African Studies Media Catalog
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21 Up South Africa (DVD : 68 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9883
Abstract: Featuring scenes shot in 1992, 1999 and 2006, this documentary follows the lives of South African children -- rich and poor, black, white and 'mixed race' -- from all over the country, from the townships to the bushveldt. In the process 21 Up South Africa offers unique insights into the social and political changes occurring throughout the country since the fall of Apartheid. First filmed as 7-year-olds in 1992, these 11 individuals are ordinary South Africans growing up at a time of enormous social change. We see them now at the age of 21 making their way in the new South Africa and, as we roll back time in this unique chronicle of their lives, we also see them aged 14 and 7. We see where they started -- in township slums, old-school mansions and white suburbs -- their world divided along racial lines, as the policy of apartheid begins to crumble. While the fall of apartheid presented them with new opportunities, it also confronted them with new challenges. In successive interview sessions, characterized by disarming honesty, touches of humor and sadness, we see how their attitudes and experiences changed regarding many issues, from race relations and educational opportunities, crime and unemployment, to marriage and the AIDS crisis, which has already claimed the lives of several of the children.
Director: Angus Gibson Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, psychology, child development, history, politics
Ainsi Meurent Les Anges = So Die the Angels (Videocassette : 57 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 7167
Abstract: Mory is a troubled Senegalese poet living outside Paris with his French wife and their children. We watch his marriage fall apart under cross-cultural pressures, specifically his father's demand that he take a second wife in Senegal. Homeless in winter, separated from his children, his poems scattered over a Paris street, Mory returns to Senegal, penniless and with uncertain prospects. At the same time, black-and-white sequences reveal the psychological origins of Mory's present malaise.
Director: Moussa Sene Absa Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, poets, marriage, immigration, feature film
Arusi ya Mariamu=The Marriage of Mariamu; Sharing is Unity=Ushirika ni Umoja (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [1985]
V. CASS. VHS 3968
Abstract: Two short films from Tanzania. Arusi ya Mariamu is a dramatization reflecting traditional African cultural patterns, focusing on healing with herbal remedies. Sharing is Unity is a documentary which emphasizes the sense of community that still remains in contemporary African village life. In Swahili with English subtitles (1st work); English narration (2nd work)
Director: Nangayoma Ng'oge, Ron Mulvihill Distributor:Gris-Gris Film
Keywords: Tanzania, country life, folk medicine, social life
Asylum: Fleeing Genital Mutilation. (Videocassette : 20 min. ) [2004]
VHS 9173
Abstract: Asylum is a powerful tale of a young Ghanaian woman whose life suddenly changes when her father insists that she undergo a bloody, life-threatening circumcision and then marry an old man. Although traditional circumcision is now illegal in Ghana, it is still practiced. Baaba Andoh had a happy childhood, raised by her mother who sold vegetables in the market place. Baaba had sought out her long-lost father to seek his blessing for her marriage to the man of her dreams. To her horror, she learned of her father's plan and fled her village. Her father, a man of some means, pursued her. Having no recourse but to leave the country, she obtained a false passport and a ticket to the U.S. with the help of friends. The INS spotted the forgery immediately and arrested her at Newark Airport. She spends a nightmarish year in prison before she is successful in obtaining political asylum. Her chilling story is not unlike that of many of the 7,000 women immigrants now being held in detention, awaiting legal representation and hearings on their claims.
Director: Sandy McLeod, Gini Reticker Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Ghana, USA, female circumcision, immigration, political asylum, women
Awa: A Mother in West Africa (DVD : 28 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7838
Abstract: This is an intimate portrait of a single mother in Burkina Faso who supports her six children through her street-side rice business. Like so many African women, Awa has received no formal education and operates within the informal sector earning, on average, about $3 a day. As Awa narrates her life story, she never pauses in her unending preparation of the rice. Her father forced her to marry his childhood friend, and she bore four children before her husband died. Her husband's three other wives resented this new favorite and would not help her once she was widowed. Sustained by her faith in God, she began a street vending business to survive. Marrying again, this time for love, she was soon abandoned but left with two more children to feed. The film takes us through Awa's arduous 16 hour workday, interspliced with interviews of her children who are grateful for her hard work on their behalf. Here is a glimpse of some of the economic realities faced by women today in urban Africa.
Director: Alexis Curtis Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Burkina Faso, economy, women, marriage
Becoming a Woman in Okrika (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 1844
Abstract: Five females, fifteen to seventeen years old, undergo a traditional rite of passage that used to be a necessary prelude to marriage in Okrika. This sequence of events takes place in the village of Ogbogbo, which is part of the Okrika community of Ijo-speaking people who populate the Niger Delta in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Director: Judith Gleason and Elissa Tesser Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Nigeria, Ijo, ritual , women, marriage
Boseman & Lena (DVD : 84 min. ) [2000]
DVD 7813
Abstract: Two ragged wanderers--the bearish Boesman and the wilier Lena -- meet on a riverbank, where they try to scavenge food and firewood in order to survive the night. As they talk, their bitterness about the ways their lives have gone begins to come out, as well as the tragedies they've suffered at the hands of a racist government. Gradually, you realize that they've been husband and wife in a relationship that has been plundered by the poisonous influence of apartheid, reducing them to a level in which they have to remind themselves of their own humanity and their ability to make human connections.
Director: Franocois Ivernel Distributor:Kino International
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, marriage, feature film
Child Brides (The) (Videocassette : 51 min. ) [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 5783
Abstract: In many parts of Africa, Asia, and South America, young girls are often engaged by the age of eight, and leave their homes to join their husbands by twelve. In many cases, the younger the girl, the more her family receives in the form of a dowry. This program travels to the most rural and poverty-stricken regions of Ethiopia to expose the common practice of child brides and the consequences for the young girls who often give birth before they are out of childhood.
Director: NA Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Ethiopia, marriage, ritual, gender
Chronicle of a Savanna Marriage (Videocassette : 56 min. ) [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 3816
Abstract: A unique view of the life and culture of the Maasai people in Kenya and Tanzania.
Director: Stig Holmqvist Distributor:MGM Home Entertainment
Keywords: East Africa, Maasai, marriage, gender, pastoralism
Everything Must Come to Light (Videocassette : 25 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 7489
Abstract: This documentary focuses on the lives of three dynamic lesbian women who are 'sangomas' (traditional healers) living in Soweto, South Africa. They are articulate, sympathetic women who are willing to share their stories. After leaving their husbands, two of the women were able to explore their sexuality in relation to other women as a result of their dominant male ancestors instructing them to take wives. The relationship with their ancestors and the roles that they play in their healing powers as well as their sexuality are focal points in this documentary. Narrated by Mpumi Njinge; featuring Jama Thobei, Lindi Mahlangu, Tshidi Machika.
Director: Mpumi Njinge, Paulo Alberton Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Soweto, sexuality, women, healing, marriage
Femmes aux yeux ouverts (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 4471
Abstract: Surveys social conditions faced by women in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Benin, including circumcision, forced marriage, AIDS, and economic repression. Examines grass-roots efforts toward education and improvement as Africa opens to democracy.
Director: Anne-Laure Folly Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, West Africa, HIV/AIDS, female circumcision, feminism, marriage, health, women
Finzan (Videocassette : 107 min. ) [1989]
V. CASS. VHS 1560
Abstract: Tells the story of two women's rebellion. Nanyuma, a young widow, refuses her brother-in-law, the village fool, when he asserts his traditional right to 'inherit' her. Fili, a young girl sent from the city by her conservative father, is brutally circumcised by the village women who are scandalized that she resists the age-old custom.
Director: Cheick Oumar Sissoku Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Mali, women, marriage, ritual, feature film
Hamar Trilogy (Videocassette : 3 V. min. ) [1994]
See Individual Titles
Abstract: Three films by Chris Curling focusing on the Hamar of Southwestern Ethiopia: The Women Who Smile' [1990], Two Girls go Hunting [1991], and Our Way of Loving [1994]. See individual titles. (3 videocassettes)
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, Hamar, women, marriage, rites and ceremonies
I Have a Problem, Madam (Videocassette : 59 min. ) [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 3254
Abstract: Run by female lawyers, FIDA-Uganda has set up several legal aid centers for women in domestic trouble. With the help of a weekly radio show, the centers fill daily with women waiting to tell their stories. FIDA lawyers attempt to reconcile the women and their men in face to face meetings, even if it means traveling to isolated villages. The attitudes of both men and women are beginning to change, but this slow process sometimes leads to conflicts between official and traditional law. A film by Maarten Schmidt and Thomas Doebele.
Director: Maarten Scmidt, Thomas Doebele Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Uganda, women, law, marriage, social conditions, development, family violence
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
In the Name of God: Changing attitudes Towards Mutilation (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1997]
VHS 9189
Abstract: Ethiopian women who refuse to be circumcised are called 'filthy dog.' There is a whole mythology going back thousands of years that such women are repulsive and unmarriageable. Even today, over 115 million women's genitals are mutilated by razors, scissors or even more primitive and painful methods. Twenty-five nations in Africa, in parts of Asia, and in Arabic countries maintain this practice and through refugees it is being performed in Europe and the U.S. On the bright side, there are small inroads being made. This film takes us to the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, one of the few places giving medical care to victims of infibulation. Here, recovered patients are even trained to assist doctors in repairing the damages to other women. An increasing number of Ethiopian women have started to protest against these ancient traditions, even giving out information in schools. But change will not happen overnight.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Ethiopia, education, female circumcision, infibulation, social condition, women
Justice at Agadez (Videocassette : 78 min. ) [2005]
VHS 9201
Abstract: In the Western African country of Niger, the official justice system of this former French colony is based on the Napoleonic Code. A small percentage of the population still subscribe to superstitious beliefs and seek the advice of traditional healers. But in this largely Muslim nation, many citizens seek justice from the local Islamic judge, or Cadi, who interprets Koranic law. Filmed in the village of Agadez in northern Niger, Justice at Agadez chronicles seven typical cases heard by the local Cadi. The film unobtrusively witnesses these seven 'stories' --small civil disputes, domestic conflicts, marriage problems, accusations of theft. With the small vestibule of his home serving as a 'courtroom,' the Cadi listens to the complaints and often heated arguments of all parties to the dispute -- sometimes just a husband and wife but at other times a room full of shouting people-- listening patiently, frequently posing questions and seeking clarification, before rendering his judgment. The movie not only demonstrates the power of Islamic religious beliefs in enforcing both moral and civil behavior, but also provides viewers with a rare opportunity to see how Islamic law actually functions on an everyday basis, unlike the manner in which it has often been sensationalized in the Western media.
Director: Christian Lelong Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Niger, justice system, Islam, Koranic law, law, religion, disputes, marriage
Kabala (Videocassette : 112 min. ) [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9144
Abstract: 'Kabala is a small West African village suffering from a terrible drought. The only source of water is a holy well that shows signs of contamination. The village elders decide that a traditional dance of fire is needed to bring life back to the village. Hamalla (Modibo Traoré), one of the village's many youths, prepares to join this sacred dance until his torch doesn't light, and he is cast out of the ceremony as doubts begin to surface about his legitimacy. Humiliated, he leaves the village and the woman he loves, Sokona (Djénéba Koné ), to work as a dynamite blaster in a distant mine. Four years pass, and Hamalla hears news of tragic fatalities in his village due to the tainted well water. He decides to return home to provide assistance. There he is reunited with Sokona, who is now betrothed to Hamalla's brother, Sériba (Fily Traoré), who already has a pregnant wife. The men's father, Babji (Baba Dabo), attempts to reconcile a violent dispute between his sons, suffering a severe heart attack. On his deathbed, Babji reveals a secret to Hamalla that explains why he was originally cast out of the sacred fire dance Hamalla's mother is the local witch, Bayassa (Nakani Koné). Their love was not allowed to exist; Babji was forced to raise Hamalla with a new wife. Hamalla tries to convince the village elders of the necessity to drill within the sacred well, but his entreaties are presumed to be a desecration of the village's spiritual symbol. Hamalla goes to Bayassa to tell her he knows she is his mother. He also confides his despair over Sokona's pending-marriage to his brother. Bayassa agrees to help Hamalla win back Sokona. Using her magical powers, Bayassa makes Sériba's marriage begin to sour. Sériba is unable to consummate the marriage, bringing much joy and laughter to Sokona and the local women. When Sériba learns of Bayassa's role in his impotence, he seeks the help of a male sorcerer who is unable to combat Bayassa's spell. A furious Sériba sets Bayassa's hut on fire. Hamalla comes to Bayassa's rescue, but his mother is severely burned. Before she dies, Bayassa manages to ensure that Sériba's first wife gives birth to a healthy baby. The sacred well has fallen into further disrepair, but when one of the staunchest objectors to Hamalla's plan falls deathly ill due to drinking the contaminated water, Hamalla makes a new case to the Kabalais of his ability to drill for cleaner water. In light of other recent deaths, the villagers agree to the plan if the Kabalais themselves can work on the project under Hamalla's guidance. When the whole village works on the well, fresh water springs forth --and Sokona is betrothed to Hamalla.' (Synopsis from http://www.globalfilm.org/library.htm) Originally released as a motion picture in 2002
Director: Assane Kouyaté Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Mali, ritual, traditional religion, witchcraft, water, feature film
Karmen Geei (Videocassette : 83 min. ) [2002]
V. CASS. VHS 7176
Abstract: Carmen in West Africa: Karmen escapes prison through her lesbian relationship with the warden. She then wrecks the marriage and career of a police corporal by making him her lover and co-conspirator in a smuggling ring. She abandons the corporal who, in a fit of jealous rage, stabs her. Like every Carmen, Karmen Gei is about the conflict between infinite desire for freedom and the laws, conventions, languages, the human limitations which constrain that desire. Since this is an African Carmen, freedom necessarily has a political dimension. Contains much singing and dancing.
Director: Joseph Gaï Ramaka Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, lesbianism, gender, music, opera, feature film
Married Life (Motion Picture : 45 min. ) [1970]
MP-16MM 262
Abstract: Compares five different marriages in five different places. Shows a wife with three husbands in the Himalayas, a couple in an affluent Englishcommunity, a man with three wives in New Guinea, a man with two wives in Botswana, and a young couple in Lancashire.
Director: NA Distributor:Films Incorporated
Keywords: Botswana, marriage, comparative overview
Masai Women (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 2083
Abstract: An ethnographic view of Maasai culture and society, focusing on the preparation of young Maasai girls for marriage and life in their society. Probes, through a candid interview with an older woman, the feelings of the Maasai women about polygamy and their inability to own property. Anthropologist: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies.
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Films Inc.
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, marriage, gender
Monday's Girls (Videocassette : 49 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 2585
Abstract: A grandmother named Monday Moses in Ogoloma, Nigeria is responsible for taking the young girls of the village through the rites of passage into womanhood so that they will be ready for marriage. Producer: Lloyd Gardner.
Director: Ngozi Omwurah Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Nigeria, initiation, marriage, women
Moolaadé (Videocassette : 124 min. ) [2004]
VHS 9130/DVD 9615
Abstract: Moolaadé is set in a small African village, where four young girls facing ritual 'purification' flee to the household of Collé Ardo Gallo Sy, a strong-willed woman who has managed to shield her own teenaged daughter from the procedure. Collé invokes the time honored custom of moolaadé (sanctuary) to protect the fugitives. Tension mounts as the ensuing stand-off pits Collé against village traditionalists -- both male and female -- and endangers the prospective marriage of her daughter to the heir-apparent to the local throne. Also available in DVD format (DVD 9615). See also The Making of Moolade.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Senegal, Dyula, female genital cutting, gender, women, ritual marriage, feature film
Neria (Videocassette : 100 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 2851
Abstract: Patrick and Neria, through shared hard work and resourcefulness, built a comfortable home, a good life and family in the city. But when their loving and equal partnership suddenly ends with the tragic death of Patrick, Neria's nightmare begins. Utilizing a new Zimbabwean law protecting women, the widow fights back. A box office hit in Zimbabwe.
Director: NA Distributor:KJM3 Entertainment Group/Documentary Educational Resource
Keywords: Zimbabwe, gender, law, marriage, development, feature film
Nirgendwo in Afrika = Nowhere in Africa (DVD : 135 min. ) [2002]
DVD 2290
Abstract: The German Jewish Redlich family flees in 1938 to Kenya, where husband and lawyer Walter finds work as a manager on a farm. While his wife Jettel struggles with their new life and its challenges threaten their marriage, their once shy daughter Regina blossoms. The film follws their efforts to adjust to the different cultures around them and the challenges that they face during the War. After the War is over Walter is offered a position as a judge in Frankfurt. After so many years in Kenya, should he go back and will his family go with him?
Director: Caroline Link Distributor:MC One
Keywords: Germany, Kenya, Jews, settlers, WWII, Holocaust, feature film
Not Afraid (Videocassette : 7 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8256
Abstract: Not Afraid tells the story of Cathy from Namibia, who is 36 and has four children. During her second marriage, she got pregnant four times but lost the baby on each occasion. During her fourth pregnancy she took an HIV test, and was told that she was HIV-positive as she was going into labor. Not only was she informed insensitively at an inappropriate moment with no counseling, she also received no special care for the delivery of her child. Born prematurely, her baby had to remain in hospital but did not survive. Cathy now counsels HIV-positive people. Part of Steps for the Future, a unique collection of documentaries and short films from Southern Africa about life in the time of HIV/AIDS (Volume 17).
Director: Carla Hoffmann Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Namibia, HIV/AIDS, pregnancy, counseling, Steps for the Future
Our Way of Loving (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 3281
Abstract: The third program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. This film shows Duka, now a mother with two young children. Her life is dominated by caring for them and her husband, Sago. Although Sago and Duka seem to have an affectionate marriage, he beats her when provoked. She accepts this behavior for she believes it is a man's way of loving. Film also shows the ceremony of Sago's cousin's initiation into manhood. Producer: Chris Curling. (Part of the Hamar Trilogy. Other titles include: The Women Who Smile and Two Girls Go Hunting.)
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, Hamar, women, social conditions, family, marriage, gender, rites and ceremonies
Return to Belaye: A Rite of Passage (Videocassette : 79 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8329
Abstract: Amy Flannery and her husband, Papis Goudiaby, return to Papis' village in Belaye, Senegal, to record his rite of passage into manhood. Amy and Papis are also married in the traditional manner.
Director: Amy Flannery Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Seengal, ritual, manhood, marriage
Right to Choose (The) (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8928
Abstract: Part of a series on how the globalized world economy affects ordinary people. Nibret is eleven -- and they're marrying her off to a man she's never met. Forced marriage isn't unusual in northern Ethiopia -- it helps to cement ties between families and establish land rights. Some Islamic leaders in northern Nigeria also advocate child-marriage. They believe women's role is to comfort men, and see nothing wrong with marrying girls as young as seven, often in polygamous marriages. This program reports on the dissonant voices arguing for change in local cultures -- and calls for reproductive health care and primary education for women and looks at widespread discrimination and violence against women.
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, Nigeria, women, children, marriage, human rights, land, education
Steps for the Future (Video Recording Series) (Videocassette NA ) [2001]
See individual titles 25 Cassettes
Abstract: Steps for the Future is a unique collection of documentaries and short films from Southern Africa about life in the time of HIV/AIDS. In 25 volumes. See individual title for descriptions: It's My Life, Wa 'N Wina, Simon & I, Looking for Busi, Body & Soul, Night Stop, Dancing on the Edge, A Miner's Tale, Mother to Child, Eclipse, A Fighting Spirit, Imita Ikula, Love in a Time of Sickness, A Red Ribbon Around My House, A Luta Continua, Heavy Traffic, 6000 a Day, Master Positive, Not Afraid, Guilty, The Moment, Dreams of a Good Life, Gotta Give, Ndodii, Big Balls, Ho Ea Rona, Tsoga, Let's Talk About It, Dispel Your Attitude, That's Me, Choose Life, The Ball, The Sky in Her Eyes, True Friends.
Director: Don Edkins (Series Producer) Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Southern Africa, HIV/AIDS, youth, marriage, romance, health, gay and lesbian, Steps for the Future
Tableau ferraille (Videocassette : 88 min. ) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 3795
Abstract: Tells the story of an idealistic young politician's rise and fall. Daam, a well-intentioned but vacillating European-trained politician, must choose between two social paradigms exemplified by his two wives. The film offers a view of how modernization, as practiced in today's Africa, corrodes traditional communities and retards grassroots development.
Director: Moussa Sene Absa Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, marriage, gender, modernity, development, politics, feature film
Turkana Trilogy (Videocassette : 245 min. ) [1982]
See Individual Titles
Abstract: Three films by David and Judith MacDougal: Lorang's Way [1980, 69 min], The Wedding Camels [1980, 108 min], Wife Among Wives [1982, 68 min]. See individual titles. [1980-1982]
Director: David and Judith MacDougal Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, marriage, gender, pastoralism
Two Girls Go Hunting (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 3282
Abstract: The second program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. This film shows Duka and her friend, Gardi, as they prepare to marry men they have never met. The film follows the build-up to the marriages, from the all night vigil with girlfriends, to farewells when the brides are taken away at dawn to the village of their husband's family, the arrival in the villages and the preparation of the prospective brides for the ceremony by the mother-in-law. Part of the Hamar Trilogy. Other titles include: The Women Who Smile and Our Way of Loving.
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, Hamar, women, social conditions, marriage, gender, rites and ceremonies
Wedding Camels (The) (Videocassette : 108 min. ) [1980]
V. CASS. VHS 2600/ DVD 8924
Abstract: An account of a marriage among the Turkana, a remote pastoral tribe of the dry thorn-country of northwestern Kenya. Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Shows the tensions that arise during bridewealth negotiations between the two families, and how these strain the old friendship between the bride's father and his future son-in-law. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and Wife Among Wives). In Turkana with English subtitles. Also available in DVD format (DVD 8924).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, pastoralism, wedding, ritual, gender, marriage, family
Wedding Camels (The): A Turkana Marriage (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 108 min. ) [1976]
DVD 8924/ VHS 2600
Abstract: An account of a marriage among the Turkana, a remote pastoral tribe of the dry thorn-country of northwestern Kenya. Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Shows the tensions that arise during bridewealth negotiations between the two families, and how these strain the old friendship between the bride's father and his future son-in-law. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and Wife Among Wives). In Turkana with English subtitles. Also available in videotape format (VHS 2600)
Director: David and Judith MacDougall. Distributor:Berkeley Media LLC
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, marriage, gender, pastoralism, family, ritual
Wife Among Wives (Videocassette : 68 min. ) [1982]
V. CASS. VHS 2532
Abstract: An ethnographic documentary of the Turkana of northern Kenya. This is an inquiry into the Turkana view of marriage. By David and Judith MacDougall. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and The Wedding Camels).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, gender, marriage, pastoralism
Wife for My Son (A) (Videocassette : 93 min. ) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 5923
Abstract: At age 18, Fatiha divides her time between home and school. But when her parents decide to marry her to Hussein, her only choice is to submit to their wishes. Writer/director: Ali Ghalem.
Director: Ali Ghalem Distributor:www.arabfilm.com
Keywords: Algeria, marriage, gender, literature, feature film
Women Who Smile (The) (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 3283
Abstract: The first program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. In this film Duka, a young unmarried Hamar girl learns what awaits her in life from the older women of her tribe. Their often humorous conversations range from pregnancy and growing old to relationships with men. Although the men are dominant, the women are not servile. Shows harvest celebrations and the blessing ceremony for a new baby. Part of the Hamar Trilogy. Other titles include: Two Girls Go Hunting and Our Way of Loving. Producer: Chris Curling.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, Hamar, women, marriage, social conditions, gender, rites and ceremonies
Xala (Videocassette : 119 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6977
Abstract: In a mythical African country, a rich, self-made businessman and member of the post-colonial ruling elite takes on a third wife to show the world his wealth, only to be stricken by a curse resulting in impotency. His efforts at getting cured lead to disastrous yet comical results.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, polygamy, marriage, social life, traditional beliefs, witchcraft, feature film
Xala (DVD : 123 min. ) [2005]
DVD 4946
Abstract: This savagely funny satire portrays El Hadji, a prosperous, self-satisfied, politically crooked modern businessman who is struck down by the xala (pronounced 'ha-la') - a curse rendering its victim impotent. While he chases after witch doctors and soothsayers on a frantic, often hilarious search for a cure, his impotence becomes a mirror of the powerlessness of young African nations overdependent on white technology. Unable to consummate his third (polygamous) marriage, and neglecting his business affairs and political activities as he seeks a cure, his social stature is stripped away, leaving him shamed and humiliated. And while humorous, there is a sympathy in his downfall at the hands of others who are even more corrupt than he is. Xala is a moving and comical look at a man caught up in the corruption of his country and the tribulations of a changing society.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, polygamy, marriage, social life, traditional beliefs, witchcraft, feature film
Zulu Love Affairs (DVD : 52 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8049
Abstract: Set in the verdant hills of Kwa-Zulu Natal, this is an intimate and spontaneous depiction of the lives of women left behind while their husbands, migrant laborers, work in the mines far away. By turns sad, touching or amusing, this film bears eloquent testimony to the ravages of an economic system which tears families apart to feed South Africa's insatiable mines. These women raise huge families, tend the fields, herd the cattle, and generally run village affairs. One says defiantly 'I'm the man of the house.' As they talk with each other and the filmmaker one hears many of the same joys and sorrows, angers and hopes as one would anywhere in the world. But here life is shaped by the absence of men, who seem to come home only to make children and contribute paltry pay to the subsistence of their families. Some women treasure their rare nights of passion with their husbands, while others resent their being left to languish in loneliness and sexual frustration. The filmmaker, a Western woman married to a Zulu musician has lived in the society. Her film captures the warmth and humor of the Zulu women, which they retain despite the challenges of their lives.
Director: Emmanuelle Bidou Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, Zulu, women, poverty, marriage, gender, migrant labor, economy, work
Page(s): 1
21 Up South Africa (DVD : 68 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9883
Abstract: Featuring scenes shot in 1992, 1999 and 2006, this documentary follows the lives of South African children -- rich and poor, black, white and 'mixed race' -- from all over the country, from the townships to the bushveldt. In the process 21 Up South Africa offers unique insights into the social and political changes occurring throughout the country since the fall of Apartheid. First filmed as 7-year-olds in 1992, these 11 individuals are ordinary South Africans growing up at a time of enormous social change. We see them now at the age of 21 making their way in the new South Africa and, as we roll back time in this unique chronicle of their lives, we also see them aged 14 and 7. We see where they started -- in township slums, old-school mansions and white suburbs -- their world divided along racial lines, as the policy of apartheid begins to crumble. While the fall of apartheid presented them with new opportunities, it also confronted them with new challenges. In successive interview sessions, characterized by disarming honesty, touches of humor and sadness, we see how their attitudes and experiences changed regarding many issues, from race relations and educational opportunities, crime and unemployment, to marriage and the AIDS crisis, which has already claimed the lives of several of the children.
Director: Angus Gibson Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, psychology, child development, history, politics
Ainsi Meurent Les Anges = So Die the Angels (Videocassette : 57 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 7167
Abstract: Mory is a troubled Senegalese poet living outside Paris with his French wife and their children. We watch his marriage fall apart under cross-cultural pressures, specifically his father's demand that he take a second wife in Senegal. Homeless in winter, separated from his children, his poems scattered over a Paris street, Mory returns to Senegal, penniless and with uncertain prospects. At the same time, black-and-white sequences reveal the psychological origins of Mory's present malaise.
Director: Moussa Sene Absa Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, poets, marriage, immigration, feature film
Arusi ya Mariamu=The Marriage of Mariamu; Sharing is Unity=Ushirika ni Umoja (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [1985]
V. CASS. VHS 3968
Abstract: Two short films from Tanzania. Arusi ya Mariamu is a dramatization reflecting traditional African cultural patterns, focusing on healing with herbal remedies. Sharing is Unity is a documentary which emphasizes the sense of community that still remains in contemporary African village life. In Swahili with English subtitles (1st work); English narration (2nd work)
Director: Nangayoma Ng'oge, Ron Mulvihill Distributor:Gris-Gris Film
Keywords: Tanzania, country life, folk medicine, social life
Asylum: Fleeing Genital Mutilation. (Videocassette : 20 min. ) [2004]
VHS 9173
Abstract: Asylum is a powerful tale of a young Ghanaian woman whose life suddenly changes when her father insists that she undergo a bloody, life-threatening circumcision and then marry an old man. Although traditional circumcision is now illegal in Ghana, it is still practiced. Baaba Andoh had a happy childhood, raised by her mother who sold vegetables in the market place. Baaba had sought out her long-lost father to seek his blessing for her marriage to the man of her dreams. To her horror, she learned of her father's plan and fled her village. Her father, a man of some means, pursued her. Having no recourse but to leave the country, she obtained a false passport and a ticket to the U.S. with the help of friends. The INS spotted the forgery immediately and arrested her at Newark Airport. She spends a nightmarish year in prison before she is successful in obtaining political asylum. Her chilling story is not unlike that of many of the 7,000 women immigrants now being held in detention, awaiting legal representation and hearings on their claims.
Director: Sandy McLeod, Gini Reticker Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Ghana, USA, female circumcision, immigration, political asylum, women
Awa: A Mother in West Africa (DVD : 28 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7838
Abstract: This is an intimate portrait of a single mother in Burkina Faso who supports her six children through her street-side rice business. Like so many African women, Awa has received no formal education and operates within the informal sector earning, on average, about $3 a day. As Awa narrates her life story, she never pauses in her unending preparation of the rice. Her father forced her to marry his childhood friend, and she bore four children before her husband died. Her husband's three other wives resented this new favorite and would not help her once she was widowed. Sustained by her faith in God, she began a street vending business to survive. Marrying again, this time for love, she was soon abandoned but left with two more children to feed. The film takes us through Awa's arduous 16 hour workday, interspliced with interviews of her children who are grateful for her hard work on their behalf. Here is a glimpse of some of the economic realities faced by women today in urban Africa.
Director: Alexis Curtis Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Burkina Faso, economy, women, marriage
Becoming a Woman in Okrika (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 1844
Abstract: Five females, fifteen to seventeen years old, undergo a traditional rite of passage that used to be a necessary prelude to marriage in Okrika. This sequence of events takes place in the village of Ogbogbo, which is part of the Okrika community of Ijo-speaking people who populate the Niger Delta in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Director: Judith Gleason and Elissa Tesser Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Nigeria, Ijo, ritual , women, marriage
Boseman & Lena (DVD : 84 min. ) [2000]
DVD 7813
Abstract: Two ragged wanderers--the bearish Boesman and the wilier Lena -- meet on a riverbank, where they try to scavenge food and firewood in order to survive the night. As they talk, their bitterness about the ways their lives have gone begins to come out, as well as the tragedies they've suffered at the hands of a racist government. Gradually, you realize that they've been husband and wife in a relationship that has been plundered by the poisonous influence of apartheid, reducing them to a level in which they have to remind themselves of their own humanity and their ability to make human connections.
Director: Franocois Ivernel Distributor:Kino International
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, marriage, feature film
Child Brides (The) (Videocassette : 51 min. ) [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 5783
Abstract: In many parts of Africa, Asia, and South America, young girls are often engaged by the age of eight, and leave their homes to join their husbands by twelve. In many cases, the younger the girl, the more her family receives in the form of a dowry. This program travels to the most rural and poverty-stricken regions of Ethiopia to expose the common practice of child brides and the consequences for the young girls who often give birth before they are out of childhood.
Director: NA Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Ethiopia, marriage, ritual, gender
Chronicle of a Savanna Marriage (Videocassette : 56 min. ) [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 3816
Abstract: A unique view of the life and culture of the Maasai people in Kenya and Tanzania.
Director: Stig Holmqvist Distributor:MGM Home Entertainment
Keywords: East Africa, Maasai, marriage, gender, pastoralism
Everything Must Come to Light (Videocassette : 25 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 7489
Abstract: This documentary focuses on the lives of three dynamic lesbian women who are 'sangomas' (traditional healers) living in Soweto, South Africa. They are articulate, sympathetic women who are willing to share their stories. After leaving their husbands, two of the women were able to explore their sexuality in relation to other women as a result of their dominant male ancestors instructing them to take wives. The relationship with their ancestors and the roles that they play in their healing powers as well as their sexuality are focal points in this documentary. Narrated by Mpumi Njinge; featuring Jama Thobei, Lindi Mahlangu, Tshidi Machika.
Director: Mpumi Njinge, Paulo Alberton Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Soweto, sexuality, women, healing, marriage
Femmes aux yeux ouverts (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 4471
Abstract: Surveys social conditions faced by women in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Benin, including circumcision, forced marriage, AIDS, and economic repression. Examines grass-roots efforts toward education and improvement as Africa opens to democracy.
Director: Anne-Laure Folly Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, West Africa, HIV/AIDS, female circumcision, feminism, marriage, health, women
Finzan (Videocassette : 107 min. ) [1989]
V. CASS. VHS 1560
Abstract: Tells the story of two women's rebellion. Nanyuma, a young widow, refuses her brother-in-law, the village fool, when he asserts his traditional right to 'inherit' her. Fili, a young girl sent from the city by her conservative father, is brutally circumcised by the village women who are scandalized that she resists the age-old custom.
Director: Cheick Oumar Sissoku Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Mali, women, marriage, ritual, feature film
Hamar Trilogy (Videocassette : 3 V. min. ) [1994]
See Individual Titles
Abstract: Three films by Chris Curling focusing on the Hamar of Southwestern Ethiopia: The Women Who Smile' [1990], Two Girls go Hunting [1991], and Our Way of Loving [1994]. See individual titles. (3 videocassettes)
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, Hamar, women, marriage, rites and ceremonies
I Have a Problem, Madam (Videocassette : 59 min. ) [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 3254
Abstract: Run by female lawyers, FIDA-Uganda has set up several legal aid centers for women in domestic trouble. With the help of a weekly radio show, the centers fill daily with women waiting to tell their stories. FIDA lawyers attempt to reconcile the women and their men in face to face meetings, even if it means traveling to isolated villages. The attitudes of both men and women are beginning to change, but this slow process sometimes leads to conflicts between official and traditional law. A film by Maarten Schmidt and Thomas Doebele.
Director: Maarten Scmidt, Thomas Doebele Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Uganda, women, law, marriage, social conditions, development, family violence
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
In the Name of God: Changing attitudes Towards Mutilation (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1997]
VHS 9189
Abstract: Ethiopian women who refuse to be circumcised are called 'filthy dog.' There is a whole mythology going back thousands of years that such women are repulsive and unmarriageable. Even today, over 115 million women's genitals are mutilated by razors, scissors or even more primitive and painful methods. Twenty-five nations in Africa, in parts of Asia, and in Arabic countries maintain this practice and through refugees it is being performed in Europe and the U.S. On the bright side, there are small inroads being made. This film takes us to the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, one of the few places giving medical care to victims of infibulation. Here, recovered patients are even trained to assist doctors in repairing the damages to other women. An increasing number of Ethiopian women have started to protest against these ancient traditions, even giving out information in schools. But change will not happen overnight.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Ethiopia, education, female circumcision, infibulation, social condition, women
Justice at Agadez (Videocassette : 78 min. ) [2005]
VHS 9201
Abstract: In the Western African country of Niger, the official justice system of this former French colony is based on the Napoleonic Code. A small percentage of the population still subscribe to superstitious beliefs and seek the advice of traditional healers. But in this largely Muslim nation, many citizens seek justice from the local Islamic judge, or Cadi, who interprets Koranic law. Filmed in the village of Agadez in northern Niger, Justice at Agadez chronicles seven typical cases heard by the local Cadi. The film unobtrusively witnesses these seven 'stories' --small civil disputes, domestic conflicts, marriage problems, accusations of theft. With the small vestibule of his home serving as a 'courtroom,' the Cadi listens to the complaints and often heated arguments of all parties to the dispute -- sometimes just a husband and wife but at other times a room full of shouting people-- listening patiently, frequently posing questions and seeking clarification, before rendering his judgment. The movie not only demonstrates the power of Islamic religious beliefs in enforcing both moral and civil behavior, but also provides viewers with a rare opportunity to see how Islamic law actually functions on an everyday basis, unlike the manner in which it has often been sensationalized in the Western media.
Director: Christian Lelong Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Niger, justice system, Islam, Koranic law, law, religion, disputes, marriage
Kabala (Videocassette : 112 min. ) [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9144
Abstract: 'Kabala is a small West African village suffering from a terrible drought. The only source of water is a holy well that shows signs of contamination. The village elders decide that a traditional dance of fire is needed to bring life back to the village. Hamalla (Modibo Traoré), one of the village's many youths, prepares to join this sacred dance until his torch doesn't light, and he is cast out of the ceremony as doubts begin to surface about his legitimacy. Humiliated, he leaves the village and the woman he loves, Sokona (Djénéba Koné ), to work as a dynamite blaster in a distant mine. Four years pass, and Hamalla hears news of tragic fatalities in his village due to the tainted well water. He decides to return home to provide assistance. There he is reunited with Sokona, who is now betrothed to Hamalla's brother, Sériba (Fily Traoré), who already has a pregnant wife. The men's father, Babji (Baba Dabo), attempts to reconcile a violent dispute between his sons, suffering a severe heart attack. On his deathbed, Babji reveals a secret to Hamalla that explains why he was originally cast out of the sacred fire dance Hamalla's mother is the local witch, Bayassa (Nakani Koné). Their love was not allowed to exist; Babji was forced to raise Hamalla with a new wife. Hamalla tries to convince the village elders of the necessity to drill within the sacred well, but his entreaties are presumed to be a desecration of the village's spiritual symbol. Hamalla goes to Bayassa to tell her he knows she is his mother. He also confides his despair over Sokona's pending-marriage to his brother. Bayassa agrees to help Hamalla win back Sokona. Using her magical powers, Bayassa makes Sériba's marriage begin to sour. Sériba is unable to consummate the marriage, bringing much joy and laughter to Sokona and the local women. When Sériba learns of Bayassa's role in his impotence, he seeks the help of a male sorcerer who is unable to combat Bayassa's spell. A furious Sériba sets Bayassa's hut on fire. Hamalla comes to Bayassa's rescue, but his mother is severely burned. Before she dies, Bayassa manages to ensure that Sériba's first wife gives birth to a healthy baby. The sacred well has fallen into further disrepair, but when one of the staunchest objectors to Hamalla's plan falls deathly ill due to drinking the contaminated water, Hamalla makes a new case to the Kabalais of his ability to drill for cleaner water. In light of other recent deaths, the villagers agree to the plan if the Kabalais themselves can work on the project under Hamalla's guidance. When the whole village works on the well, fresh water springs forth --and Sokona is betrothed to Hamalla.' (Synopsis from http://www.globalfilm.org/library.htm) Originally released as a motion picture in 2002
Director: Assane Kouyaté Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Mali, ritual, traditional religion, witchcraft, water, feature film
Karmen Geei (Videocassette : 83 min. ) [2002]
V. CASS. VHS 7176
Abstract: Carmen in West Africa: Karmen escapes prison through her lesbian relationship with the warden. She then wrecks the marriage and career of a police corporal by making him her lover and co-conspirator in a smuggling ring. She abandons the corporal who, in a fit of jealous rage, stabs her. Like every Carmen, Karmen Gei is about the conflict between infinite desire for freedom and the laws, conventions, languages, the human limitations which constrain that desire. Since this is an African Carmen, freedom necessarily has a political dimension. Contains much singing and dancing.
Director: Joseph Gaï Ramaka Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, lesbianism, gender, music, opera, feature film
Married Life (Motion Picture : 45 min. ) [1970]
MP-16MM 262
Abstract: Compares five different marriages in five different places. Shows a wife with three husbands in the Himalayas, a couple in an affluent Englishcommunity, a man with three wives in New Guinea, a man with two wives in Botswana, and a young couple in Lancashire.
Director: NA Distributor:Films Incorporated
Keywords: Botswana, marriage, comparative overview
Masai Women (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 2083
Abstract: An ethnographic view of Maasai culture and society, focusing on the preparation of young Maasai girls for marriage and life in their society. Probes, through a candid interview with an older woman, the feelings of the Maasai women about polygamy and their inability to own property. Anthropologist: Melissa Llewellyn-Davies.
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Films Inc.
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, marriage, gender
Monday's Girls (Videocassette : 49 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 2585
Abstract: A grandmother named Monday Moses in Ogoloma, Nigeria is responsible for taking the young girls of the village through the rites of passage into womanhood so that they will be ready for marriage. Producer: Lloyd Gardner.
Director: Ngozi Omwurah Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Nigeria, initiation, marriage, women
Moolaadé (Videocassette : 124 min. ) [2004]
VHS 9130/DVD 9615
Abstract: Moolaadé is set in a small African village, where four young girls facing ritual 'purification' flee to the household of Collé Ardo Gallo Sy, a strong-willed woman who has managed to shield her own teenaged daughter from the procedure. Collé invokes the time honored custom of moolaadé (sanctuary) to protect the fugitives. Tension mounts as the ensuing stand-off pits Collé against village traditionalists -- both male and female -- and endangers the prospective marriage of her daughter to the heir-apparent to the local throne. Also available in DVD format (DVD 9615). See also The Making of Moolade.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Senegal, Dyula, female genital cutting, gender, women, ritual marriage, feature film
Neria (Videocassette : 100 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 2851
Abstract: Patrick and Neria, through shared hard work and resourcefulness, built a comfortable home, a good life and family in the city. But when their loving and equal partnership suddenly ends with the tragic death of Patrick, Neria's nightmare begins. Utilizing a new Zimbabwean law protecting women, the widow fights back. A box office hit in Zimbabwe.
Director: NA Distributor:KJM3 Entertainment Group/Documentary Educational Resource
Keywords: Zimbabwe, gender, law, marriage, development, feature film
Nirgendwo in Afrika = Nowhere in Africa (DVD : 135 min. ) [2002]
DVD 2290
Abstract: The German Jewish Redlich family flees in 1938 to Kenya, where husband and lawyer Walter finds work as a manager on a farm. While his wife Jettel struggles with their new life and its challenges threaten their marriage, their once shy daughter Regina blossoms. The film follws their efforts to adjust to the different cultures around them and the challenges that they face during the War. After the War is over Walter is offered a position as a judge in Frankfurt. After so many years in Kenya, should he go back and will his family go with him?
Director: Caroline Link Distributor:MC One
Keywords: Germany, Kenya, Jews, settlers, WWII, Holocaust, feature film
Not Afraid (Videocassette : 7 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8256
Abstract: Not Afraid tells the story of Cathy from Namibia, who is 36 and has four children. During her second marriage, she got pregnant four times but lost the baby on each occasion. During her fourth pregnancy she took an HIV test, and was told that she was HIV-positive as she was going into labor. Not only was she informed insensitively at an inappropriate moment with no counseling, she also received no special care for the delivery of her child. Born prematurely, her baby had to remain in hospital but did not survive. Cathy now counsels HIV-positive people. Part of Steps for the Future, a unique collection of documentaries and short films from Southern Africa about life in the time of HIV/AIDS (Volume 17).
Director: Carla Hoffmann Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Namibia, HIV/AIDS, pregnancy, counseling, Steps for the Future
Our Way of Loving (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 3281
Abstract: The third program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. This film shows Duka, now a mother with two young children. Her life is dominated by caring for them and her husband, Sago. Although Sago and Duka seem to have an affectionate marriage, he beats her when provoked. She accepts this behavior for she believes it is a man's way of loving. Film also shows the ceremony of Sago's cousin's initiation into manhood. Producer: Chris Curling. (Part of the Hamar Trilogy. Other titles include: The Women Who Smile and Two Girls Go Hunting.)
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, Hamar, women, social conditions, family, marriage, gender, rites and ceremonies
Return to Belaye: A Rite of Passage (Videocassette : 79 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8329
Abstract: Amy Flannery and her husband, Papis Goudiaby, return to Papis' village in Belaye, Senegal, to record his rite of passage into manhood. Amy and Papis are also married in the traditional manner.
Director: Amy Flannery Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Seengal, ritual, manhood, marriage
Right to Choose (The) (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8928
Abstract: Part of a series on how the globalized world economy affects ordinary people. Nibret is eleven -- and they're marrying her off to a man she's never met. Forced marriage isn't unusual in northern Ethiopia -- it helps to cement ties between families and establish land rights. Some Islamic leaders in northern Nigeria also advocate child-marriage. They believe women's role is to comfort men, and see nothing wrong with marrying girls as young as seven, often in polygamous marriages. This program reports on the dissonant voices arguing for change in local cultures -- and calls for reproductive health care and primary education for women and looks at widespread discrimination and violence against women.
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, Nigeria, women, children, marriage, human rights, land, education
Steps for the Future (Video Recording Series) (Videocassette NA ) [2001]
See individual titles 25 Cassettes
Abstract: Steps for the Future is a unique collection of documentaries and short films from Southern Africa about life in the time of HIV/AIDS. In 25 volumes. See individual title for descriptions: It's My Life, Wa 'N Wina, Simon & I, Looking for Busi, Body & Soul, Night Stop, Dancing on the Edge, A Miner's Tale, Mother to Child, Eclipse, A Fighting Spirit, Imita Ikula, Love in a Time of Sickness, A Red Ribbon Around My House, A Luta Continua, Heavy Traffic, 6000 a Day, Master Positive, Not Afraid, Guilty, The Moment, Dreams of a Good Life, Gotta Give, Ndodii, Big Balls, Ho Ea Rona, Tsoga, Let's Talk About It, Dispel Your Attitude, That's Me, Choose Life, The Ball, The Sky in Her Eyes, True Friends.
Director: Don Edkins (Series Producer) Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Southern Africa, HIV/AIDS, youth, marriage, romance, health, gay and lesbian, Steps for the Future
Tableau ferraille (Videocassette : 88 min. ) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 3795
Abstract: Tells the story of an idealistic young politician's rise and fall. Daam, a well-intentioned but vacillating European-trained politician, must choose between two social paradigms exemplified by his two wives. The film offers a view of how modernization, as practiced in today's Africa, corrodes traditional communities and retards grassroots development.
Director: Moussa Sene Absa Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, marriage, gender, modernity, development, politics, feature film
Turkana Trilogy (Videocassette : 245 min. ) [1982]
See Individual Titles
Abstract: Three films by David and Judith MacDougal: Lorang's Way [1980, 69 min], The Wedding Camels [1980, 108 min], Wife Among Wives [1982, 68 min]. See individual titles. [1980-1982]
Director: David and Judith MacDougal Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, marriage, gender, pastoralism
Two Girls Go Hunting (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 3282
Abstract: The second program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. This film shows Duka and her friend, Gardi, as they prepare to marry men they have never met. The film follows the build-up to the marriages, from the all night vigil with girlfriends, to farewells when the brides are taken away at dawn to the village of their husband's family, the arrival in the villages and the preparation of the prospective brides for the ceremony by the mother-in-law. Part of the Hamar Trilogy. Other titles include: The Women Who Smile and Our Way of Loving.
Director: Chris Curling Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, Hamar, women, social conditions, marriage, gender, rites and ceremonies
Wedding Camels (The) (Videocassette : 108 min. ) [1980]
V. CASS. VHS 2600/ DVD 8924
Abstract: An account of a marriage among the Turkana, a remote pastoral tribe of the dry thorn-country of northwestern Kenya. Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Shows the tensions that arise during bridewealth negotiations between the two families, and how these strain the old friendship between the bride's father and his future son-in-law. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and Wife Among Wives). In Turkana with English subtitles. Also available in DVD format (DVD 8924).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, pastoralism, wedding, ritual, gender, marriage, family
Wedding Camels (The): A Turkana Marriage (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 108 min. ) [1976]
DVD 8924/ VHS 2600
Abstract: An account of a marriage among the Turkana, a remote pastoral tribe of the dry thorn-country of northwestern Kenya. Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Shows the tensions that arise during bridewealth negotiations between the two families, and how these strain the old friendship between the bride's father and his future son-in-law. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and Wife Among Wives). In Turkana with English subtitles. Also available in videotape format (VHS 2600)
Director: David and Judith MacDougall. Distributor:Berkeley Media LLC
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, marriage, gender, pastoralism, family, ritual
Wife Among Wives (Videocassette : 68 min. ) [1982]
V. CASS. VHS 2532
Abstract: An ethnographic documentary of the Turkana of northern Kenya. This is an inquiry into the Turkana view of marriage. By David and Judith MacDougall. Part of Turkana Trilogy (see also Lorang's Way and The Wedding Camels).
Director: David and Judith MacDougall Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Turkana, gender, marriage, pastoralism
Wife for My Son (A) (Videocassette : 93 min. ) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 5923
Abstract: At age 18, Fatiha divides her time between home and school. But when her parents decide to marry her to Hussein, her only choice is to submit to their wishes. Writer/director: Ali Ghalem.
Director: Ali Ghalem Distributor:www.arabfilm.com
Keywords: Algeria, marriage, gender, literature, feature film
Women Who Smile (The) (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 3283
Abstract: The first program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. In this film Duka, a young unmarried Hamar girl learns what awaits her in life from the older women of her tribe. Their often humorous conversations range from pregnancy and growing old to relationships with men. Although the men are dominant, the women are not servile. Shows harvest celebrations and the blessing ceremony for a new baby. Part of the Hamar Trilogy. Other titles include: Two Girls Go Hunting and Our Way of Loving. Producer: Chris Curling.
Director: NA Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, Hamar, women, marriage, social conditions, gender, rites and ceremonies
Xala (Videocassette : 119 min. ) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6977
Abstract: In a mythical African country, a rich, self-made businessman and member of the post-colonial ruling elite takes on a third wife to show the world his wealth, only to be stricken by a curse resulting in impotency. His efforts at getting cured lead to disastrous yet comical results.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, polygamy, marriage, social life, traditional beliefs, witchcraft, feature film
Xala (DVD : 123 min. ) [2005]
DVD 4946
Abstract: This savagely funny satire portrays El Hadji, a prosperous, self-satisfied, politically crooked modern businessman who is struck down by the xala (pronounced 'ha-la') - a curse rendering its victim impotent. While he chases after witch doctors and soothsayers on a frantic, often hilarious search for a cure, his impotence becomes a mirror of the powerlessness of young African nations overdependent on white technology. Unable to consummate his third (polygamous) marriage, and neglecting his business affairs and political activities as he seeks a cure, his social stature is stripped away, leaving him shamed and humiliated. And while humorous, there is a sympathy in his downfall at the hands of others who are even more corrupt than he is. Xala is a moving and comical look at a man caught up in the corruption of his country and the tribulations of a changing society.
Director: Ousmane Sembène Distributor:New Yorker Films
Keywords: Senegal, polygamy, marriage, social life, traditional beliefs, witchcraft, feature film
Zulu Love Affairs (DVD : 52 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8049
Abstract: Set in the verdant hills of Kwa-Zulu Natal, this is an intimate and spontaneous depiction of the lives of women left behind while their husbands, migrant laborers, work in the mines far away. By turns sad, touching or amusing, this film bears eloquent testimony to the ravages of an economic system which tears families apart to feed South Africa's insatiable mines. These women raise huge families, tend the fields, herd the cattle, and generally run village affairs. One says defiantly 'I'm the man of the house.' As they talk with each other and the filmmaker one hears many of the same joys and sorrows, angers and hopes as one would anywhere in the world. But here life is shaped by the absence of men, who seem to come home only to make children and contribute paltry pay to the subsistence of their families. Some women treasure their rare nights of passion with their husbands, while others resent their being left to languish in loneliness and sexual frustration. The filmmaker, a Western woman married to a Zulu musician has lived in the society. Her film captures the warmth and humor of the Zulu women, which they retain despite the challenges of their lives.
Director: Emmanuelle Bidou Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, Zulu, women, poverty, marriage, gender, migrant labor, economy, work
September 16, 2008: Geoffrey Nyarota
