5. Crafts and Crafts People (DVD 8384)
Adesuwa, aged 10, and Akugbe, aged 11, are going to have new party dresses made. They choose a tie-dyed fabric, and we learn how it is made. We also learn how the famous bronzes were cast. Today's chief bronze caster narrates the dance drama that explains how the bronze casters became the most important craft guild in Benin.
Director: Ben Onwukwe, Deborah Isaacs Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Nigeria, Benin, agriculture, urban life, family, history, economy, crafts

Between Joyce and Remembrance (DVD : 68 min. )  [2004]
DVD 7638
Abstract: This video tells the story of one family, the Mtimkulu family, stretching back over two decades. Through the unfolding of personal narratives, this film raises far reaching questions about the nature of truth, forgiveness and reconciliation. It illustrates the ripple effect of an injustice, the disappearance and murder of Siphiwo Mtimkulu, twenty years ago to show how fragile the 'miracle' of South Africa's transition really is.
Director: Mark Kaplan Distributor:NA
Keywords: South Africa, reconciliation, politics, history

Between War and Peace (DVD : 23 min. )  [2005]
DVD 8909
Abstract: Liberia, Africa's oldest republic, was relatively calm until 1980 when William Tolbert was overthrown by Sergeant Samuel Doe after food price riots. By the late 1980s, arbitrary rule and economic collapse culminated in civil war when dissidents of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front overran much of the countryside and executed Doe. Over half of the population fled their homes in terror during its long and bloody civil war. After 14 years of anarchy, the international community has arrived in force in an attempt to stabilize the country. Many see this as Liberia's last chance. With more than 59,000 fighters (some of them children) demobilized in the last three months and another 15,000 waiting to follow, this Life program reports on Liberia's attempts to find a way of engaging the former fighters in rebuilding their country - to sustain the peace.
Director: Emily Marlow Distributor:Bull Frog films
Keywords: Liberia, conflict management, civil war, government, history, politics, development. children

Birth of a Democracy (Videocassette : 25 min. )  [1991]
VHS 9317
Abstract: On May 26, 1990, Cameroon declared itself a multi-party democracy after 30 years of totalitarian rule. This survey looks at the country's political climate and gathers the thoughts of Cameroonians from all backgrounds. Through their juxtaposed analyses, a revealing collage of the birth of a uniquely African democracy is presented.
Director: Bassek Ba Khobio Distributor:First Run / Icarus Films
Keywords: Cameroon, independence, history, politics, government

Black Athena: a Film on the Controversy (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 1659
Abstract: Examines Martin Bernal's iconoclastic study of African origins of Greek civilization and its explosive impact on academic discourses and disputes aroundmulti-culturalism, 'political correctness' and Afrocentric curricula sweeping college campuses today. Producer: Bandung File.
Director: NA Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Afrocentrism, history

Black Man's Land Trilogy (Videocassette : 156 min. )  [1986]

Abstract: Three films on colonialism, nationalism and revolution in Kenya: White Man's Country; Mau Mau; and Kenyatta. See individual titles for description.
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, history, settler colonialism, Mau Mau, Jomo Kenyatta, nationalism, politics

Black Man's Land Trilogy (DVD : 156 min. )  [1986]

Abstract: Three-part series of films consisting of White Man's Country (part 1), Mau Mau (part 2) and Kenyatta (part 3); all of the films combine period photographs and contemporary location footage with the testimony of African and European witnesses. The trilogy covers the violence of colonial rule, white settlement and African resistance in the story of Kenya, as the British tried to make it a 'white man's country' like South Africa or New Zealand. Land was allocated, settlers welcomed, and the 'jewel of the British empire' was born. But it was African land that was taken, African labor that was used to develop it, and African taxes that kept the colonial regime solvent. How did Africans confront this process? White Man's Country tells this story. Mau Mau traces the history of the state of emergency declared by the British Colonial government of Kenya in 1952 in an attempt to subdue the movement among black Kenyans for political and civil rights. Kenyatta offers a biographical account of Jomo Kenyatta, the man who became Kenya's national leader and who eventually led the movement to establish an independent government.
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:Facets Multimedia
Keywords: Kenya, history, settler colonialism, land, history, politics

Black and White in South Africa (DVD : 30 min. )  [1957]
DVD7540
Abstract: South Africa, one of the largest members of the Commonwealth, a country with full self-government, has an acute race problem that causes dissension not only within its borders but within the Commonwealth and beyond. We see a country of fourteen million people where only one out of five is white. Edgar McInnis gives a dispassionate appraisal of the motivations behind the policy of apartheid and of whether the practice of segregation provides a satisfactory solution.
Director: John Howe Distributor:National Film Board of Canada
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, race, government, history

Blood Diamond (DVD : 143 min. )  [2007]
DVD 7358
Abstract: Danny Archer is an ex-mercenary turned smuggler. Solomon Vandy is a local Mende fisherman. Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join together for two dangerous missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son. The son was conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside.
Director: Edward Zwick Distributor:Warner Home Video
Keywords: Sierra Leone, smugglers, history, civil war, drama, feature film

Breaker Morant (Videocassette : 103 min. )  [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 284 and VDISC 691
Abstract: After the death of a British captain in the Boer War in South Africa in 1901, Australian Lt. Morant leads his unit in pursuit of the Boers. The execution of a captured Boer and other executions leads to Morant's trial and execution.
Director: NA Distributor:RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
Keywords: South Africa, Australia, Boers, history, feature film

Building a Nation (Videocassette : 58 min. )  [1985]
V. CASS. VHS 657
Abstract: Mahfoud Bennoune analyzes the problems faced by Arabs as they constructed new solutions open to them. Film traces the history of Algeria since it gained its independence in 1962.
Director: Colin Luke Distributor:Landmark Films
Keywords: Algeria, history

Burden on the Land (DVD : 52 min. )  [1991]
DVD 9044
Abstract: Filmed in the face of enormous political and geographical obstacles, Burden on the Land is a comprehensive look at Africa's future as it faces the 21st century. It addresses the root causes of famine and suggests reasons why development efforts in Africa have been so disappointing. Examining the sub-Saharan countries - Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, Ivory Coast, Mali, Ethiopia and Uganda - the documentary clarifies the conflicts and interrelated issues of politics, health, environment, and culture. When the colonial powers left Africa, the political vacuum was filled by authoritarian regimes whose armies continue to keep them in power. Frequent tribal wars keep countless people refugees, fleeing from one nation to another. Despite the efforts of international relief agencies, the vast number of refugees have depleted the host countries of resources. The film shows that despite the overwhelming problems there are small successes that improve the quality of life - dams, food processing, reforestation, road building, irrigation, and animal husbandry. But basically, it proposes that Africa's future depends on developing an infrastructure while maintaining the integrity of village life.
Director: Roger Pyke Productions Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: famine, development, colonization, environment, health, politics, history

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

Chronicle of a Genocide Foretold (Videocassette : 141 min. )  [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3789
Abstract: Explores the 1994 massacre of 800,000 Tutsis in Rwanda. Written and directed by Danièle Lacourse, Yvan Patry. Produced by Alter-Cinè
Director: Danièle Lacourse, Yvan Patry Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Rwanda, genocide, ethnicity, history, politics

City Victorious (The) (Videocassette : 55 min. )  [1983]
V. CASS. VHS 660
Abstract: History of and present day life in Cairo as seen in the experience of a young man who migrates to the city from his farming village.
Director: Geoff Dunlop Distributor:Landmark Films, Inc.
Keywords: Egypt, Cairo, urban migration

Conakry Kas (Videocassette : 82 min. )  [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8968
Abstract: In January 2003, director Manthia Diawara visited Guinea-Conakry to see what was left of the artists (Ballets Africains, Bembeya Jazz National) and intellectuals (D.T. Niane, Telivel Diallo) of the Guinean cultural revolution, and how citizens of Conakry were coping with globalization. The film casts a nostalgic look at Pan-Africanism in the 1960s, and asks what is the utopia of the Guinean youth today.
Director: Manthia Diawara Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Guinea (Conakry), nationalism, history, artists, post-colonialism, Pan-Africanism, youth

Congo, Heart of Darkness (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 108 min. )  [2002]
DVD 1382
Abstract: The war in Congo is a tragedy of historic proportions, a war that has claimed more lives than all other current wars around the world. But outside of Africa, no one seems to have noticed. This 5-part series documents the scope of human suffering that the war is causing. Originally shown on Nightline; with Ted Koppel.
Director: George Murphy Distributor:ABC News Productions
Keywords: Congo, history, war, politics, refugees

Countdown to Freedom: 10 Days that Changed South Africa (Videocassette : 97 min. )  [1994]
V.CASS. VHS 8541
Abstract: Examines a critical moment of South African history in the days leading up to the country's first multi-racial democratic election, from April 23 to May 2, 1994, and the election of Nelson Mandela as President, with background on key people and historical events.
Director: Danny Schechter Distributor:Globalvision
Keywords: South Africa, politics, elections, Nelson Mandela, history

Curse of Congo (The): A Story of Wealth, Exploitation, and Ruin (DVD : 57 min. )  [2002]
DVD 8650
Abstract: Reports on the bleak prospects of the noncombatant Congolese population, caught in the crossfire of opposing armies, decimated by disease and malnutrition, and exploited by the greed of others for their nation's valuable natural resources.
Director: hosted by Ted Koppel Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Congo, history, war, health, economics, politics

Daresalam (Videocassette : 100 min. )  [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 7168
Abstract: This feature film focuses on two young men caught up in the civil war in Chad. It begins in the 1970s with the story of Koni and Djimi as the central government invades their village and insists on buying the farmer's millet at below market price and then browbeats the villagers into paying taxes to help fight the war. When they resist the government burns the village and massacres the inhabitants. Djimi, wounded, remains behind with the hard-liners, while Koni joins a faction which supports compromise with the government.
Director: Issa Serge Coelo Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Chad, civil war, history, politics, feature film

Daresalam (DVD : 105 min. )  [2000]
DVD7329
Abstract: Daresalam is the first African feature film to focus on the civil wars convulsing the continent from Sierra Leone to Somalia. It provides compelling insights into how ordinary people around the world get swept up in extraordinary events. Its timeless story of two childhood friends turned into political foes personalizes the terrible costs of internecine strife.
Director: Issa Serge Coelo Distributor:Kino International & California Newsreel
Keywords: Chad, civil war, friendship, history, politics, feature film

Dark Passages (DVD : 60 min. )  [1995]
DVD 5932
Abstract: Employs a mixture of interviews, slave narratives, and dramatization. Tells the story of the impact of the Atlantic slave trade. Takes the viewer from the House of Slaves on Gorée Island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal, to the village of Juffere on the Gambia River.
Director: Wally Ashby Distributor:PBS Videos
Keywords: Gambia, Senegal, United States, West Africa, history, slave trade

Day of the Zulu (Videocassette : 60 min. )  [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 7084
Abstract: Historian Ian Knight and forensic archaeologist Tony Pollard investigate a battle scene of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War for evidence of the effect of a solar eclipse and the use of performance-enhancing drugs on the outcome of the battle.
Director: Mark Lewis Distributor:PBS Home Video
Keywords: South Africa, Zulu, archaeology, history, war

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

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

Diamond Life (The) (Videocassette : 7 min. )  [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8973
Abstract: The Revolutionary United Front's (RUF) attack on Freetown in January of 1999 was the culmination of a decade-long and bloody struggle between the RUF and the government of Sierra Leone. The rebel forces, bolstered by the former Sierra Leonean Army, which had turned on the government, swept into the city, killing, mutilating, and raping thousands in the continuing war over the control of the country's rich diamond fields. RUF units burned houses with civilians inside, shot and raped people at random, killing an estimated 6,000 people in the span of three weeks. Since 1990, half the country's population of five million has been displaced. Today, Sierra Leone produces more refugees than any other country in Africa. The country is full of war victims, whose amputated limbs serve as living testimony to the brutality of the rebels. The Diamond Life provides a disturbing glimpse into the greed and violence that fuels the Sierra Leone region's brutal diamond war.
Director: Stephen Marshall, Josh Shore Distributor:Witness
Keywords: Sierra Leone, civil war, violence, politics, history, refugees

Diary of a Maasai Village (Videocassette : 300 min. )  [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 3960 pt. 1-5
Abstract: A study of life in a Maasai village as a representation of the Maasai people in Kenya. An attempt to describe a moment in the history of the Laibon's family. (5 videocassettes: 300 min.)
Director: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, social life, family, ritual experts

Diaspora Conversations (DVD : 47min min. )  [2000]
DVD 9900
Abstract: Actor Danny Glover and director Manthia Diawara travel through West Africa from Gorée to Dogon, creating conversations that link different sides and accounts of the African Diaspora.
Director: Manthia Diawara Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, Mali, diaspora, history

Dolly and the Inkspots (Videocassette : 28 min. )  [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 4833
Abstract: One of the most dynamic singing combinations to emerge in South Africa in the early fifties was Dolly Rathebe and the African Inkspots. They were the toast of Sof'town, getting star billing in musical shows around the country and appearing in feature films such as Jim Comes to Jo'burg, The Magic Garden and Song of Africa. This documentary pays tribute to the talents of these jazz greats who have made such a valuable contribution to the musical heritage of South Africa. Their voices are as enduring and resonant today as they were fifty years ago, which makes them truly living legends.
Director: NA Distributor:Villon Films
Keywords: South Africa, music, history, popular culture, urban life, Dolly Rathebe

Domestic Differences (Videocassette : 47 min. )  [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 6440
Abstract: Depicts South African society during the ten days leading up to the 1994 election through a comparison of the lives and views of a prosperous white family in a a residential suburb of Cape Town and their maid and her family in Transkei.
Director: Nanette Burstein Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: South Africa, elections, politics, history, race, social conditions

Dream Becomes a Reality (The) (Videocassette : 48 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 4568
Abstract: Interviews with women who were treated as equals during the struggle for Eritrean independence about their current employment and social conditions. Most have continued to work in their professions or vocations although the traditional cultural forces make full sexual equality impossible.
Director: NA Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Eritrea, women, gender, social life, history, guerrillas, politics

Drilling Fields (The) (Videocassette : 24 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 5034
Abstract: Looks at the land rights dispute in the Niger Delta area between the Nigerian government, the indigenous Ogoni people and the Shell Oil Company (Part of the Cutting Edge series).
Director: Glenn Ellis Distributor:Catma Films
Keywords: Nigeria, Ogoni, human rights, pollution, environment, politics and government, history

Egypt: the Habit of Civilization (Videocassette : 57 min. )  [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 2383
Abstract: Looks at the history of Egypt, the longest lasting of the ancient civilizations, which created the state institutions on which nations are still built: bureaucratic government, organized religion and international trade. Also discusses how ancient traditions come together in the Moslem culture that is the Middle East today. Producer & director: Peter Spry-Leverton.
Director: Peter Spry-Leverton Distributor:Ambrose Video
Keywords: Egypt, overview

Egypt: Quest for Eternity (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 60 min. )  [1987]
V. DISC 543
Abstract: Experience the history of Egypt through exploring along the River Nile, visiting the great temples of Luxor and Karnak and entering the elaborately decorated tombs where the kings and queens are buried. Join Egyptologists as they explain and interpret the riddles of Egypt's past.
Director: Norris Brock Distributor:Vestron Video
Keywords: Egypt, overview, history

Emerging Africa in the Light of its Past (160 Slides 160 )  [1964]
MEDIA 44
Abstract: Four half-hour slide/sound presentations on the arts and history of Africa. Text by Peter Hammond; illustrations selected and notes by Roy Sieber; music selected and notes by Alan Meriam. (160 Slides)
Director: NA Distributor:NA
Keywords: overview, history, art

Emitaï (Videocassette : 96 min. )  [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6976
Abstract: Depicts the clash between French colonialists and the Dyulas, an African people, in the closing days of World War II. Depicts the history and myths of this Senegalese people.
Director: Ousmane Sembêne Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, Dyula, colonialism, World War II, history, politics, feature film

Emperor's Birthday (The) (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 7193
Abstract: Rastas come from various parts of the world to celebrate the centenary birthday of Haile Selassie, the late Emperor of Ethiopia. Through the testimonies of Rastas and Ethiopians, archival film and music, this film explores the origins of Rasta belief and what it means in Ethiopia today.
Director: John Dollar Distributor:NA
Keywords: Ethiopia, Jamaicans, Rastafari, religion, history

Extra Bitter: The Legacy of the Chocolate Islands (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 9188
Abstract: The invention of a recipe for the chocolate bar in 1879 would have far-reaching consequences for two tiny islands off the west coast of Africa, Sao Tome and Principe. In this documentary filmed on the two formerly Portuguese colonies known as the Chocolate Islands and in Portugal, fascinating archival film and interviews with historians, writers and the inhabitants create a rich portrait of a little-known country and its history. 'Money grew on trees' from two crops on the Islands: cocoa and coffee, but the ugly side of the plantation system was slavery. Historian Carlos Neves describes the terrible conditions common on these plantations. In England, William Cadbury set up factories producing chocolate bars and, being a Quaker, ran them in a progressive style. His cocoa was supplied by the Portuguese. Hearing that slaves were being used to produce the cocoa he needed, he traveled to the Chocolate Island to investigate. There he found a system he called slavery in disguise. He insisted that any Africans could return to their homeland if they wished, or he would cancel the cocoa contracts with the Portuguese. Although the Islands still produce some cocoa, grinding poverty prevails. The Chocolate Islands stand as a sad example of post-colonial decay.
Director: Derek Vertongen Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY [www.filmakers.com]
Keywords: West Africa, Sao Tome and Principe, chocolate, economics, global trade, history, slavery

Fang: An Epic Journey (Videocassette : 8 min. )  [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8718
Abstract: Fang mixes documentary and fiction techniques to recount an African art object's journey through a century of peril and adventure, and uses the film styles of each historical period to tell its story. Beginning in Cameroon in 1904, the film then traces what happens to the sculpture in Paris in 1907 and 1917, Berlin in 1933, and New York in 1948. The sculpture finally ends up in a museum in 1970. Attempts to convey a century of Western attitudes towards African culture in the course of eight minutes.
Director: Susan Vogel Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Cameroon, Fang, art, history

Forgiveness (DVD : 105 min. )  [2004]
DVD 7903
Abstract: Tertius Coetzee was a police officer during the Apartheid era and was responsible for the torture and death of Daniel Grootboom, a young freedom fighter. After being granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he travels to the West Coast fishing village of Pater Noster to visit Daniel's family and ask for their forgiveness.
Director: Ian Gabriel Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, apartheid, police, history, feature film

Forsaken Cries: the Story of Rwanda (Videocassette : 35 min. )  [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 3838
Abstract: In 1994, close to one million people were killed in Rwanda. This documentary examines Rwanda as a case study of the human rights challenge of the 21st century. Incorporates historical footage, interviews, analyses. Produced by: Amnesty International, USA.
Director: NA Distributor:Amnesty International
Keywords: Rwanda, genocide, history, politics, ethnicity

Free Your Mind: Return to the Source (Videocassette : 65 min. )  [1986]
V.CASS. VHS 806
Abstract: Afrocentric approach to achievements of ancient civilizations. Written by Asa G. Hilliard.
Director: NA Distributor:Wa'set Educational Productions
Keywords: African origins, Afrocentrism, history

Freedom Now, 1947 (Videocassette : 56 min. )  [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 4210
Abstract: In 1947, 160 years of British rule came to an end as India became the world's largest democracy, inspiring the fight for freedom on another continent. This film talks with the people who witnessed and participated in the struggle for independence in India and Africa. While Mohandas Gandhi showed the world how the masses could successfully defy their imperial masters, his example spurred others on: European empires in Africa and Asia began to crumble, and in short order, Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Mozambique, and dozens more would win their freedom.
Director: Jennifer Clayton Distributor:WGBH Boston Video
Keywords: Ghana, Kenya, Algeria, Mozambique, history, Gandhi, politics, colonialism

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

From the Ashes (Videocassette : 26 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 7479 Pt. 1 (PAL format)
Abstract: Shows how people in a small Mozambican village are working towards reconciliation following the civil war. Part one of the series Landscape of Memory. See also I Have Seen=Nda Mona,'The Unfolding Sky, and Soul in Torment.
Director: Karen Boswall Distributor:Film Resource Unit [www.fru.co.za]
Keywords: Mozambique, civil war, reconciliation, history, politics

Furiosus. A Question of Madness (The) (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS VHS 6015
Abstract: In Capetown, South Africa, in September 1966, Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid, was stabbed to death in Parliament. The course of South African history was changed by the assassin, Dimitri Tsafendas, who was written off as mad and condemned to twenty eight years of imprisonment.
Director: Liza Key Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, racism, assassination, apartheid, history, law

Gacaca: Living Together Again in Rwanda? (Videocassette : 55 min. )  [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8154
Abstract: In 1994, decades of politically motivated ethnic scapegoating culminated in a wholesale slaughter of the Rwanda's Tutsi minority, along with many Hutu moderates. Today, Rwanda is rebuilding, but its most difficult task is addressing the emotional trauma and fostering reconciliation between the Hutu and Tutsi. This film follows the first steps in one of the world's boldest experiments in reconciliation: the Gacaca Tribunals. These are a form of citizen-based justice based on ancient traditions of judgment, aimed at unifying this scarred nation.
Director: Anne Aghion Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films.
Keywords: Rwanda, Hutu, Tutsi, civil war, genocide, truth commissions, law, history

Geldoff in Africa (DVD : 240 min. )  [2005]
DVD 5559
Abstract: If Bob Geldof had never seen news footage of the horrific famine in Ethiopia back in the mid-'80s, he might have carried on in relative obscurity, making so-so records with his band the Boomtown Rats. But see it he did, which led to Band Aid (and 'Do They Know It's Christmas' ), Live Aid, Live 8, knighthood, and now Geldof in Africa, a profound, provocative, beautifully made six-part series that aired in 2005 on Britain's BBC. Sir Bob, who narrates both on- and off-screen, visited many parts of what he calls the Luminous Continent (as opposed to the Dark Continent moniker that was ironically bestowed on Africa by Europeans whose own countries were often gray and grim), including Somaliland, a sort of non-country whose very existence isn't acknowledged by any other nation; Ghana, from which slaves were once shipped to America and elsewhere; the Congo, the true heart of darkness, which still bears the ugly scars of Belgian colonization; the Sahara desert, where 'you discover the absolute insignificance of you'; Uganda, where a brutal 'rebel leader' abducts children and turns them into sex slaves and soldiers; and Ethiopia, where it all started for Geldof (and where conditions are actually improving). But Geldof and producer-director John Maguire's film is not a travelogue. Nor is it a scientific documentary, although we learn something about geography, anthropology, meteorology, geology, agriculture, history, religion, and, inevitably, politics. What distinguishes Geldof in Africa is the presence of Geldof himself. An excellent writer and articulate speaker, he brings a decidedly subjective point of view to the work. 'I can't do slick television,' he admits; neither cynical nor naïve, he says exactly what he thinks, and expresses his wonder, fascination, rage, grief, sympathy, blame, and hope with a quiet passion that compels the viewer to feel those things as well. The camera work is flawless throughout, with shot after shot of breathtaking beauty, and Pete Briquette's music provides graceful accompaniment. Extras include audio commentary by Geldof and Maguire, deleted scenes, photos, and a Geldof interview. --Sam Graham
Director: John Maguire Distributor:BBC/Warner Vision International
Keywords: Africa, Congo, Ghana, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, charity, development, NGO, travel

Genèse (La) (Videocassette : 102 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 6142
Abstract: Genesis is given a new spin which recasts a famous story by relocating it in the nation of Mali and using a cast of African actors. Covering Chapters 23-37, it recounts the story of Esau whose birthright is stolen by his brother Jacob in exchange for a plate of beans. This allegorical tale combines an accurate interpretation of the Biblical story with relevant allusions to African history and culture.
Director: Cheick Oumar Sissoko Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Mali, myth, religion, history, feature film

Gerrie and Louise (Videocassette : 75 min. )  [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 4558
Abstract: This documentary film focuses on newlyweds Gerrie and Louise. Gerrie Hugo is a former member of the South African military and was involved in operations in support of apartheid, including operations where civilians in opposition to apartheid were tortured. Louise Flanagan is a former journalist who covered the protests leading to the fall of apartheid and then became the principal investigator for South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Using interviews and documentary footage, the film looks at some of the operations Gerrie played a part in, and at some of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission exposing the actions of former government officials involved in maintaining apartheid.
Director: Sturla Gunnarsson. Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, politics, history, TRC

Ghosts of Rwanda (Videocassette : 120 min. )  [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8330
Abstract: Chronicles the Rwandan genocide of 1993, one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. The video also includes interviews with key government officials, diplomats, and eyewitnesses accounts.
Director: Greg Barker Distributor:PBS Video
Keywords: Rwanda, Hutu, Tutsi, genocide, history

Gorée: Door of No Return (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 4423
Abstract: This documentary covers the arrival of the first Europeans in Africa, the origins of slavery in the Americas, the development of Gorée Island as the center of the expanding slave trade, and the wealthy merchant women who controlled the slave trade on the island. The program also visits the colonial buildings, the homes of the slave traders, the trading warehouse called the House of Slaves, and the infamous Door of No Return, the door through which most of America's enslaved people passed on their way to the New World.
Director: Ann E. Johnson and Robin Klein Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Senegal, slavery, diaspora, history

Grand Blanc de Lambarene (Le) (Videocassette : 93 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 4850
Abstract: Cameroonian filmmaker Bassek ba Kobhio provides a fascinating revisionist perspective on Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize winner and secular saint of the colonial era. Shot on the site of Schweitzer's hospital in Gabon, the film reveals a man blinded to the people around him by his own spiritual self-absorption and arrogance.
Director: Bassek ba Kobhio Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Gabon, Schweitzer, history, medicine, colonialism

Guimba the Tyrant (Videocassette : 93 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 2991
Abstract: This epic in the legendary past of Mali (West Africa) provides an allegory of present-day African politics. This is the story of the downfall of Guimba the tyrant. Producer/ Director: Cheick Oumar Sissoko.
Director: Cheick Oumar Sissoko Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Mali, Bambara, language, history, fiction, feature film

Général Idi Amin Dada: Autoportrait = General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait (DVD : 90 min. )  [2002]
DVD 2016
Abstract: In 1974 a film crew followed Idi Amin Dada, dictator of Uganda, interviewing him and filming him as he worked. Provides a candid portrait of a notorious figure.
Director: Barbet Schroeder Distributor:Criterion Collection
Keywords: Uganda, Idi Amin Dada, biography, history

Have You Heard From Johannesburg?: Apartheid and the Club of the West (DVD : 90 min. )  [2006]
DVD 9477
Abstract: Six documentary stories chronicling the history of the global anti-apartheid movement that took on both the South African government and its international supporters, who considered South Africa an ally in the Cold War.
Director: Connie Field Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, history, politics

Heart of Soweto (The) (Videocassette : 120 min. )  [1991]
ON-ORDER
Abstract: Four-part series examines social life, politics and history in late-apartheid era Soweto. Examines motherhood, political imprisonment, soccer and the legacy of the Freedom Charter.
Director: NA Distributor:Video News Services Double Exposure
Keywords: South Africa, Soweto, social life, motherhood, politics, history, sport, political movements, apartheid

Heart of Soweto (The), Part 1: Everything I Never Had (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [1991]
ON-ORDER
Abstract: Rebecca Molete and Eugenia Twala are two of over one thousand mothers who gave birth in Soweto in October 1990. Eugenia wants her baby to have everything she never had, and visits an expensive private clinic. Rebecca is cared for by a local state clinic. The film documents the weeks leading up to her giving birth and provides a portrait of the two women's lifestyle, attitudes and hopes.
Director: NA Distributor:Video News Services Double Exposure
Keywords: South Africa, Soweto, social life, motherhood, politics, history, health, political movements

Heart of Soweto (The), Part 2: When You Come Back Home (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [1991]
ON-ORDER
Abstract: Florence Williams and Nombulelo are mothers waiting for the return of their children, one from political imprisonment, the other from exile. Mrs. Williams has been waiting for months, highly expectant since De Klerk's announcement that all political prisoners will be released. Her daughter, Pumla, is in Pretoria Central Prison.
Director: NA Distributor:Video News Services Double Exposure
Keywords: South Africa, Soweto, social life, motherhood, politics, history, political movements

Heart of Soweto (The), Part 3: Klip (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [1991]
ON-ORDER
Abstract: Soweto is famous as the place where the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955. In 1991, a large informal settlement lives in an area near the Freedom Charter site where the progressive vision of the Freedom Charter stands in contrast to the living conditions of the people. However, in spite of its poverty, this community has maintained a vibrant culture and strong political will of throughout the years. This documentary is creatively produced wth cheerful puppetry scenes.
Director: NA Distributor:Video News Services Double Exposure
Keywords: South Africa, Soweto, social life, motherhood, politics, history, sport, political movements

Heart of Soweto (The), Part 4: Once a Pirate (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [1991]
ON-ORDER
Abstract: Soccer is the favorite sport among South Africans. In the dark show of apartheid, soccer has become much more than just a football game. It is a way of life. The vibrancy, dynamic images, creative songs and electrifying atmosphere characterize every game. The Orlando Pirates is one of South Africa's oldest, biggest and most celebrated clubs, and, as its fans have come to believe, once a pirate, always a pirate.
Director: NA Distributor:Video News Services Double Exposure
Keywords: South Africa, Soweto, social life, politics, history, sport, political movements

Hokonui Todd: A Living Legend in Zimbabwe (DVD : 50 min. )  [1992]
DVD 9912
Abstract: When Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980 after a bloody civil war, very few whites survived the fray with any honor. One man had the vision and moral strength to support the black's claim to self determination. Garfield Todd, a New Zealander, has lived and worked there with his wife for more than fifty years. Starting as a missionary farmer, Todd came to respect the local people he lived among. He became active in government, eventually becoming the last Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia before Ian Smith. An outspoken and unpopular opponent of Ian Smith's racist government, Todd weathered fifteen years of bloody civil war, including prolonged house arrest. The Todds refused to leave Hokonui Ranch, although their lives were in constant jeopardy. Old photographs and film footage gives a vivid picture of the era.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zimbabwe, Southern Rhodesia, race, history, civil war, resistance

Iindawo Zikathixo = In God's Places (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1997]
V. CASS.VHS 3962
Abstract: Filmed in the remote hills and valleys of the southern Drakensberg, this documentary is a unique and timely record of a rapidly vanishing South African culture. Features Bushman rock art as a background against which the story of the Bushmen unfolds. Explores aspects of Bushmen culture through music, dance, oral history and traditional rituals. Narration in English along with the many variations of the San language used by the Bushmen.
Director: Richard Wicksteed Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: South Africa, Bushmen, art, petroglyphs, rock paintings, performance

Images in Struggle: South African Photographers Speak (Videocassette : 28 min. )  [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 6442
Abstract: South African photographers speak about their work and aspirations. All are concerned to document the developing liberation struggle, as well as the lives and hopes of the South African people. Discusses the challenges to the development of the medium and the nature of their work in the 1990s. Interviews with Omar Badsha, Lesley Lawson, Rashid Lombard, Santu Mofokeng, Cedric Nunn, Zubeida Vallie, Paul Weinberg.
Director: Barry Feinberg Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: South Africa, photography, apartheid, politics, history

Imperfect Journey (Videocassette : 88 min. )  [1994]
VHS 9335
Abstract: Imperfect Journey introduces the people that filmmaker Haile Gerima and Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski encounter as they survey the country. Their tales' emerging narrative voices Ethiopia's collective conscience. Many of the stories are harrowing but always thought provoking: mothers whose sons have been murdered by the junta; hooded men who tell of the continuing oppression even of the current regime. Successive governments have always massacred students and officials of prior administrations. A professor points out that the university in Addis Ababa has always been portrayed as a hotbed of opposition by each regime: a communist breeding ground in Haile Selassie's political scheme; reactionaries in the junta's; ethnic chauvinists for the present administration - which claims to embrace national unity.
Director: Haile Gerima Distributor:First Run/Icarus films
Keywords: Ethiopia, government, history, university, political persecution

In Search of Africa (DVD : 18 min. )  [1996]
DVD 9685
Abstract: In 1996, the filmmaker and writer Manthia Diawara, now living in New York, returned to Guinea, thirty-two years after he and his family were expelled from the newly liberated country. Despite the years that have gone by, Diawara expects to be welcomed as an insider, and is shocked to discover that he is not.
Director: Manthia Diawara Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Guinea, immigration, history, diaspora

In Search of Bin Laden (Videocassette : 60 min. )  [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6528
Abstract: Investigates Osama bin Laden, his followers, and the bombings of two United States embassies in Africa in 1998. This special edition of the television show Frontline has been updated to cover the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, of which bin Laden is also accused.
Director: Martin Smith Distributor:PBS Video
Keywords: Kenya, Tanzania, terrorists, bombings, politics, history

In the Name of Allah (Motion Picture : 73 min. )  [1971]
MP-16MM 198
Abstract: Examines the culture, history, and scriptures of the Islam religion by viewing all aspects of life in the Muslim community of Fez, Morocco. Shows the events of circumcision, bargaining for a wife, confirmation, and marriage and describes the ceremonies and rituals that surround each event. (motion picture: 3 reels, 76 min.)
Director: NA Distributor:Indiana University, Bloomington. Audio-Visual Center
Keywords: Morocco, Fez, Islam, marriage, ritual

Inside (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 94 min. )  [2000]
DVD 845
Abstract: An idealistic university professor is arrested for conspiring to overthrow the racist government in South Africa and is ruthlessly interrogated by a police colonel during his imprisonment. Ten years later, another political prisoner who witnessed the event has become an investigator of crimes of physical and mental abuse by the previous regime. When he confronts the colonel will justice finally be done?
Director: Arthur Penn Distributor:Artisan Home Entertainment
Keywords: South Africa, police, political prisoners, torture, apartheid, history, feature film

Isitwanlandwe (Videocassette : 51 min. )  [1980]
V. CASS. VHS 6443
Abstract: Historical documentary tells the story of the adoption of the South African Freedom Charter (6/26/55). Includes documentary footage and photos of the Congress and a depiction of the government's response. Contemporary interviews with leaders of the African National Congress and other organizations speak to the relevance and importance of the Freedom Charter today.
Director: Barry Feinberg Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: South Africa, nationalism, civil rights, history, politics, race

Jean Rouch and His Camera in the Heart of Africa (Videocassette : 74 min. )  [1986]
V. CASS.VHS 3963
Abstract: This program provides an in-depth look at the film work of Jean Rouch and his associates from Niger who participated in production of many of Rouch's Niger-based films. Written by Philo Bregstein and Jan Venema. Produced by Philo Bregstein.
Director: NA Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Niger, Jean Rouch, documentary films, anthropology, history

Jean Rouch: Les Films de la Pléiade (DVD : 660 min. )  [2005]
DVD 4870
Abstract: Presents ten films by ethnologist Jean Rouch, along with interviews of the filmmaker, famous for his Niger-based films. Disc 1. Ciné-Transe: Les maîtres fous (1956, 28 min.) -- Mammy Water (1956, 18 min.) -- Les Tambours d'avant/Tourou et Bitti (1972, 9 min.) ; Ciné-conte: La chasse au lion à l'arc (1967, 77 min.) -- Un lion nommé l'americain (1972, 20 min.) --- Disc 2. Ciné-Plaisir: Jaguar (1967, 88 min.) -- Moi, un noir (1959, 70 min.) --- Disc 3. Ciné-Rencontre: Petit à petit (1971, 92 min.) -- La pyramide humaine (1961, 88 min.) -- Disc 4. Ciné-Rouch: Jean Rouch raconte à Pierre-Andre Boutang (104 min.) -- A propos de Jean Rouch, conversation Bernard Surugue et Patrick Leboutte -- Le double d'hier a rencontré demain / un film de Luc Riolon et Bernard Surugue (2004, 10 min.) -- Les veuves de 15 ans / un film de Jean Rouch (1965, 24 min.)
Director: Patrick Leboutte and Marc Antoine Roudil Distributor:Editions Montparnasse
Keywords: Niger, anthropology, Jean Rouch, ethnography, history, migration, religion, feature films

Jean Rouch: Screening Room with Robert Gardner (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 64 min. )  [2004]
DVD 8791
Abstract: Interview of Jean Rouch by Robert Gardner. As a filmmaker, Rouch left a legacy of more than 120 films. His half century of ethnographic filmmaking in Africa distinguished him as a master of the documentary form. Jean Rouch appeared on Screening Room in July 1980 and screened Les Maitres Fous as well as several film excerpts including Rhythm of Work and Death of a Priest.
Director: Robert Gardner Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Ethnology, Jean Rouch, film, history, ethnography

Journey to Africa: Revisiting the Slave Pens of Ghana (Videocassette : 13 min. )  [2002]
V. CASS. VHS 7222
Abstract: Before reaching the plantations, before even reaching the ships that would sail them into bondage, future slaves were forced to endure unspeakable treatment at European coastal outposts in Africa. This ABC News program joins several African-Americans in a profound journey of discovery as they travel to what was once known as the Gold Coast to see for themselves the infamous dungeons. Their tour takes them to Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, places that still resonate with inhumanity.
Director: NA Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Ghana, slave trade, diaspora, African Americans, history

Kafi's Story (Videocassette : 54 min. )  [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 7170
Abstract: This film captures Nuba life just at the moment before it was engulfed in the Sudanese civil war in 1989. The Nubian native Kafi narrates his journey to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, from his village Torogi in the Nuba Mountains.Torogi is in the middle of Sudan's encroaching civil war, between the Muslim North and the Christian South. Torogi itself is neither Muslim nor Christian and is trying to remain neutral. See also Nuba Conversations for a return ten years later. Inquiries about the film can be directed to Amy Hardie Amy Hardie at a.hardie@eca.ac.uk
Director: Arthur Howes, Amy Hardie Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Sudan, Nuba, civil war, politics, history

Kalahari Family (A) (Videocassette : 332 min. )  [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8339 PT1-5
Abstract: In 1951, Laurence and Lorna Marshall and their two children, Elizabeth and John, set out to find the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert. Their aim was to study and document their life and culture. While in Nyae Nyae the Marshall family documented everyday life as well as unusual events and activities, producing a massive body of work that continues to define the fields of anthropology and ethnographic filmmaking today. Encapsulating 50 years of Namibian history, A Kalahari Family represents a lifetime of documentation, research, and personal contact by filmmaker John Marshall. Contents: pt. 1. A far country -- pt. 2. End of the road -- pt. 3. Real water -- pt. 4. Standing tall -- pt. 5. Death by myth. (5 videocassettes)
Director: John Marshall, Claire Ritchies Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Namibia, Bushmen, history, anthropology, John Marshall

Keepers of Memory (DVD : 52 min. )  [2005]
DVD7509
Abstract: Through eyewitness accounts and gripping footage, acclaimed director Eric Kabera takes the viewer on an emotional journey into the 1994 Rwandan genocide, its survivors, and the memorials created in the victims' honor. The film focuses on the personal accounts of men and women who watch over the sacred burial sites keeping the memories alive for future generations.
Director: Eric Kabera Distributor:Choices, Inc.
Keywords: Rwanda, genocide, history, memorials

Keeping a Live Voice: 15 Years of Democracy in Zimbabwe (Videocassette : 54 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 3793
Abstract: Collects the views, opinions and reminiscences of a wide cross section of Zimbabweans on the first 15 years of their nation's independence. Writer: Edwina Spicer.
Director: Edwina Spicer Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Zimbabwe, politics, government, history

Keita: The Heritage of the Griot (Videocassette : 94 min. )  [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 2796
Abstract: Keita creates a unique world where the West Africa of the 13th century Sundjata epic and the West Africa of today co-exist and interpenetrate. Director Dani Kouyate frames his dramatization of the epic within the story of Mabo Keita, a contemporary boy from Burkina Faso, learning the history of his family. During the film, Mabo and his distant ancestor, Sundjata, engage in parallel quests to understand their destinies, to 'know the meaning of their names.'
Director: Dani Kouyate Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Mande, history, myth, feature film

Kenyatta (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1979]
V.CASS. VHS 8855/ DVD 9267
Abstract: Jomo Kenyatta's death in 1978 brought to an end a political career that encompassed more than 50 years of African history. Kenyatta entered politics in the mid-1920s and then spent 17 years in exile in Europe. He returned to Kenya in 1946, and in 1947 took over leadership of the Kenya African Union. Arrested and imprisoned in 1952 in the wake of the mau mau uprising, he was released in 1961 and two years later became Kenya's first Prime Minister. In power, the man whom Europeans had once reviled as 'the leader to darkness and death' was eulogized by them as a pillar of stability. This film weaves archival and contemporary images with interviews with friends and relatives, comrades and opponents to create a biographical portrait of a key figure in 20th century politics, and a case study of nationalism as a political force in Africa. Also available in DVD format (DVD 9267). This film is part 3 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Mau Mau (part 2).
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:Bellwether Group
Keywords: Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, history, settler colonialism, politics, nationalism, biography

Kenyatta (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. )  [1973]
DVD 9267/ VHS 8855
Abstract: Jomo Kenyatta's death in 1978 brought to an end a political career that encompassed more than 50 years of African history. Kenyatta entered politics in the mid-1920s and then spent 17 years in exile in Europe. He returned to Kenya in 1946, and in 1947 took over leadership of the Kenya African Union. Arrested and imprisoned in 1952 in the wake of the mau mau uprising, he was released in 1961 and two years later became Kenya's first Prime Minister. In power, the man whom Europeans had once reviled as 'the leader to darkness and death' was eulogized by them as a pillar of stability. This film weaves archival and contemporary images with interviews with friends and relatives, comrades and opponents to create a biographical portrait of a key figure in 20th century politics, and a case study of nationalism as a political force in Africa. Also available in videocassette format (VHS 8855). This film is part 3 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Mau Mau (part 2).
Director: Anthony Howarth and David Koff Distributor:Cinemagician Productions
Keywords: Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, politics, history, biography, colonialism, nationalism

Khalfan and Zanzibar (Videocassette : 25 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS VHS 7528
Abstract: Story of the life and work of Khalfan Hemed Khalfan, founder of the Zanzibar Association of the Disabled. Also includes scenes from the lives of Zanzibar's disabled and information on the history and culture of Zanzibar.
Director: Lina Fuzzetti, Alfred Guzzetti, and Akos Ostör Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zanzibar, Tanzania, health, disability, history

Kingdom of Bronze (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1976]
V. CASS. 66
Abstract: Traces the history of Benin and Yoruba bronzes and examines both thetechniques used in making them, and the finished works. Produced by BBC-TV and Warner Bros. (2 videocassettes: 52 min.)
Director: NA Distributor:NA
Keywords: Benin, Yoruba, history, art

Kitchen Toto (The) (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 96 min. )  [1987]
V. DISC 1515
Abstract: Set in 1950 Kenya as British rule was being threatened by Mau Mau terrorists. A young Kikuyu boy is torn between the British for whom he works and the guerrilla freedom fighters who want him to join them. Complex and powerful story of the Kenyan freedom crusade. Director/Author: Harry Hook.
Director: Harry Hook Distributor:Warner Home Video
Keywords: Kenya, colonialism, history, Mau Mau, feature film

Kuxa Kanema: La Naissance du Cinéma = Kuxa Kanema: The Birth of Cinema (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 7888
Abstract: Discusses the history of Mozambique's National Institute of Cinema's weekly newsreel entitled Kuxa kanema. Shows the relationship between the films and President Samora Machel and FRELIMO (Mozambique Liberation Front). The original filmmakers discuss their work as a testimonial to the country, its struggles and wars.
Director: Margarida Cordoso Distributor:First Run/Icarus Film
Keywords: Mozambique, history, film, journalism, politics

Landscape and Memory: Martinican Land - People - History (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 8985
Abstract: French West Indies' most renowned identity theoreticians - Jean Bernabé, Patrick Chamoiseau, and Raphaël Confiant - investigate the different ways in which France, as a colonial power, marks colonized lands and peoples. In five different sections, the writers examine the possibilities of landscape as a repository for a forgotten past, Martinique's economic dependence on France, the recent 'cementification' of Martinique, the politics of commemoration, and the possibilities for Creole culture.
Director: Renée Gosson, Eric Faden Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Martinique, France, African diaspora, cultural identity, colonialism, landscape, history, economy, creolization

Landscape of Memory (Videocassette : 104 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 7479 Pt. 1-4 (PAL format)
Abstract: A documentary series of four films created as a regional project about truth and reconciliation in Southern Africa. Filmmakers from four different countries show how people are dealing with the need to reconcile themselves to the violent past each country has recently emerged from. The series includes From the Ashes, I Have Seen=Nda Mona, The Unfolding Sky, and Soul in Torment. (4 videocassettes: 104 min.)
Director: Karen Boswall, Antjie Krog, Ronelle Loots, Richard Pakleppa, Prudence Uriri Distributor:Film Resource Unit [www.fru.co.za]
Keywords: Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, history, war, reconciliation, race, apartheid, politics

Language You Cry In (The) (Videocassette : 53 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 4624
Abstract: The film tells an amazing scholarly detective story reaching across hundreds of years and thousands of miles from 18th century Sierra Leone to the Gullah people of present-day Georgia. It recounts the even more remarkable saga of how African Americans have retained links with their African last through the horrors of the middle passage, slavery and segregation. The film dramatically demonstrates the contribution of contemporary scholarship to restoring what narrator Vertamae Grosvenor calls the 'non-history imposed on African Americans.' This is a story of memory and how the memory of a family was pieced together through a song with legendary powers to connect those who sang it with their roots.
Director: Alvaro Toepke, Angel Serrano Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Gullah, African diaspora, music.

Last Child (The): The Global Race to End Polio (DVD : 56 min. )  [2004]
DVD 4337
Abstract: The polio eradication campaign is the largest non-military, global enterprise ever. It involves dozens of organizations, scores of governments, thousands of health workers and millions of volunteers. The Last Child tells the behind-the-scenes story of the global campaign to eradicate polio, the dreaded childhood disease that continues to cripple and kill. From the frontlines in Nigeria, India, Haiti and elsewhere, this film follws the victories and challenges of trying to wipe out a disease worldwide for only the second time in history.
Director: Scott Thigpen Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Nigeria, India, Haiti, polio, public health

Last King of Scotland (DVD : 123 min. )  [2007]
DVD 7382
Abstract: Chronicles Idi Amin's despotic reign of terror over Uganda as seen through the eyes of Nicholas Garrigan, a Scottish doctor who arrives in Uganda in the early 1970s to serve as Amin's personal physician. His perspective as an outsider causes him to be initially impressed by Amin's calculated rise to power, and he grows increasingly monstrous. A pointed examination of how independent Uganda (a British colony until 1962) became a breeding ground for Amin's genocidal tyranny. Amin is both seductive and horribly destructive. Garrigan grows increasingly prone to exploitation.
Director: Kevin Macdonald Distributor:20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Keywords: Uganda, Idi Amin, military dictator, history, feature film

Last Salt Caravan (The) (Videocassette : 28 min. )  [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 6295
Abstract: Timbuktu in Mali was once a legendary center of trade and culture. Now, Mali has become one of the world's poorest countries, however Timbuktu is still a center for the salt trade. This trade is carried on by nomads in camel caravans, much as it has been for centuries. Photographed in long dramatic shots, the film captures the grandeur and harshness of the desert as well as the strength of those who eke out a living in its harsh solitude.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Mali, Timbuktu, economy, trade, caravans, history

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

Leader, His Driver, and the Driver's Wife (The) (Videocassette : 70 min. )  [1991]
V.CASS. VHS 8722
Abstract: Award-winning documentary about the Afrikaner neo-Nazi society AWB and its leader, Eugene Terreblanche.
Director: Nick Broomfield Distributor:Nick Broomfield, Inc.
Keywords: South Africa, race relations, white supremacy movements, apartheid, history

Leaving Home for Sugar (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1986]
VHS 9179
Abstract: Leaving Home for Sugar continues the history of sugar, focusing on later developments in the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Following the withdrawal of the Dutch in 1654 from the Brazilian sugar cane industry, the Caribbean became the center of world sugar production. With an ever-increasing demand for sugar in Europe, and as many as 15 million slaves transported from Africa, the West Indian sugar industry was for 200 years one of history's most profitable enterprises. Following Abolition, the plantations of the West Indies declined and the market favored European sugar beet production and newer ventures in the Pacific and Africa. Besides looking at the rise and fall of sugar in the West Indies, the film contrasts two sides of the history of sugar in Zimbabwe: the companies' story of turning semi-desert into model plantations, and the story told by local farm workers who were dispossessed or brought in as forced labor. Today in Europe and North America, the demand for cane sugar is falling as a result of protectionist policies, health concerns, and the use of new artificial sweeteners. The film ends with the multi-national agricultural companies looking for new markets for cane sugar - ironically in the producing countries themselves. Volume 5 of The Commodities Series. A seven part series by Sue Clayton & Jonathan Curling.
Director: Sue Clayton Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, West Indies, economy, globalization, history, plantation, sugar, slavery

Liberia: A Fragile Peace (DVD : 60 min. )  [2006]
DVD 6382
Abstract: Liberia: A Fragile Peace is a perfect follow-up to Liberia: An Uncivil War, picking up the Liberian saga in October 2003, with the departure of the despotic Charles Taylor, the arrival of interim President Gyude Bryant and the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force. More than a historical record, however, this film is an ideal case study in how difficult it is to rebuild a society once it has lapsed into anarchy, a condition afflicting more and more nations around the world. The success or failure of the Liberian experience could have long-lasting impact on peace-keeping missions in the future.
Director: Steven W. Ross Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Charles Taylor, civil war, government, history

Liberia: America's Stepchild (Videocassette : 90 min. )  [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 7693
Abstract: Documentary follows the parallel stories of the relationship between the United States and the African republic of Liberia. Founded as a home for freed Blacks and former slaves, the American Colonization Society also gave support to the bond between the two countries. The 1997 election of Charles Taylor to the presidency and his corrupt administration is also explored as well as the reasons for the turmoil that has destroyed Liberia since 1980. Educator's resources at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/liberia/index.html
Director: Nancee Oku Bright Distributor:PBS Home Video
Keywords: Liberia, United States, history, Charles Taylor, politics, civil war

Liberia: The Promised Land (Videocassette : 43 min. )  [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 4537
Abstract: Provides an exposé of the long involvement of the U.S. in Liberia, and the events which led to the downfall of this once promising nation. Original footage and interviews document the rise and fall of successive cruel dictatorships propped up by America.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Liberia, history, politics and government

Life and Times of Sara Baartman 'The Hottentot Venus' (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 4688
Abstract: Using historical drawings, cartoons, legal documents, and interviews with noted cultural historians and anthropologists, The Life and Times of Sara Baartman 'the Hottentot Venus' deconstructs the social, political, scientific and philosophical assumptions which transformed one young African woman into a representation of savage sexuality and racial inferiority.
Director: Zola Maseko Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: South Africa, gender, representation, science, history.

Little Senegal (DVD : 93 min. )  [2001]
DVD 7817
Abstract: A story of a man who works as a tour guide at a historical site in Senegal from where slaves were taken to America. He heads to America himself, to trace his own family history there. He finds himself in New York City and falls in love with a distant cousin.
Director: Rachid Bouchareb Distributor:Paramount Home Entertainment
Keywords: Senegal, slave trade, immigrants, tourism, feature film

Living Memory: Six Sketches of Mali Today (Videocassette : 53 min. )  [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 7832
Abstract: A documentary about Mali's ancient culture and its place in modern Mali. Although one of the poorest nations in the world, its rich culture flourishes and Malian artists are well renowned in and outside of Africa today.
Director: Susan Vogel Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Mali, social life and customs, art, history

Long Night's Journey Into Day (Videocassette : 95 min. )  [2000]
V.CASS VHS 5503
Abstract: For over forty years, South Africa was governed by the most notorious form of racial domination since Nazi Germany. When it finally collapsed, those who had enforced apartheid's rule wanted amnesty for their crimes. Their victims wanted justice. As a compromise, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed. As it investigated the crimes of apartheid, the Commission brought together victims and perpetrators to relive South Africa's brutal history. By revealing the past instead of burying it, the TRC hoped to pave the way to a peaceful future.
Director: Frances Reid and Deborah Hoffman Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, politics, apartheid, history, TRC

Long Tears: an Ndebele Story (The) (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 5950
Abstract: This program, seen through the eyes of one family, documents five years in the life of a South African people, the Ndebele, exploring their art, culture and traditions. It shows the famous Ndebele wall art and dress traditions and puts them in the context of the new South Africa. Francina Ndimande is an internationally recognized mural artist, as is her daughter Angelina. The film explores the rituals and traditions associated with the rites of passage of both men and women. Also traces the history of the Ndebele defeat in war against the Boers and their subsequent enslavement and mistreatment at the hands of the Boer farmers.
Director: David Frost Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, Ndebele, art, painting, ritual, history

Long Walk of Nelson Mandela (The) (Videocassette : 120 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 6115
Abstract: This film biography of Mandela tells the story of his life through interviews with intimates, from his most trusted associates to his jailers on Robben Island, the prison where he was held for 27 years. This film offers an insider'saccount of his extraordinary will to lead and of the great risk and personal sacrifice he endured to achieve democracy and equality for the people of his nation.
Director: Clifford Bestall Distributor:PBS Home Video
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, biography, politics, history

Lost City of Zimbabwe (The) (Videocassette : 22 min. )  [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 1910
Abstract: Long mistakenly identified as the remnants of ancient white civilization, the spectacular ruins of Great Zimbabwe are only now being recognized for what they are: southern Africa's first city. This program looks at the work being done to restore this archaeological site to its African heritage.
Director: NA Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Zimbabwe, archeology, history

Love Stories (Videocassette : 72 min. )  [2000]
See individual titles
Abstract: South Africa's extraordinary history has produced a wealth of stories. Among the heroic tales of sacrifice in the struggle against apartheid are the love stories of ordinary people, people with fascinating, hidden worlds that were often shattered by politics. Now, from South Africa's leading documentary production company, and made by three different South African filmmakers, the Love Stories series documents three remarkable love affairs. These stories are not sweet or sentimental - they are very much of the world. Although these stories are not overtly 'political' or 'sociological,' while watching them we learn about South Africa past, and its heart. See individual titles for details: The Moon in my Pocket (Kgomotso Matsunyane), Bubbles and Me (Mary Human) and White Girl in Search of the Party (Pat van Heerden). Love Stories is a series produced by Harriet Gavshon & David Jammy.
Director: Kgomotso Matsunyane, Mary Human, Pat van Heerden Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, race relations, love narratives, romance

Lumumba (Videocassette : 115 min. )  [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6818
Abstract: Dramatizes the life of Congolese revolutionary, Patrice Lumumba, who led his country to independence from Belgium in 1960. He served for less than a year as the first elected prime minister, until he was brutally assassinated.
Director: Raoul Peck Distributor:Zeitgeist Films
Keywords: Congo, Lumumba, assassination, civil war, history, politics, feature film

Lumumba: La mort du prophète (Videocassette : 69 min. )  [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 2990
Abstract: This film recounts Lumumba's 200 day rule culminating with his assassination. Reveals how a weakened democratic movement succumbed to the only well-financed and organized force in the country---the military. Producer: Raoul Peck.
Director: Raoul Peck Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Congo, Lumumba, assassination, civil war, history, politics, feature film

Malentendu colonial, Le = Colonial Misunderstanding (Videocassette : 73 min. )  [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 9140
Abstract: Jean-Marie Téno looks at European colonialism in Africa through the lens of Christian evangelism as the model for the relationship between Africa and Western countries today. The history of German missionaries in Namibia in the 19th and 20th centuries is discussed by African and German historians and theologians, revealing how colonialism destroyed African beliefs and social systems, and replaced them with European ones.
Director: Jean-Marie Téno Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Namibia, Germany, religion, history, evangelism, colonialism, Christianity, traditional religion , missionaries

Man, God and Africa (DVD : 51 min. )  [1993]
DVD 8037
Abstract: While the media has focused on the violent history of South Africa, it has paid little attention to a social phenomenon of great importance. Some nine-million South African blacks live with a strong commitment to their religion, Pentecostal Christianity. Their faith has enabled them to survive appalling hardship and deprivation. Their religion is a blend of deep-rooted African traditions and the imported values of Christianity. This commitment could be a stabilizing force in the new South Africa. This film captures the joyous singing and rhythmic movement that is common to the various black churches. It shows the African influence on funerals, baptisms, and weddings. Through these ceremonies the churches foster a sense of community and pride at being black South African. Adherents cut across all social classes. One sees an educated civil rights lawyer practice centuries-old healing practices. We hear from representatives of the traditional Church hierarchy, such as Archbishop Tutu and Alan Boesack, who have a profound respect for the adaptation of Christianity to the African culture.
Director: Don Boyd Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, religion, Pentecostal churches, ceremony

Mandabi (Videocassette : 92 min. )  [1999]
VHS 4764/ DVD 5167
Abstract: A story about a man who receives a money order that threatens to destroy the traditional fabric of his life is used to point out the problems of modern Africa as a civilization struggling to recapture its own rich heritage after colonial corruption. Also available in DVD format (DVD 5167).
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, colonialism, corruption, history, feature film

Mandabi (DVD : 90 min. )  [2005]
DVD 5167/ VHS 4764
Abstract: A story about a man who receives a money order that threatens to destroy the traditional fabric of his life is used to point out the problems of modern Africa as a civilization struggling to recapture its own rich heritage after colonial corruption. Also available in videocassette format (VHS 4764).
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, colonialism, corruption, history, feature film

Mandela's Fight for Freedom (Videocassette : 145 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 6498 (2 videos- pt. 1, pt. 2)
Abstract: Part George Washington, part Abraham Lincoln, part Gandhi, South Africa's Nelson Mandela occupies a unique position in the history of the human spirit. From youthful protester, to political prisoner, to the president of a newly free nation, Nelson Mandela embodies the ideals of freedom as no other man of this time. Through a combination of moral strength, political cunning, and sheer luck, he brought about the dismantling of the hated policy of racial apartheid, without the bloodbath many feared.
Director: Mick Gold Distributor:Discovery Channel Video
Keywords: South Africa, Nelson Mandela, apartheid, politics, history, biography

Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation (Videocassette : 120 min. )  [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 6703
Abstract: This candid and provocative portrait of Nelson Mandela takes you to the very heart of the struggle for majority rule in South Africa.
Director: Jo Menell Distributor:NA
Keywords: South Africa, Nelson Mandela, history, apartheid, politics

Mandela: the Man (Videocassette : 60 min. )  [1994]
V. CASS. 2260
Abstract: This hour long presentation offers viewers a unique perspective into the life of Nelson Mandela.
Director: NA Distributor:Library Distributors of America
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, politics, race, history, apartheid

Martin and Osa Johnson's Simba (Videocassette : 83 min. )  [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 2030
Abstract: Records Martin and Osa Johnson's expedition to East Africa, 1923-1928, the chief purpose of which was to capture on film the rapidly disappearing African wildlife as well as East African peoples and their customs. Includes footage of elephants, giraffes and lions. [1992/1920's]
Director: NA Distributor:Milestone Film and Video
Keywords: East Africa, wildlife, history

Matamata and Pilipili (Videocassette : 55 min. )  [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3800
Abstract: This film, from a 1950s Congo, features two comic heroes from films conceived and made by a Belgian missionary, Albert Van Haelst. Looks at their creation, reception by Congolese audiences, their disappearance, and what happened later to the film maker and his two Congolese movie stars.
Director: Tristan Bourlard Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Congo (Democratic Republic), comedy films, history, missionization, development, popular culture

Mau Mau (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. )  [1973]
DVD 9266
Abstract: In October 1952 the British government declared a State of Emergency in Kenya in order to defeat Mau Mau. In the war that followed, fewer than 40 of 40,000 white settlers were killed while more than 15,000 Africans lost their lives and hundreds of thousands more were arrested and subjected to a humiliating and often brutal process of 'rehabilitation.' Mau Mau traces the history of the state of emergency declared by the British Colonial government of Kenya in 1952 in an attempt to subdue the movement among black Kenyans for political and civil rights. Reveals the secret society known as Mau Mau to have been an attempt by the white minority to discredit the rising tide of black nationalism. Using newsreel and previously inaccessible archive footage, and drawing on interviews with participants on both sides, this film examines the myth and reality of Africa's first modern guerrilla war. This film is part 2 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also White Man's Country (part 1) and Kenyatta (part 3).
Director: David Koff, Anthony Howarth Distributor:NA
Keywords: Kenya, Mau Mau, history, colonialism, politics, settlers, nationalism, violence, war

Mobutu, King of Zaire: an African tragedy (Videocassette : 156 min. )  [1999]
V.CASS. VHS 7971 1-3
Abstract: The definitive visual record of the rise and fall of Joseph Désiré Mobutu, ruler of Zaire (the Congo) for over 30 years. Drawing upon 140 hours of rare archival material found in Kinshasa, and 50 hours of interviews with those once close to him, it tells the story of the man at the heart of Central Africa's post-colonial history. Part 1. The quest for power, Part 2. The upper hand, Part 3. The end of a reign. (3 Videocassettes)
Director: Michel Thierry Distributor:Icarus/First Run
Keywords: Congo (Democratic Republic), Mobutu, history, politics

Moon in my Pocket, The (Videocassette : 24 min. )  [2000]
VHS 9203
Abstract: Wilton Mkwayi, a senior ANC guerrilla commander, was convicted of treason during the Rivonia Trial in 1966. Every year for twenty years, he applied to the prison authorities for permission to marry his sweetheart Irene Khumalo, but was denied each time. In the 21st year of his term they were finally allowed to marry, but six months later she died of cancer. He was released from prison shortly thereafter. Told through letters, interviews and reconstructions, The Moon in my Pocket is a classic story about a love that almost survived against the odds. It reveals the other side of political history, the personal lives of people usually seen as soldiers and politicians, but seldom as lovers. See also Bubbles and Me (Mary Human) and White Girl in Search of the Party (Pat van Heerden) .Part of Love Stories, a series produced by Harriet Gavshon & David Jammy.
Director: Kgomotso Matsunyane Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, African National Congress, love narratives

Mortu Nega=Those Whom Death Refused (Videocassette : 93 min. )  [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 4630
Abstract: In 1973, independence was proclaimed in Guinea Bissau, ending five centuries of Portuguese colonization and a decade of armed struggle. This film, Gomes' first feature-length film, made in 1987, portrays this critical period in history through the story of one woman, Diminga, whose husband is fighting on the front lines. The camera captures Cabral's assassination, the ending of hostilities, and the reconstruction of the economically and spiritually devastated country. The term 'Mortu Nega' means those that death did not want, and Gomes films a ceremony using 3000 extras, in which survivors call upon the dead, asking them how they can go on living in such terrible conditions--From the Le Monde Cannes '96 Supplement, May 10.
Director: Flora Gomes Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Guinea Bissau, women, colonialism, history, feature film

Mountains of the Moon (DVD : 140 min. )  [1998]
DVD 3824
Abstract: Biographical drama which follows the adventures of British explorers Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke as they set out across Africa to find the source of the Nile. Cast includes: Patrick Bergin, Iain Glen, Richard E. Grant, Fiona Shaw, Roshan Seth, Delroy Lindo and Bernard Hill.
Director: Bob Rafelson Distributor:Pioneer Entertainment
Keywords: North eastern Africa, Nile, Richard Burton, John Speke, exploration, history, feature film

Nadine Gordimer: On Being a Liberal White South African (DVD : 30 min. )  [2006]
DVD 7957
Abstract: Bill Moyers interviews South African writer Nadine Gordimer who talks about growing up in a racially segregated country. She also analyzes the current political situation with special reference to the roles of Nelson Mandela, Gatsha Buthelezi and the African National Congress.
Director: Catherine Tatge Distributor:Filams for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: South Africa, novelists, apartheid, race, government, African National Congress, history

Namibia: Africa's Last Colony (Videocassette : 55 min. )  [1984]
V. CASS. 283
Abstract: Nora Chase of the Namibian Council of Churches describes how occupying countries have enriched themselves off her country's vast mineral resources, while the indigenous people have been condemned to poverty.
Director: NA Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Namibia, colonialism, economy, history

Nelson Mandela: the Struggle is My Life (Videocassette : 40 min. )  [1986]
V.CASS. VHS 7986
Abstract: A documentary on the life and political career of Nelson Mandela, including interviews with persons who have known him well and footage of some of the significant newsworthy events of the South African apartheid era.
Director: Lionel Ngakane Distributor:Impact Video
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, Nelson Mandela, history, politics

New South Africa: A Personal Journey, The (DVD : 58 min. )  [1995]
DVD 8148
Abstract: The white expatriate playwright Tug Yourgrau (The Song of Jacob Zulu) returns to South Africa after the election of Nelson Mandela to learn about the changes there. He finds a people exhilarated to have been spared a horrifying civil war but still grappling with how to bring about reconciliation. Everywhere he looks he sees that the enormous gulf between white and black still exists, not just in standards of living, but also in their understanding of one another. Yet there are also signs of change. His old school which was totally white, now has a mixed student body and teaches Zulu in addition to Afrikaans. He rejoices in the new diversity in the press, which reflects voices ranging from the hard Right nostalgic for apartheid to the revolutionary Left impatient for change. It is not easy to overcome so many years of inequity. Crime, pollution and shanty towns are still in evidence. But here and there real progress is in evidence. Ndaba Ntsele, who once would have been a manual laborer, now owns a successful construction company and drives a BMW sedan. Here is a fascinating, first hand report on a country undergoing immense social change as the whole world watches.
Director: Tug Yourgrau and Joel Olicker Distributor:Flimakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, race, apartheid, history

No Easy Walk (Videocassette : 53 min. )  [1987]
V. CASS. VHS 3974 v. 1-3
Abstract: Chronicles how Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe were subdued by colonial powers and later achieved independence from their oppressors.
Director: Bernard Odjija Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, colonialism, history, politics

Nuba Conversations (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 7171
Abstract: Ten years after filming Kafi's Story, British filmmaker Arthur Howes re-entered the Sudan clandestinely to find out what had happened to the Nuba of Torogi. Everywhere he encountered the jihad or holy war. The fundamentalist Sudanese regime is pursuing its policy of forced assimilation through a systematic disruption of the Nuba people, by killing their cattle and burning their villages. While Nuban women hide in caves 60,000 Nuba children have been abducted to camps where they are forcibly converted to Islam. Howes estimates that 40% of the Sudanese Army is now composed of Nuba men. See also Kafi's Story.
Director: Arthur Howes Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Sudan, Nuba, jihad, civil war, Islam, politics, history

On the Rumba River (DVD : 86 min. )  [2007]
DVD 8519
Abstract: Documentary about the history and continuing popularity of Congolese Rumba with legendary Congolese musician Wendo Kolosoy, affectionately known as 'Papa Wendo,' and members of his band, the Victoria Bakolo Miziki players. This is set against a backdrop of political turmoil that has afflicted the Democratic Republic of Congo for decades, and emphasizes the importance of music in this war-torn society. On the Rumba River introduces us to this legendary musician, along with veteran members of his band, the Victoria Bakolo Miziki Players -- including Antoine Moundanda (thumb piano), Joseph Munange (saxophone), Mukubuele Nzoku (guitar), and Alphonse Biolo Batilangandi (trumpet) -- who recount their own musical experiences and attest to their personal and professional respect for Wendo. The film also treats us to musical performances by the group, in rehearsals, impromptu jam sessions, and lively public performances. The film's exploration of the history and continuing popularity of Congolese rumba is set against a backdrop of political turmoil that has afflicted this African nation for decades, from the repressive regime (1965-1997) of Mobutu Sese Seko, an ongoing civil war, and a fragile contemporary peace. Extended views of Kinshasa slums and the rusted hulks of sunken boats along the Congo River reveal the physical devastation and grinding poverty of the Congo, and Wendo, in a reflective moment, laments the sad state of his country brought about by greedy politicians and fratricidal warfare.
Director: Jacques Sarasin Distributor:First Run Icarus Films
Keywords: Congo, Kinshasa, Congolese rumba, music, popular culture, performance, history, politics

One Hundred Years of Silence (DVD : 39 min. )  [2006]
DVD 8698
Abstract: Documentary film about the near extermination of the Herero people of Namibia by German colonial soldiers in the first years of the 20th century. This history is told through the story of a young present-day Herero woman whose great-grandmother was raped by a German soldier, resulting in Georgina's light skin and eyes.
Director: Halfdan Muurholm Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Namibia, Herero, colonialism, history, genocide, violence

Ordinary People. The Lawyer, The Farmer and The Clerk (Videocassette : 26 min. )  [1994]
VHS 9319
Abstract: June 25, 1993. Ordinary People, on hand to cover constitutional negotiations, captured footage broadcast around the world of a tank smashing through the glass wall of Johannesburg's World Trade Center, as right wing extremists occupied the negotiating chamber. This program chronicles this historic day through the eyes of three characters: Rashni, a clerk who was trapped inside the building when the protesters simply walked past the passive police; Leon, a right wing extremist who took part in the takeover; and Patrick, a member of a dispossessed black African community who had come to picket against the loss of his people's land during apartheid.
Director: Clifford Bestall Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, constitutional negotiations, history

Ordinary People: Following On (Videocassette : 27 min. )  [1996]
On Order
Abstract: The first chapters of Ordinary People, created in 1993, were produced in a starkly different South Africa. Amidst social and political turmoil and strife, leaders were deep in negotiations for a new order and the ramifications were being felt throughout the country's social structure. In this, the final episode of the 1995 season, Following On revisits a number of the men, women, and children featured in the inaugural series. Intercut with scenes from the first shows more than two years after they were assembled, this program reveals the repercussions that the events chronicled in five of those programs (The Peacemakers; The Lawyer, The Farmer, and The Clerk; The Tooth of the Times; The Penalty Area; and Make Believe -- see individual titles in catalogue) have had on the their subjects as they share the personal tolls the new South Africa has taken on their lives. The end result is a film which presents far more than just nostalgia and reflection as it bears witness to perhaps the most enormously tumultuous period of change in South Africa's history.
Director: Harriet Gavshon Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, human rights, sociology, politics, history

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

Parchment Makers: An Ancient Art in Present-Day Ethiopia (Videocassette : 19 min. )  [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 5571
Abstract: Documents the way that books were created in the centuries before the printing press. The video follows the process from start to finish as Ethiopian artist and scribe, Meregeta Berhane Abade, works on a text for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which still requires that certain texts be hand-rendered on parchment. The video draws on the research of Neal Sobania, a historian at Hope College, and Ray Silverman, an art historian at Michigan State University, and their chronicling of traditions of art in Ethiopia.
Director: NA Distributor:Sola Scriptura
Keywords: Ethiopia, history, religion, art, writing

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

Pilgrimage to Africa: One Savannah Woman's Journey to Find Her People and Their Past (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [1999]
V.CASS. VHS 6439
Abstract: Stan Deaton talks to Charleston Post and Courier feature writer Wevonneda Minis about her experiences researching her family history. Her investigation of an ancestor named Mohammed Bilali, a slave working on the Thomas Spalding plantation on Sapelo Island who was a practicing Muslim and could read and write Arabic, eventually led her to trace her family history back to the area now known as Guinea in West Africa.
Director: Stan Deaton Distributor:Georgia Historical Society
Keywords: United States, Guinea, diaspora, slave trade, history, family

Prix de la Paix, Le (DVD : 83 min. )  [2005]
DVD7233
Abstract: With unprecedented access to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping, The Peacekeepers provides an intimate and dramatic portrait of the struggle to save 'a failed state.' The film follows the determined and often desperate manoeuvres to avert another Rwandan disaster, this time in the Democratic Republic of Congo (the DRC). Focusing on the UN mission, the film cuts back and forth between the United Nations headquarters in New York and events on the ground in the DRC. We are with the peacekeepers in the 'Crisis Room' as they balance the risk of loss of life on the ground with the enormous sums of money required from uncertain donor countries. We are with UN troops as the northeast Congo erupts, and the future of the DRC, if not all of central Africa, hangs in the balance. In the background, but often impinging on peacekeeping decisions, are the painful memory of Rwanda, the worsening crisis in Iraq, global terrorism and American hegemony in world affairs. As Secretary General Kofi Annan tells the General Assembly at the conclusion of The Peacekeepers: 'History is a harsh judge. The world will not forgive us if we do nothing.' Whether the world's peacekeeper did enough remains to be seen.
Director: Paul Cowan Distributor:NA
Keywords: Congo, United Nations Department of Peacekeeping, diplomacy, history

Quilombo (Videocassette : 114 min. )  [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 3606
Abstract: In 17th-century Brazil, groups of runaway black slaves escaped to mountainous jungle strongholds, where they formed self-governing communities known as quilombos. Written and directed by Carlos Diegues; produced by Augusto Arraes.
Director: Carlos Diegues Distributor:NA
Keywords: Brazil, slavery, African diaspora, history, social life, feature film

Red Hat, Where Are You Going? = Bonnet rouge, où vas-tu? (Videocassette : 47 min. )  [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8123
Abstract: An analysis of the socio-political position of traditional chiefs in Burkina Faso, this film examines the role of Mossi chiefs in the West African nation. Using interviews with chiefs and their critics, and archival footage, the film looks at how the chiefs have navigated political change, and at how they interact with both the government and people today.
Director: E. Adriaan Rouveroy Van Nieuwaal Distributor:First Run/Icarus Film
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Mossi, politics and government, chieftaincy, history

Regopstaan's Dream (Videocassette : 24 min. )  [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8927
Abstract: On March 21st, 1999, at a ceremony in the Kalahari desert, a community of 300 Bushmen were granted 125,000 acres of their own land for the first time by the South African government. Twenty-five years earlier, they had been evicted from the Kalahari by the previous, apartheid government of South Africa who said that they were 'too westernized' to cohabit with the wild animals in the National Park. Forced to live in shanty conditions on a patch of land just outside the park, their eviction was just one more chapter in a history of violence and exploitation dating from the beginnings of Dutch settlement. Regopstaan Krupier was an elder in the #Khomani clan of the Bushmen who initiated the fight to regain control of their ancestral lands. Regopstaan's Dream follows the story of his son, Dawid Krupier's campaign to make the dream come true by making sure that the South African government honors their agreement to allow him and his extended family the right to live in their Kalahari home.
Director: Chris Walker Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: South Africa, Kalahari, Bushmen, San, national parks, apartheid, politics, conservation, land

Remember Mandela! (Videocassette : 31 min. )  [1980]
V. CASS. VHS 1108
Abstract: A portrait of the world's most famous political prisoner, who has been in jail since 1962. It outlines his career, and shows why he was such a threat to white rule, through personal accounts.
Director: NA Distributor:Villon Films
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, apartheid, politics, history

Republic Gone Mad: Rwanda 1894-1994 (A) (Videocassette : 60 min. )  [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3790
Abstract: Recounts Rwanda's history from the 1885 partitioning of Africa that made it a German colony, to Belgian conquest decline, World War I, the creation of a republic under Kayibanda in 1961, and the ultimately catastrophic regime of Habyarimana. Provides background necessary to understand the recent massacres.
Director: Luc de Heusch & Kathleen de Bethune. Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Rwanda, genocide, history, politics, ethnicity

Return of Sara Baartman (The) (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [2003]
V.CASS.VHS 7702
Abstract: Chronicles the return of the remains of Sara Baartman, a Black woman who had been exhibited as a freak in early nineteenth-century Europe. Her remains were returned to South Africa from France, where they had been kept at the Museum of Man (Musée de l'Homme). On April 29, 2002, Sara's remains were officially handed back to the South African people at an emotionally charged ceremony at the country's embassy in Paris and, on August 9 (National Women's Day), she was ceremonially buried on the banks of the Gamtoos River. Sara's repatriation involved years of lobbying by people in South Africa, including Professor Phillip Tobias, South African poet Diana Ferrus, and French senator Nicolas About who, when told that only a law could force the country to give up Baartman, introduced one. Originally produced as a movie in 2002.
Director: Zola Maseko Distributor:First Run
Keywords: South Africa, France, Sara Baartman, science, history, popular culture, racism, anthropology

Rites (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1991]
VHS 9191
Abstract: This program explores the custom of female circumcision which has been commonplace throughout history. Today it is still practiced in many cultures, particularly in Africa. This program shows the efforts of women throughout the world to stop the practice. It considers three major contexts in which 'female genital mutilation' (FGM) occurs. The first context is 'cosmetic,' while the second one is 'punitive.' Medical historian Dr. Ornella Moscurri describes how women in the late 19th and early 20th century were subjected to FGM if they stepped out of line. The third context is part of the cultural transition to adulthood and initiation into female life. Routine 'mutilation' has been fiercely attacked by Western observers, although such attacks have themselves been the subject of accusations of cultural imperialism.
Director: Penny Dedman Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: female circumcision, infibulation, rites of passage, women

Roots of African Culture (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 8348
Abstract: A documentary film which attempts to dispell apartheid ideology by showing black students proof of South African settlements prior to the arrival of Europeans.
Director: Michael Chapman Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, history

Rostov-Luanda (Videocassette : 60 min. )  [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 4628
Abstract: Mauritanian director Sissako spent a year in Rostov on the Don and there became friends with a young man from Angola. This film chronicles the director's search for a friend of the past. In this personal retrospective, Sissako encounters present-day Angola and traces the great lines of Africa's recent history.
Director: Abderrahmane Sissako Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Angola, Mauritania, history, civil war, politics, social life

Rwanda: History of a Genocide (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 6298
Abstract: This film shows, with compeling historical footage and first-hand accounts, that the genocide that occurred in Rwanda in 1994 had its seeds in the early colonization of the country.
Director: Robert Genoud Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Congo, Belgium, Rwanda, Tutsi, Hutu, genocide, civil war, history

Salto al Atlántico = Jump over the Atlantic (Videocassette : 28 min. )  [1990]
V.CASS. VHS 8378
Abstract: This film traces the similarities and continuities between a small Afro-Venezuelan settlement in Barlovento (Estado Miranda, Venezuela) and the Belgian Congo in Africa, where people were captured as slaves in the 19th century.
Director: Maria Eugenia Esparragoza Distributor:Latin American Video Archives
Keywords: Venezuela, Democratic Republic of Congo, slavery, diaspora, history

Samora Machel: Son of Africa (Videocassette : 28 min. )  [1989]
VHS 9345
Abstract: Before his death in a tragic plane crash that many believe to have resulted from South African sabotage, Mozambican President Samora Machel gave the filmmaker an exclusive interview that forms the basis for the look at one of Africa's most important freedom fighters and revolutionaries.
Director: Ron Hallis Distributor:First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords: Mozambique, South Africa, government, history, revolution

Sankara (Videocassette : 20 min. )  [1991]
VHS 9318
Abstract: Thomas Sankara, the late President of Burkina Faso, emerged as an idealist in a generation of young African leaders more concerned with material wealth. In office, he engineered drastic improvements, from the symbolic change of the country's name from the colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso ('The Country of Free and Dignified People'), to providing real health care for the country's children. On October 15, 1987, Sankara fell prey to violent African politics when he was assassinated by troops loyal to Blaise Campaore, his second in command - and life long friend.
Director: Balufa Bakupa-Kanyinda Distributor:First Run Icarus Films
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Upper Volta, history, government, politics

Scorpion Under the Rock: Afrikaans from Colonialism to Democracy (Videocassette : 78 min. )  [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 6957 Pts. 1- 3
Abstract: This three part docudrama looks at the relationship between language and political, social and economic power in South Africa from the beginning of Dutch colonial rule until today. The story of the origins and development of the Afrikaans language is narrated by Zaine Lackay (played by David Isaacs), a student activist from Salt River. His experience of the Afrikaans language is used as a central point at which to relate a series of historical tableaux. (3 videocassettes)
Director: Zackie Achmat and Jack Lewis Distributor:Idol Pictures
Keywords: South Africa, Afrikaans, language, race relations, history

Sembène: the Making of African Cinema (Videocassette : 61 min. )  [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 5295
Abstract: Follows the Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène from the Pan African Film Festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso back to Senegal, and finally to the locations of his films.
Director: Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Manthia Diawara Distributor:NA
Keywords: Senegal, film directors, art, history

Shackles of Memory: Slave Trade and Slavery in the 18th and 19th Centuries (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1994]
V.CASS. VHS 6001
Abstract: The film's primary focus is on the slave system in which ships from Nantes circled Africa and exchanged goods for black captives who were sold to the French colonies in the New World. Using a mixture of paintings, documents, artifacts and the words of those involved in this cruel system, the film brings the reality of slavery to life for a modern audience.
Director: Michel Moreau Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: France, Africa, Americas, slave trade, history

Si-Gueriki = The Queen Mother (Videocassette : 62 min. )  [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 8657
Abstract: This documentary film was intended as a tribute to the filmmaker's late father, a member of a royal family in northern Benin. But in the course of his investigations, the director discovers the lives of his mother and sisters, which had previously been invisible to him, and he decides to make a film about them instead. Si-Gueriki examines patriarchy and the role of women in a polygynous society...Mora Kpai's mother is the si-gueriki or 'queen mother' of the Borgu people. Yet her daily routine of grinding rice and potash show into what low estate this once noble position has fallen in many parts of Africa. The title of 'queen mother' is misleading to Westerners since the si-gueriki is most typically not the mother but the aunt, niece or cousin of the king. From Ghana to Swaziland, legendary noblewomen have been praised for their prowess as military leaders. They have had their own palaces, feudal land holdings, retinues and, like the king, even enjoyed sexual freedom. They characteristically resolved disputes especially in the marketplace and in agriculture, two arenas controlled by women in most of Africa. The 'queen mother' even could nominate the next king and serve as one of his counselors.The Borgu queen mother, like European monarchs today, fills largely a ritual function. In this film, for example, we witness the annual gaani festival over which the si-gueriki presides; she is announced by trumpeters, brightly caparisoned horses and riders pass in review and she accepts the tribute as her subjects prostrate themselves before her.
Director: Idrissou Mora Kpai Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Benin, Borgu, queen mother, kinship, history, government, festival

Silent Killer: AIDS in South Africa, The (DVD : 52 min. )  [2005]
DVD 8142
Abstract: South Africa is hard hit by the HIV epidemic which is infecting more than 1500 people per day. At Johannesburg's biggest hospitals, forty to fifty percent of the beds are occupied by patients with AIDS-related infections It is estimated that one fourth of the population will be affected soon. The history of social and economic division that still continues in South Africa is reflected in the way the disease has spread. Poor black women in the townships get only inferior mixtures of AZT to prevent their babies from being born infected. They do not get the information necessary to prevent infection. The disease is not confined to the poor, for affluent whites are also affected by HIV. We hear from patients, social workers, medical experts and government policy makers on the magnitude of the problem.
Director: Marika Griehsel Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, Johannesburg, HIV/AIDS, health, race, government

Simba (Videocassette : 99 min. )  [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9082
Abstract: Filmed in documentary style partly in Kenya, Simba tells the story of a young Englishman's brother who has been murdered by Mau Mau terrorists. He, however, overcomes his hatred of blacks after a native physician sacrifices his life to prevent the massacre of a group of white colonists. A Peter de Sarigny production, this feature film originally released as a motion picture in 1955, with a screenplay by John Baines . This drama has also been released under the title of Mark of Mau Mau.
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst Distributor:General Film Distributors (U.K.) and Lippert Pictures (U.S.)
Keywords: Kenya, Mau Mau, drama, history, terrorism, murder, settler colonialism, feature film

Sing the Glory of Africa (Motion Picture NA )  [1971]
DT14. S5 (Theology Library)
Abstract: Gives a brief description of African history, culture, and contributions to Western art forms.
Director: NA Distributor:NA
Keywords: overview, art, history

Six Days in Soweto (Videocassette : 55 min. )  [1977]
V. CASS. VHS 1801
Abstract: The violent Soweto student strike of June 17, 1976 is re-lived by residents of Soweto.
Director: NA Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, politics, history

Slave Ship (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 6813
Abstract: Over 150 documented mutinies occurred aboard slave ships between 1699 and 1845; only once, in the case of the Amistad, did slaves successfully return to Africa. The program weaves the remarkable developments of the Amistad case -- argued and won in the U.S. Supreme Court by former President John Quincy Adams -- into the overall fabric of slavery in America. Produced and written by Richard Rivera, narrated by Alfre Woodard.
Director: Noah Morowitz Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Science
Keywords: United States, Africa, diaspora, slave trade, rebellions, history, Amistad

Slavery and the Making of America (DVD : 240 min. )  [2005]
DVD 5288 PT.1 to PT.4
Abstract: This program examines the history of slavery in the United States and the role it played in shaping the new country's development. Each film is narrated by Morgan Freeman. The series comprises 4 volumes: v. 1. The downward spiral / director/producer/writer, Danté J. James -- v. 2. Liberty in the air / director/producer/writer, Gail Pellett -- v. 3. Seeds of destruction / director/producer/writer, Chana Gazit -- v. 4. The challenge of freedom / director/producer/writer, Leslie D. Farrell. Language: Soundtrack in English with optional subtitles in English and Spanish.
Director: James Danté, Gail Pellett, Ghana Gazit, Leslie Farrell Distributor:Ambrose Video Publishing
Keywords: America, Africa, overview, history, slavery

Slavery and the Making of America. Volume 1: The Downward Spiral (DVD : 60 min. )  [2005]
DVD 5288 PT. 1
Abstract: Program One covers the period from 1619 through 1739, and spotlights the origins of slavery in America, focusing on Dutch New Amsterdam (later New York City). This installment shows how slavery in its early days was a loosely defined labor source similar to indentured servitude, in which Africans and others of mixed race and/or mixed culture had some legal rights, could take their masters to court and could even earn wages as they undertook the backbreaking labor involved in building a new nation --clearing land, constructing roads, unloading ships. But further south, the story of John Punch served as an omen of things to come. Captured after attempting to escape his tobacco plantation, he received a sentence far harsher than the two white men who ran with him. Indeed, in the Carolinas, where the enslaved were teaching struggling white planters how to grow the wildly lucrative crop oryza (rice), the labor system was already progressing towards the absolute control, dehumanizing oppression and sheer racism we today most commonly associate with slavery. The first hour culminates with the bloody Stono rebellion in South Carolina, which led to the passage of 'black codes,' regulating virtually every aspect of slaves' lives. The first episode features the stories of John Punch, Emanuel Driggus and Francis Driggus. This volume is part of the Slavery and the Making of America series.
Director: James Danté Distributor:Ambrose Video Publishing
Keywords: America, Africa, New York, South Carolina, indentured labor, overview, history, slavery

Slavery and the Making of America. Volume 2: Liberty in the Air (DVD : 60 min. )  [2005]
DVD 5288 PT. 2
Abstract: Spanning from the 1740s through the 1830s, the series' second hour explores the continued expansion of slavery in the colonies, the evolution of a distinct African American culture and the roots of the emancipation movement. The episode reveals the many ways the enslaved resisted their oppression, their role on both sides of the Revolutionary War, and the strength and inspiration many of them found in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, despite the inherent contradictions that lay in what those documents expressed and what this country practiced. This volume is part of the Slavery and the making of America series.
Director: Gail Pellett Distributor:Ambrose Video Publishing
Keywords: America, Africa, overview, history, slavery, emancipation

Slavery and the Making of America. Volume 3: Seeds of Destruction (DVD : 60 min. )  [2005]
DVD 5288 PT. 3
Abstract: The series' third program looks at the period from 1800 through the start of the Civil War, during which slavery saw an enormous expansion and entered its final decades. As the nation expanded west, the question of slavery became the overriding political issue of the time. These years saw an increasingly militant abolitionist movement and a widening rift between the North --which had largely outlawed slavery but continued to reap the vast economic benefits of the system -- and the South, now home to millions of enslaved black men, women and children. This is the period of slavery most commonly depicted in history books and captured by dramas. Leading Southerners such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had been convinced slavery was nearing its end. But the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican War brought vast new territories into the United States, and the battle between those for and against slavery intensified. By 1860, every attempt at striking an agreement --the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, a draconian federal fugitive slave law-- had failed, splitting apart the Union. Men and women featured in the series' third episode are: Harriet Jacobs, Solomon Northup, Louis and Matilda Hughes. This volume is part of the Slavery and the making of America series.
Director: Ghana Gazit Distributor:Ambrose Video Publishing
Keywords: America, Africa, overview, history, slavery, abolitionism, emancipation

Slavery and the Making of America. Volume 4: The Challenge of Freedom (DVD : 60 min. )  [2005]
DVD 5288 PT. 4
Abstract: The series' fourth program follows the life of Robert Smalls as it takes viewers through the Civil War, the Reconstruction and beyond. A South Carolina slave who rode a stolen Confederate ship to freedom, Smalls became a sailor in the Union Navy, bought the mansion in which he had been enslaved, and went on to a long, successful career in politics. The program follows the transformation of the Civil War from a conflict intended to restore the Union to a conflict over slavery. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves under the control of the Confederate government. The Reconstruction period that followed offered much promise to the newly freed slaves, but by the 1876 Presidential election the North had tired of dealing with civil rights and decided to leave the issue of the treatment of the freed slaves to the Southern states, where many former Confederate leaders had taken the helm of government. With Smalls' story as a framework, this final installment looks at the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and militant opposition to black rights, the end of the Reconstruction and its replacement with a whole new kind of legalized oppression. This volume is part of the Slavery and the Making of America series.
Director: Leslie Farrell Distributor:Ambrose Video Publishing
Keywords: America, Africa, overview, history, slavery, emancipation, civil war

Son of Africa (A): The Slave Narrative of Olaudah Equiano (Videocassette : 28 min. )  [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 4627
Abstract: A docudrama based on the book, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vaasa the African, which was the first influential slave autobiography. When it was published in 1789, it fueled a growing anti-slavery movement in the U.S. and England. This production employs dramatic reconstruction, archival material and interviews with scholars. Equiano's narrative begins in the West African village where he was kidnapped into slavery in 1756. He was shipped to a Virginia plantation and then later sold again to a British naval officer. Here he learned to read and write, became a skilled trader, eventually bought his freedom and married into English society where he became a leading abolitionist.
Director: Alrick Riley Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: West Africa, Olaudah Equiano, African diaspora, slavery, history, narrative

Song of Africa (Videocassette : 59 min. )  [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 4560
Abstract: In this all Black production made in the early 1950s and directed by an Afrikaner, a Zulu band leader, Daniel Makiza, returns to his village with a gramophone and musical instruments determined to start a Zulu jazz band. He takes his band to the city where their jazz contest performance constitutes the body of the film. This film, produced at the inception of apartheid, contains many of the clichés and self-delusions that were to make apartheid tenable. Thecosmetic world depicted is completely in harmony with Afrikaner Nationalist philosophy, a mass fantasy indulged by thousands of Afrikaners.
Director: Emil Nofal Distributor:Villon Films
Keywords: South Africa, Zulu, music, popular culture, history, urban life

Soul In Torment (Videocassette : 26 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 7479 Pt. 4 (PAL format)
Abstract: Deals with the massacres carried out in Zimbabwe after independence in 1980, featuring a member of the 5th Brigade whose deeds still torment him although he has tried the channels of official restitution. Part four of the Series Landscape of Memory. See also From the Ashes, I Have Seen=Nda Mona, and The Unfolding Sky.
Director: Prudence Uriri Distributor:Film Resource Unit [www.fru.co.za]
Keywords: Zimbabwe, independence struggles, history, politics, reconciliation

South Africa (Motion Picture : 27 min. )  [1968]
MP-16MM 245
Abstract: Describes the nature of the unusual historical background out of which modern South Africa has evolved, and the many social problems which the peoples of South Africa face. Discusses criticisms of the government's racial policies and shows why South Africa will probably not change very much within the near future.
Director: NA Distributor:McGraw-Hill Films
Keywords: South Africa, history, apartheid

Soweto: A History (Videocassette : 156 min. )  [1994]
V. CASS VHS 7521
Abstract: Completed on the eve of South Africa's first democratic election, a groundbreaking six part documentary series [each part is 26 minutes in length] which reclaims the untold story of South Africa's largest city. A wealth of extraordinary archive footage, personal and documentary photographs evoke the drama of daily life in Soweto. The six parts are: Building Matchbox City, Divide and Rule, Best of the Worst, This is Our Day, By War-the Era of the Comrades, End Beginnings. Accompanies the book by the the same name by P. Bonner and L. Seagal.
Director: Angus Gibson Distributor:Film Resource Unit, Johannesburg
Keywords: South Africa, Soweto, anti-apartheid movements, politics, history

Stage-Shakers! Ghana's Concert Party Theatre (Videocassette : 104 min. )  [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 7361
Abstract: Documents Ghana's concert party theatre by showing backstage preparation, live performance footage, and interviews with performers. Companion film to the book by Catherine Cole.
Director: Kwame Braun Distributor:Indiana University Press
Keywords: Ghana, history, music, theater, popular culture

Stories My Country Told Me: Tutu and the Rainbow Nation (Videocassette : 54 min. )  [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 6134
Abstract: 'You'll never be free until we are free,' said Archbishop Desmond Tutu to the white citizens of South Africa, and thanks to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, blacks and whites alike are finally free to put down the burden of guilt and come together as one people. This program follows a busy day in the life of Nobel Laureate Tutu in 1996, which begins with a tour through his Cape Town diocese and ends with a trip to Johannesburg to greet his mentor, Trevor Huddleston, on his return to South Africa.
Director: Tim May Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: South Africa, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Desmond Tutu, history, politics, apartheid

Strange Beliefs (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 2198
Abstract: Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard was the first trained anthropologist to do work in Africa, where he lived among the Azande and studied their belief in witchcraft. (Original release date 1985)
Director: Andre Singer Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Sudan, Azande, field research, anthropological history, Evans-Pritchard

Sudan: Black Kingdoms (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 5791
Abstract: A major gateway to sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan has seen the rise and fall of many powerful kingdoms and refined cultures-- and the key to understanding these ancient civilizations lies in the multitude of archaeological treasures that dot the landscape and that are still buried beneath the sands. This program follows the trail of the young French naturalist and pioneer Frédéric Cailliaud, whose account of his journey to Merowe in 1820 first sparked interest in Sudan. Excavations and artifacts provide insights into the way of life, beliefs, and accomplishments of the peoples who inhabited the region from Neolithic times onward.
Director: Alain Jomier Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Sudan, history, archeaology

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

Treasures of Tutankhamun (The) (41 Slides 41 )  [1976]
MEDIA 8
Abstract: Thomas Hoving, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, describes beautiful and representative objects from the tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamun (1334-1325 B.C.); the collection is on loan from the Cairo Museum in Egypt.
Director: NA Distributor:Metropolitan Museum of Art
Keywords: Egypt, Tutankhamun, history, art

Tree of Iron (The) (Videocassette : 57 min. )  [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 3448
Abstract: Documents archaeological work on ancient civilization in Africa. It also deals with African iron smelting. The tree in the film's title refers to an enormous tree of great antiquity that is the symbolic center of Haya iron production. Set in Tanzania, East Africa.
Director: Peter O'Neill and Frank Muhly, Jr Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Tanzania, Haya, iron, archaeology, history

Trokosi: Wife of the Gods (Videocassette : 25 min. )  [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 6445
Abstract: Documents a system of providing young girls as servants/slaves to priests among the Ewe people of southeastern Ghana. These 'inmates' (or wives of gods) must serve for an indefinite time as workers and wives to atone for family crimes that can date back to the 17th century.
Director: Kofi Boateng Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: Ghana, Ewe, women, slaves, religion, history

Tubali (Videocassette : 45 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 2656
Abstract: A film of Hausa architecture by Sabine Jell-Bahlsen. Builders, architects, and a museum curator talk about the history, building technology, social and religious aspects of Hausa architecture.
Director: NA Distributor:Ogbuide Corp.
Keywords: Nigeria, Hausa, architecture, aesthetics, technology

Uku hamba 'ze = To Walk Naked (Videocassette : 13 min. )  [1995]
V.CASS. VHS 5937
Abstract: In 1990 a group of South African women protested the destruction of their homes in the squatter camps of Dobsonville by the Afrikaaner National Government. Five years later the women reflect on their experiences and describe the social stigma of stripping themselves naked to protest their oppression.
Director: Jacqueline Maingard with Sheila Meintjes and Heather Thompson Distributor:Third World Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, women, housing, politics, history

Unbannings and Mandela Freed (The) (Videocassette : 44 min. )  [1992]
V.CASS. VHS 8671
Abstract: Portrays the events surrounding the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in South Africa.
Director: NA Distributor:Film Resource Unit, Video Library & Distribution Services
Keywords: South Africa, Nelson Mandela, politics, history

Unearthing the Slave Trade (Videocassette : 28 min. )  [1993]
V.CASS. VHS 2293
Abstract: On the eve of the American Revolution, New York City had the largest number of enslaved Africans of any colonial settlement outside Charleston. Though this has seldom been acknowledged, African labor was essential in the building of New York. Today, archaeological excavation of sites on both sides of the Atlantic is bringing to light aspects of the slave trade long buried in the liberal minds of those north of the Mason-Dixon line.
Director: NA Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: United States, New York City, slavery, slave trade, diaspora, archaeology, history

Unfolding of the Sky (The) (Videocassette : 26 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 7479 Pt. 3 (PAL format)
Abstract: Features a dialogue between an Afrikaans woman who has reported on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, and an African woman who has been a victim of the apartheid system in South Africa. Part three of the series Landscape of Memory. See also From the Ashes, I Have Seen=Nda Mona, and Soul in Torment.
Director: Antjie Krog and Ronelle Loots Distributor:Film Resource Unit [www.fru.co.za]
Keywords: South Africa, women, apartheid, reconciliation, history, politics

Village Theater in Senegal: Queen Ndate and the French Conquest (Videocassette : 14 min. )  [1983]
V.CASS. VHS 8673
Abstract: Amateur actors, members of a rural youth association in northwestern Senegal, perform in a play about the conquest of their region by the French in the 19th century.
Director: Jean Pol-Lefebore Distributor:Indiana University Audio-Visual Center
Keywords: Senegal, drama, youth, conquest, colonialism, history

Walk in the Night (A)= Nagstappie (Videocassette : 79 min. )  [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 4809
Abstract: Recounts a single terrible night when the fragile world of Mikey Adonis, a young coloured steel worker, disintegrates; illustrates how a decent man can be driven to an act of brutality by a racist society which humiliates him at every turn.
Director: Mickey Madoda Dube Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, race relations, history, feature film

War in Congo (DVD : 40 min. )  [2002]
DVD 8038
Abstract: Presents two stories about the struggle in Congo, capturing first a decade of crises including the Tutsi genocide in neighboring Rwanda, the resulting flood of refugees, the irreparable damage to Congo's wildlife, and the depredations against native Congolese and Rwandan refugees by Rwandan Hutu raiders and others. Following this, the focus narrows to the town of Shabunda, where a Catholic priest attempts to help his traumatized flock deal with the rape and murder it endures.
Director: hosted by Ted Koppel Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Congo, Rwanda, Tutsi, refugees, ethnic relations, environment, genocide, history

Waswahili: Lugha, Maisha na Desturi [language, culture and history] (Videocassette : 276 min. )  [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 1604 [V.1]
Abstract: Describes the life and some history of the Swahili coastal people of eastern Africa. Also describes customs and traditions and provides information about thelanguage, especially poetry writing. Writer: Lioba Moshi. (4 videocassettes: 276 minutes + guide)
Director: Sharon Camp Distributor:University of Georgia. Instructional Resources Center
Keywords: East Africa, Waswahili, language, literature, history

Welcome to the Human Race (Videocassette : 52 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 4541
Abstract: In Wolpert's earlier film, Mama I'm Crying, she documented the grassroots suffering and anger during the apartheid years. Now Wolpert follows up on some of the people from the earlier film, several of whom are now in positions of power in the new South Africa. This film shows the extraordinary meeting between two families: the eighteen-year-old son of the Zondos who was executed for planting a bomb which killed the seven-year-old son of the Smits. As the two families mourn together the loss of their children, a poignant and moving reconciliation takes place.
Director: Betty Wolpert, Matthew Wolpert Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, politics, history, social life, apartheid

Western Tradition (Videocassette : 56 min. )  [1989]
V. CASS. VHS 910
Abstract: Program 1. Introduction to the course; including the edifice sequence from Why Man Creates by Saul Bass. Begins historical overview at the end of the age of the giant reptiles and covers the origins of religion. Program 2. Covers the area known as the fertile crescent, and the Egyptian civilization. Explores the role of the gods and the pharaoh in the society. Executive Producer: Fred Barzyk in association with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Director: NA Distributor:Theo Annenberg/CPB Project
Keywords: Egypt, history, overview

Where Truth Lies (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [1999]
V.CASS. VHS 8932
Abstract: This moving film is about one of the many terrible cases to come before the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Twenty-two year-old student leader Siphiwo Mtimkulu, and his friend Topsy Madaka, were shot and burned in 1982 by the feared Security Police under the former apartheid government. Gideon Nieuwoudt - nicknamed 'Notorious Nieuwoudt' - was a colonel in the Security Police. He and his colleagues are responsible for the torture, poisoning, and death of numerous black activists, including Steve Biko. In 1995 a group of top Security Police officers got a court order to block Mtimkulu's family from giving evidence before the TRC, threatening to undermine the whole process. Forty-eight hours before the deadline expired, the officers finally applied for amnesty. Filmmaker Mark Kaplan documented the case for three years, during which time Nieuwoudt met with the Mtimkulu family seeking their forgiveness with unexpected and dramatic consequences.
Director: Mark J. Kaplan Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: South Africa, TRC, politics, apartheid, history, violence

White Girl in Search of the Party (Videocassette : 24 min. )  [2000]
VHS 9234
Abstract: In 1943 Pauline Podberry, the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants in South Africa, fell in love with the dashing trade union hero, H.A. Naidoo. The events that followed, including his listing as a Communist, their exile in Hungary and London, and H.A.'s disillusionment with the Communist Party and subsequent isolation, tell a complex story. Told through the eyes of Pauline, now living in Cape Town, and with the testimony of their daughters and friends, White Girl in Search of the Party is a film about history and heroes, and about how political passion and love are often intertwined. See also The Moon in my Pocket (Kgomotso Matsunyane) and Bubbles and me (Mary Human). Part of Love Stories, a series produced by Harriet Gavshon & David Jammy.
Director: Pat van Heerden Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Hungary, England, apartheid, Communist Party, race relations, love narratives

White Man's Country (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 52 min. )  [1973]
DVD 9265
Abstract: The first in a three-part series that traces Kenya's history from colonialism to independence, this film deals with the arrival of the first European settlers towards the end of the 19th century and explains how, over a period of time, the African inhabitants were deprived of much of their land. It charts the actions of the Imperial British East Africa Company and uses quotes from both official letters and private journals to reveal the motives of those who sought to make Kenya a white man's country. It also recalls the treatment the Africans received at the hands of their colonial masters and discusses the founding of the first political protest movement, led by Harry Thuku, who is one of the individuals interviewed and whose funeral in 1970 opens and closes the film. The documentary makes good use of a rare collection of photographs of the period. This film is part 1 of the Black Man's Land trilogy; see also Mau Mau (part 2) and Kenyatta (part 3).
Director: Anthony Howarth, David Koff Distributor:Cinemagician Productions
Keywords: Kenya, politics, history, colonialism, land

Wonders of the African World (Videocassette : 360 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 4892 Pt. 1-3
Abstract: Documentary film presents Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on the journey from Zanzibar to Timbuktu, the Nile River Valley to Great Zimbabwe, the slave coast of Guinea to the medieval monasteries of Ethiopia in search of the lost wonders of the African world. (3 videocassettes: 360 min.)
Director: NA Distributor:PBS Home Video
Keywords: Africa, civilization, history, overview

Ye Wonz Maibel (Deluge) (Videocassette : 62 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 4103
Abstract: Salem Mekuria looks at her family's history and the history and life of Ethiopia during her life.
Director: Salem Mekuria Distributor:NA
Keywords: Ethiopia, politics, revolution, youth, history

Yesterday in Rwanda (DVD : 14 min. )  [2005]
DVD 8259
Abstract: Yesterday in Rwanda is a haunting film that focuses on one survivor of the genocide and her experience of trauma, displacement and hope. Claire Wihogora emigrated to Canada in 1998, four years after her father, brother and countless other family and friends were killed. The film portrays Claire carrying on with her life today in Toronto, while inevitably haunted by terrible memories of Rwanda. On film she recounts how she and her sister hid in the brush while all around her people were massacred. Nothing can help her forget the hundred days when 800,000 members of the Hutu and Tutsi tribes were slaughtered. Yet she finds comfort in telling her story in schools 'to share it to make sure it never happens again.' Also, she has founded Women in Rwanda, which links female genocide survivors now living in North America in a support system. The film achieves a fascinating interplay of past and present, as images from Claire's everyday life in Toronto (grey tones) are differentiated from the images of Kigali rendered in color.
Director: Davina Pardo Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Rwanda, Kigali, history, civil war, genocide, emigration, NGO

You Can't Eat Potential: Breaking Africa's Cycle of Poverty (DVD : 57 min. )  [1996]
DVD 9104
Abstract: The world faces an impending catastrophe if nothing is done. In the context of the steepest rises of population in human history, world food security is an increasingly urgent issue. The film focuses on Africa, south of the Sahara, the region of the world most under threat of food shortages and where absolute poverty is increasing at an alarming rate. The key issue is the development of agriculture in this severely disadvantaged region. How this situation can be reversed is highlighted primarily by the experience in Tanzania, Ghana and Benin. The film explores the critical changes needed to reduce poverty and protect the environment in sub-Saharan Africa -- for example tackling the massive 'mining' of soil nutrients. Expert testimony is provided by Dr. Norman Borlaug (Nobel Peace Prize winner) as well as other distinguished agricultural scientists, and on the political front by Frederick Sumaye (Prime Minister of Tanzania) and Ibrahim Adam (Minister of Food and Agriculture in Ghana). The problems are huge, the situation is urgent, but there is vast untapped potential in the people and environments of the region. The right policies can avert a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions.
Director: Tony Freeth Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Tanzania, Ghana, Benin, poverty, food, development, agriculture, famine, environment, government

Zaire: Cycle of the Serpent (Videocassette : 58 min. )  [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 3270
Abstract: Documents five weeks in Kinshasa, chronicling life in the capital city and revealing the disparities in its social fabric. In addition to bourgeois traders, religious and military figures, we see beggars, transients and social outcasts, and Zaireans grieving for their dead, martyrs to an iron-gloved dictator.
Director: Thierry Michel Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Zaire, Kinshasa, history, social conditions, urban life

Zimbabwe Countdown (DVD : 52 min. )  [2003]
DVD 9101
Abstract: This documentary provides a personal insight into the plight of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) under the brutal regime of Mugabe. The filmmaker, Michael Raeburn, was a white Rhodesian who has spent his life chronicling events there. In 1969, he supported African nationalists in their hopes of ending colonial rule under the racist Ian Smith. Raeburn was expelled from his country and wrote a book applauding Mugabe¹s socialist vision of the future. In this film, Raeburn details how the liberation movement he once admired has been transformed into a reign of terror. To insure his re-election, Mugabe has tortured and murdered the opposition and triggered agricultural chaos and economic ruin. The land and homes of white farmers have been seized by government supporters, and their black farmworkers have been killed. Millions starve as a result of the chaotic land distribution. Zimbabwe had been a model of a postcolonial nation, and Mugabe had pledged to ensure a place for everybody in this country. Today, the optimism of liberation has turned to despair, with rage, riots, killing and starvation rampant throughout the land. And Michael Raeburn has been forced into exile a second time, because of the color of his skin.
Director: Michael Raeburn Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zimbabwe, Mugabe, Ian Smith, colonialism, government, politics, history, race, land

Zonk! (Videocassette : 58 min. )  [1950]
V. CASS. VHS 4561
Abstract: In the early 1950's, at the beginning of apartheid with its racial segregation and classification, this film was produced by Africans with an all Black African cast. It is a series of musical numbers, relying heavily on American Hollywood stereotypes of the black entertainer. The music ranges from 'Dixie' presentations to Harlem dance-hall, to Broadway top-hat and tie. In imitation of Al Jolson from the American minstrel tradition, one performance presents a black man imitating a white man in blackface.
Director: Hyman Kirstein Distributor:Villon Films
Keywords: South Africa, music, popular culture, history, race, apartheid

Zulu Dawn (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 117 min. )  [1986]
V. DISC 1143
Abstract: A dramatic and true story that recounts the breathtaking defeat of British forces at the hands of a 2,500 strong and determined Zulu army.
Director: NA Distributor:NA
Keywords: South Africa, Zulu, history, colonialism