African Studies Media Catalog
Search results:15 records
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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
Across the Frontiers (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1976]
V. CASS. 63
Abstract: An overview summarizing the other six programs in this series, particularly noting the westernization of some tribal cultures and a new awakening of ancient tradition among many tribes. Includes material on Dogon. (2 videocassettes: 52 min.)
Director: NA Distributor:Time-Life Films
Keywords: overview, social change, history
Angel Returns: Changing the Tradition of Female Circumcision (The) (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [2002]
VHS 9170/ DVD 8084
Abstract: This colorfully photographed film is set in Somalia, where the tradition of female circumcision is firmly entrenched. Isnino Ahmed Musso, a determined and articulate woman, wants change. More than most other films on this subject, this documentary shows clearly what problems a reformer faces. Circumcision is a tradition of family honor, a marketable commodity for dowries, a religious rite, a means to control women's sexuality, and what is often not expressed, a livelihood for the many women who perform this ritual. Circumcisers are viewed with respect and paid for their services. They lobby fiercely against its abolition. Isnino uses all methods at her disposal to change the mindset of her people, including radio debates, which is an effective way to reach an illiterate population. But often, after meeting with religious leaders and elders in villages, she realizes that her best hope is to encourage a transition from a full Pharaonic circumcision to the lesser Sunna-type, consisting of just a few small cuts. In Somali with English subtitles. Also available in DVD format (DVD 8084).
Director: Jacqueline Bakker Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Somalia, female circumcision, initiation rites, religion, clitoridectomy, ceremonies, media, social change, women, gender
Angel Returns: Changing the Tradition of Female Circumcision, The (DVD : 50 min. ) [2002]
DVD 8084/ VHS 9170
Abstract: This colorfully photographed film is set in Somalia, where the tradition of female circumcision is firmly entrenched. Isnino Ahmed Musso, a determined and articulate woman, wants change. More than most other films on this subject, this shows clearly what problems a reformer faces. Circumcision is a tradition of family honor, a marketable commodity for dowries, a religious rite, a means to control women's sexuality, and what is often not expressed, a livelihood for the many women who perform this ritual. Circumcisers are viewed with respect and paid for their services. They lobby fiercely against its abolition. Isnino uses all methods at her disposal to change the mindset of her people, including radio debates, which is an effective way to reach an illiterate population. But often, after meeting with religious leaders and elders in villages, she realizes that her best hope is to encourage a transition from a full Pharaonic circumcision to the lesser Sunna-type of just a few small cuts. Also available in videocassette format (VHS 9170).
Director: Jacqueline Bakker Distributor:Filmmakers Library
Keywords: Somalia, female circumcision, initiation rites, religion, clitoridectomy, ceremonies, media, social change, women, gender
Changing Paths: Female Circumcision in Mali. (Videocassette : 46 min. ) [2001]
VHS 9177
Abstract: In Mali ninety-three percent of the women are circumcised. This tradition is deeply rooted in village society where life is determined by respect for ancestors and a hierarchy based on age and gender. At an early age, girls are circumcised in order to allow them to 'live their life in purity and become good wives'. Female circumcision is not a subject that is easy to discuss in Mali. Educating people on the subject is therefore something that demands a great deal of patience and perseverance. Astan Diallo exhibits these qualities in abundance in her efforts to eradicate this practice. She works for a local NGO (non-governmental organization) and travels to several villages on her 'moped', talking to men and women about the health hazards of circumcision. She is sensitive to the respect that must be paid to the elders, and courteously approaches these decision makers before speaking to the younger generation. It is clear that there is little room for individual choice. As one girl says 'Whatever they decide, banning it or continuing it, I will do the same.' In French and Bambara with English subtitles
Director: Jacqueline Bakker Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Mali, Bambara, female circumcision, NGO, social change, women
Cutting Edge (The) (Videocassette : 10 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3804
Abstract: Documentary film, shot in the Kapchorway region of Uganda, looks at the success story of the REACH project in northern Uganda which replaces the dangerous practice of female genital mutilation with ceremonies for the exchange of cattle and gifts to welcome young girls into the adult community. Producer/director: Charlotte Metcalf. [See also Welcome to Womanhood, a follow up to this film].
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Uganda, women, social conditions, initiation rites, development projects, female circumcision
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 a Time of Violence (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 151 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 2797 v. 1-3
Abstract: The most controversial program broadcast on South African television, this film provides fascinating insights into the lingering divisions confronting the country as it attempts to forge a new post-apartheid national identity. A story concerning changing values, violent cultural and political clashes and conflict among black families in Johannesburg, South Africa. Writer: Oliver Schmitz. Three episodes: The Line, All on Edge, Fire with Fire.
Director: Brian Tilley Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, politics, social change, popular culture
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
Jie Trilogy (Videocassette NA ) [1980]
See Imdividual Titles
Abstract: Three films by David and Judith MacDougal: To Live With Herds [1980], Nawi [1970], Under the Men's Tree [1970]. See individual titles.
Director: David MacDougall Distributor:University of California. Extension Media Center
Keywords: Uganda, Jie, pastoralists, social change
Mapantsula (Videocassette : 102 min. ) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 1556
Abstract: Panic is a mapantsula, a Zulu term for a petty crook. Set in South Africa, he is imprisoned with anti-apartheid activists. There he is transformed into a man willing to become involved with social change.
Director: Oliver Schmitz and Thomas Mogotlane Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, popular culture, music, feature film
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
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
Songololo: Voices of Change (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 54 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 3228
Abstract: Examines the role of black resistance to apartheid in South Africa through a look at two of the nation's leading cultural activists and popular performers, poet Mzwakhe Mbuli and writer/performer Gcina Mhlophe. Through their poetry, music and storytelling, they show us the important role culture played in changing South Africa. In addition to interviews with, and dynamic performances by, both Mbuli and Mhlophe, the film includes rousing scenes of hostel dancing,church singing, township jazz and freedom songs.
Director: Marianne Kaplan Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, intellectual life, social conditions, politics and government, music, theater, poetry, popular culture, performance
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
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
Across the Frontiers (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1976]
V. CASS. 63
Abstract: An overview summarizing the other six programs in this series, particularly noting the westernization of some tribal cultures and a new awakening of ancient tradition among many tribes. Includes material on Dogon. (2 videocassettes: 52 min.)
Director: NA Distributor:Time-Life Films
Keywords: overview, social change, history
Angel Returns: Changing the Tradition of Female Circumcision (The) (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [2002]
VHS 9170/ DVD 8084
Abstract: This colorfully photographed film is set in Somalia, where the tradition of female circumcision is firmly entrenched. Isnino Ahmed Musso, a determined and articulate woman, wants change. More than most other films on this subject, this documentary shows clearly what problems a reformer faces. Circumcision is a tradition of family honor, a marketable commodity for dowries, a religious rite, a means to control women's sexuality, and what is often not expressed, a livelihood for the many women who perform this ritual. Circumcisers are viewed with respect and paid for their services. They lobby fiercely against its abolition. Isnino uses all methods at her disposal to change the mindset of her people, including radio debates, which is an effective way to reach an illiterate population. But often, after meeting with religious leaders and elders in villages, she realizes that her best hope is to encourage a transition from a full Pharaonic circumcision to the lesser Sunna-type, consisting of just a few small cuts. In Somali with English subtitles. Also available in DVD format (DVD 8084).
Director: Jacqueline Bakker Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Somalia, female circumcision, initiation rites, religion, clitoridectomy, ceremonies, media, social change, women, gender
Angel Returns: Changing the Tradition of Female Circumcision, The (DVD : 50 min. ) [2002]
DVD 8084/ VHS 9170
Abstract: This colorfully photographed film is set in Somalia, where the tradition of female circumcision is firmly entrenched. Isnino Ahmed Musso, a determined and articulate woman, wants change. More than most other films on this subject, this shows clearly what problems a reformer faces. Circumcision is a tradition of family honor, a marketable commodity for dowries, a religious rite, a means to control women's sexuality, and what is often not expressed, a livelihood for the many women who perform this ritual. Circumcisers are viewed with respect and paid for their services. They lobby fiercely against its abolition. Isnino uses all methods at her disposal to change the mindset of her people, including radio debates, which is an effective way to reach an illiterate population. But often, after meeting with religious leaders and elders in villages, she realizes that her best hope is to encourage a transition from a full Pharaonic circumcision to the lesser Sunna-type of just a few small cuts. Also available in videocassette format (VHS 9170).
Director: Jacqueline Bakker Distributor:Filmmakers Library
Keywords: Somalia, female circumcision, initiation rites, religion, clitoridectomy, ceremonies, media, social change, women, gender
Changing Paths: Female Circumcision in Mali. (Videocassette : 46 min. ) [2001]
VHS 9177
Abstract: In Mali ninety-three percent of the women are circumcised. This tradition is deeply rooted in village society where life is determined by respect for ancestors and a hierarchy based on age and gender. At an early age, girls are circumcised in order to allow them to 'live their life in purity and become good wives'. Female circumcision is not a subject that is easy to discuss in Mali. Educating people on the subject is therefore something that demands a great deal of patience and perseverance. Astan Diallo exhibits these qualities in abundance in her efforts to eradicate this practice. She works for a local NGO (non-governmental organization) and travels to several villages on her 'moped', talking to men and women about the health hazards of circumcision. She is sensitive to the respect that must be paid to the elders, and courteously approaches these decision makers before speaking to the younger generation. It is clear that there is little room for individual choice. As one girl says 'Whatever they decide, banning it or continuing it, I will do the same.' In French and Bambara with English subtitles
Director: Jacqueline Bakker Distributor:Filmakers Library, NY
Keywords: Mali, Bambara, female circumcision, NGO, social change, women
Cutting Edge (The) (Videocassette : 10 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3804
Abstract: Documentary film, shot in the Kapchorway region of Uganda, looks at the success story of the REACH project in northern Uganda which replaces the dangerous practice of female genital mutilation with ceremonies for the exchange of cattle and gifts to welcome young girls into the adult community. Producer/director: Charlotte Metcalf. [See also Welcome to Womanhood, a follow up to this film].
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Uganda, women, social conditions, initiation rites, development projects, female circumcision
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 a Time of Violence (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 151 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 2797 v. 1-3
Abstract: The most controversial program broadcast on South African television, this film provides fascinating insights into the lingering divisions confronting the country as it attempts to forge a new post-apartheid national identity. A story concerning changing values, violent cultural and political clashes and conflict among black families in Johannesburg, South Africa. Writer: Oliver Schmitz. Three episodes: The Line, All on Edge, Fire with Fire.
Director: Brian Tilley Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, politics, social change, popular culture
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
Jie Trilogy (Videocassette NA ) [1980]
See Imdividual Titles
Abstract: Three films by David and Judith MacDougal: To Live With Herds [1980], Nawi [1970], Under the Men's Tree [1970]. See individual titles.
Director: David MacDougall Distributor:University of California. Extension Media Center
Keywords: Uganda, Jie, pastoralists, social change
Mapantsula (Videocassette : 102 min. ) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 1556
Abstract: Panic is a mapantsula, a Zulu term for a petty crook. Set in South Africa, he is imprisoned with anti-apartheid activists. There he is transformed into a man willing to become involved with social change.
Director: Oliver Schmitz and Thomas Mogotlane Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, popular culture, music, feature film
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
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
Songololo: Voices of Change (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 54 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 3228
Abstract: Examines the role of black resistance to apartheid in South Africa through a look at two of the nation's leading cultural activists and popular performers, poet Mzwakhe Mbuli and writer/performer Gcina Mhlophe. Through their poetry, music and storytelling, they show us the important role culture played in changing South Africa. In addition to interviews with, and dynamic performances by, both Mbuli and Mhlophe, the film includes rousing scenes of hostel dancing,church singing, township jazz and freedom songs.
Director: Marianne Kaplan Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, intellectual life, social conditions, politics and government, music, theater, poetry, popular culture, performance
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
September 16, 2008: Geoffrey Nyarota
