film is about the inspiring work of Canadian Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa as he searches for solutions to the pandemic ravaging the continent. Lewis describes the 'Herculean effort' that has begun to relieve the suffering. A global trust fund has been set up through the United Nations, which has grown to $1.5 billion. Drug companies have slashed their prices for anti-viral drugs for Africans, and there is now hope for the dying. After years of denial, there is now a new willingness on the part of African leaders to confront the disease. Lewis travels to Zambia and Kenya witnessing the challenges first hand as he talks to widows of AIDS victims, who are often infected themselves. In many instances, these ill women must care for their deceased relatives' children as well as their own, despite their desperate financial situation. On the plus side, he finds many creative, community-based educational programs that feature preventive 'safe sex' songs, dances and dramas.
Director: Stephen Lewis Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Zambia, HIV/AIDS, United Nations, politics, health, performance
Right to Choose (The) (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8928
Abstract: Part of a series on how the globalized world economy affects ordinary people. Nibret is eleven -- and they're marrying her off to a man she's never met. Forced marriage isn't unusual in northern Ethiopia -- it helps to cement ties between families and establish land rights. Some Islamic leaders in northern Nigeria also advocate child-marriage. They believe women's role is to comfort men, and see nothing wrong with marrying girls as young as seven, often in polygamous marriages. This program reports on the dissonant voices arguing for change in local cultures -- and calls for reproductive health care and primary education for women and looks at widespread discrimination and violence against women.
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, Nigeria, women, children, marriage, human rights, land, education
Sango Malo (Videocassette : 95 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4472
Abstract: Sango Malo is the tale of two schoolteachers and two philosophies of education. The strict headmaster insists on a conventional French-style curriculum which doesn't challenge the village power structure. When an innovative young teacher Sango Malo (Mr. Malo) arrives, he introduces a more practical education designed to make the peasants the focus of rural development. Soon his ideas spread to the rest of the village and the peasants open a cooperative store and farm. But Malo is impatient with local customs and alienates many of his supporters. The village chief, store owner and priest now call in the army to arrest him. But Malo has taught his lessons well, and the peasants carry on the reforms he introduced without him. .
Director: Bassek ba Kobhio Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Cameroon, education, development, feature film
Sangoma: Traditional Healers in Modern Society (Videocassette : 54 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 2960
Abstract: A documentary on traditional healers in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The film addresses how they are being integrated into the new South Africa's health care system in the area of AIDS education and plant conservation. Produced by Peter Davis and Harvey McKinnon.
Director: Peter Davis Distributor:Villon Films
Keywords: South Africa, Zulu, HIV/AIDS, medicine, health, traditional healing
Senegal: the Power to Change (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 6299
Abstract: The protest against female genital mutilation in Senegal started with an educational program set up by the United Nations in cooperation with a local NGO. News of the declarations spread through the media, inspiring women in other villages to demand education and to take similar decisions. This is a success story which shows that education makes all the difference.
Director: Gerd Inger Polden Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Senegal, female genital cutting, women's rights, gender, development
Spares & Besties (Videocassette : 54 min. ) [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 6955
Abstract: A sexuality, HIV/AIDS video workshop for youth. Produced with the help of the students of Guguletu Comprehensive and Tafelsig Senior Secondary in Cape Town, young men and women discuss their experiences of sex with startling frankness. The programme is not a safer sex information tape. Rather, it seeks to place the basic facts about safer-sex in the context of the real world in which young people are expected to act on this information.
Director: NA Distributor:Idol Pictures
Keywords: South Africa, sexuality, health, HIV/AIDS, youth, education
TemeTTeme (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [1998]
VHS 9348
Abstract: Set in the beautiful drylands region of northern Ethiopia, TemeTTeme is a moving parable about progress and the values of family life. TemeTTeme tells the story of 12-year-old Belete who runs away from his father's desertified farm to pursue an education in the city of Addis Ababa. The story illustrates the African proverb, 'begezza rasu 'bab TemeTTeme', which means, 'by his own doing, he wrapped a snake around himself.' It reveals hope and resourcefulness in the midst of social and economic problems in rural and urban Ethiopia. The young actors in this film and many of the production team are street children in Addis Ababa. This film is dedicated to them and to the thousands of children whose talent and potential lies wasting and unseen on the streets of towns and cities throughout the world.
Director: Richard Duplock Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, youth, desertification, rural-urban migration, street children, poverty, family
These Girls Are Missing: The Gender Gap in Africa's Schools (DVD : 60 min. ) [1997]
DVD 8006
Abstract: Everybody knows this instinctively -- educate women and you will change society. Perhaps that's why in many African countries, fewer than 20% of girls ever enter a schoolroom, and across the continent, only one woman in three learns to read. It's not official policy. In fact, an international industry devoted to changing the status quo exists. Still the deck is stacked against African girls. How can a schoolgirl be such a threat to traditional concepts of appropriate gender roles and control of fertility? These Girls Are Missing offers small sets of stories, sharp glimpses into a few intimate relationships layered to mirror the complex reality: Nadouba and Bintu in their West African village, Taz and Patricia from elite St. Mary's Secondary School in Malawi, Ethel and her mother torn between village and the modern world, a relaxed and riotous conversation among a group of Malinke elders. Through knowing them, the audience grows to understand how deep cultural attitudes, more than economics, undermine the future of Africa's women. More provocative than prescriptive, this film aims to inspire reflection, argument and deeper understanding.
Director: Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Malawi, Malinke, women, education, gender
They Carry Their Families: A Village in Mauritania (DVD : 14 min. ) [1999]
DVD 8972
Abstract: Life in a rural village in Mauritania is hard on women. Tradition and Islamic religion are intertwined to reinforce strict gender roles. The husband is the protector and keeper; his word is law. While the men take their ease, the girls and women are off to the fields during the peanut planting and harvest season, walking five miles each way, and coming home with heavy burdens from the fields to prepare the family dinner. They carry the water, sweep the yard, wash the clothes, and care for the children. This short, beautifully filmed video captures succinctly the subservience of women, while at the same time remaining respectful of tradition and culture. There are no drugs, alcohol or loneliness in this kind of community, where family bonds are very strong. We hear from several young Peace Corps workers in the village who are hopeful that by educating and thereby widening the horizons of young women, eventually women will have more choices. From a Western perspective, the future of Africa depends on education and family planning.
Director: Ingo A. Zamperoni Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Mauritania, women, gender, religion, family, work, education
Uganda: A Different Drummer (Videocassette : 34 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7444
Abstract: Uganda has begun eradicating poverty with a unique approach. Gone is the old way of government telling the poor what's good for them. Instead--via community meetings around the country-- the poor are telling government what they want. The results so far: better healthcare, free elementary education, new roads and agricultural extension programs. The government is further helping with poverty reduction by working with the International Monetary Fund for debt relief. Electronic access at: http://www.imf.org/external/mmedia/view1.asp?eventId=54&file=1
Director: Frances Anne Hardin Distributor:International Monetary Fund
Keywords: Uganda, poverty, IMF, development, democracy
Uganda: Education Reforms (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [1999]
V.CASS. VHS 7787
Abstract: Describes the education reforms instituted in Uganda since Yoweri Museveni's rise to power. Sweeping reforms in primary school education and the use of tutors to find solutions to the problems of teachers and work with communities have contributed to the success of education in Uganda. Present political stability and a new government committed to making education a priority have challenged parents and educators to make the reforms successful.
Director: Cecilia Domeyko Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Uganda, education, Yoweri Museveni
Wandering Warrior (DVD : 56 min. ) [1996]
DVD 8247
Abstract: This is a unique story of a leap across cultural boundaries as a Maasai warrior from the pastoral valleys of southern Kenya adapts to life on the fast track in suburban Massachusetts. At age nineteen, Maasai warrior Mpeti Ole Surum met an American tourist on a safari in Kenya. This meeting changed his life forever. The American encouraged him to get an education and learn about the world beyond his valley. Changing his name to 'Tom,' he went to school and learned to read and write English. For several years he held different jobs at a resort, where he impressed guests by speaking about the Maasai culture. Possessed of the courage and strength needed to kill lions, he also had the talent of a natural showman. Sent abroad to encourage tourism, Tom quickly became a sought after lecturer, entertainer and talk show guest. Today he has several agents booking his performances at schools and universities across the United States. Even the most complacent high school students sit up and take notice when Tom bellows tribal incantations across the stage while dressed in full hunting regalia. A self-styled cultural ambassador, Tom also shares what he has learned of America with young Maasai. While he partakes of the bounty of American life, including Armani suits, a luxury car, and credit cards, he is still strongly attached to his tribe and its traditions.
Director: Cliff Moskow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, emigration, tourism
We Jive Like This (Videocassette : 54 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 6302
Abstract: Records the dance, poetry, theatre and music of South Africa's streets and backyards which provide a kind of street education, an outlet for self-expression, and a celebration of everyday life.
Director: Deborah May Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, music, popular culture
World through Children's Eyes (The) (Videocassette : 67 min. ) [1996]
V.CASS. VHS 8275
Abstract: These six short programs provide an intimate and unique insight into the reality and dreams of children from all over the world with a candor that can only be achieved by self-documentation. While the rights of the child have been the subject of many documentaries, this is the first time children have been given the opportunity to create one themselves. Each story reflects one of the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but from the uncensored and sometimes unsparing viewpoint of children themselves. Contents: Philipines: sexual exploitation (15 min.); Peru: child workers (12 min.); Brazil: street kids (11 min.); USA: inner city kids and police brutality (7 min.); India: girls and education (12 min.); South Africa: political violence (11 min.). Accompanied by discussion guide.
Director: Ilan Ziv Distributor:Maryknoll World Productions
Keywords: Philipines, Peru, Brazil, United States, India, South Africa, children, human rights, U.N.
September 16, 2008: Geoffrey Nyarota
