The Institute of African Studies

African Studies Media Catalog

Film, Media and Video Resources for African Studies

Please send information about relevant purchase requests and items for inclusion in this catalogue to the Institute of African Studies (404-727-6402; ). Please include as much information as possible. Additional copies of the catalogue are available through the Institute of African Studies.

2. The Present, Benin's People (DVD 8381)
Osaigbovo and Adesuwa are anxious to get home from school because they are having a birthday party. We observe the preparations--getting dressed, cooking food--and join in the celebration while discovering that life in Benin City today is a mixture of the modern and the traditional, Western and Nigerian.

3. Traders, the City, and Men from Over the Sea (DVD 8382)
There is still a king or Oba of Benin today, and he still dispenses justice to his people. He lives in a very traditional world but has received a British university eduction. Contrasts like these are commonplace in modern Nigeria; the children shop in the tumult of a traditional market and go to a supermarket to buy plastic toys made in China. Overseas trade is not new to Benin; it was taking place long before the white man arrived.

4. Emotan and the Fugitive Prince (DVD 8383)
The dance drama retells the legend of how Prince Ogun was banished and his brother usurped the throne. With the help of a widow, the loyal Emotan, he manages to regain his rightful throne to rule his people wisely and well. This tale of magic and revenge is firmly based in history.

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

Benjamin and His Brother (DVD: 87 min.) [2002]
DVD7071
Abstract: Tells the story of Benjamin and William Deng, two young Sudanese men who left Sudan in the mass exodus of boy refugees in 1987. This group became known as the Lost Boys, and in 2001, the U.S. government began a project to resettle them from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya to the United States. William went to Houston, Texas, and eventually was reunited with his grandmother and other relatives in Kansas City. Benjamin remained at the refugee camp and is waiting to be allowed to emigrate.
Director: Arthur Howes Distributor: Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Kenya, Sudan, Kakuma refugee camp, orphans, immigrants, civil war

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

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

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

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

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

Born Slave (DVD: 52 min.) [2004]
DVD 8215
Abstract: It is shocking to see that slavery still exists in contemporary Mauritania, even though it is outlawed on the books since 1981. It is estimated that there are 100,000 people enslaved there. This remarkable documentary, shot secretly by the production team disguised as tourists, provides the outside world's first look at this human rights abuse. The child of a slave woman belongs to her master. From the time it can walk, it is put to work and can also be given away to others. In the film we meet sixteen-year-old Bilal who was only two when his mother escaped and left him with his master. He finally ran away and found his mother in the slums of the capital. They describe their lives as mistreated and humiliated unpaid workers, explaining that the masters often use religion to frighten their slaves into submission. Boubacar Messaoud, leader of the organization SOS Slave, gives us the historical and sociological background of slavery.
Director: Helen Aastrup-Samuels and Bo Harringer Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Mauritania, slavery, human rights, labor

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

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

Chip of Glass Ruby (A) (DVD: 20 min.) [2005]
DVD 7923
Abstract: The celebrated South African writer Nadine Gordimer describes her short story about the relationship of a Muslim Indian couple in South Africa in the 1950s. With clips from the film version of the story, the author describes how she writes and why she wrote this particular story, and comments on the role of writing in the social and political context of South Africa.
Director: Ross Devenish Distributor: Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: South Africa, East Indians, Gordimer, literature, apartheid, race

Choosing Exile (DVD: 55 min.) [2003]
DVD 8241
Abstract: Filmmaker Marc Radomsky is third generation South African. His grandfather emigrated from Lithuania to escape pogroms. The family established their roots in Johannesburg and prospered. However Marc and his wife see that growing lawlessness and crime in post-Apartheid South Africa has driven the white community into gated communities where armed guards, attack dogs and barbed wire are the brutal signs of the need for increased security. Marc and his wife Vivianne have made the painful decision to emigrate to Australia. Their close-knit family, threatened with separation, tries to prevail upon the couple to reconsider. The camera captures the painful unravelling of their interconnected lives. Their parents will now be deprived of participating in the lives of their grandchildren, and their sobbing seven-year old tries to grasp why he must leave his dog behind. But leave they do, to an apparently welcoming new country, and hopefully a brighter future. Choosing Exile is a portrait of some of the current conditions in South Africa, as well as an intense portrait of the pain of emigration.
Director: Marc Radomsky Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, Johannesburg, crime, emigration and immigration, family

Coffee-Go-Round, The (DVD: 26 min.) [2005]
DVD 7920
Abstract: Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world - a major cash crop for many poor, developing countries trying to trade their way out of poverty. Coffee promises to increase developing countries' share of income from agricultural products on world markets - in line with Millennium Development Goal No 8's commitment to a global partnership for development. But for the last 10 years the international coffee industry has been in crisis - and many coffee-producing countries are facing disaster. The world's 25 million coffee farmers receive less than one per cent of the price of a cup of coffee sold in a coffee bar. Life visits Ethiopia, the cradle of coffee cultivation, and speaks to players in the international coffee trade to find out how individual coffee growers can survive the boom and bust of the global coffee market.
Director: Joost de Haas Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, coffee, industry, agriculture, development, economy, trade

Continent that Overslept: Africa, The (DVD: 58 min.) [2005]
DVD 8285
Abstract: The award-winning investigative team of Heilbuth and Bulow (Battle of the Titans) produced this thoroughly researched program with a bold disregard for political correctness. They met with a new generation of African businessmen and intellectuals who addressed the appalling lack of progress. These Africans are outraged at the widening gap between the rich heads of state and poor subjects; the lack of a work ethic among African workers; and the fact that famine still claims so many lives when Africa could easily feed itself. The film shows that Africa is a rich area: it has 70% of the world's cobalt reserves; 46% of its diamonds; 44% of its chrome; and great hydroelectric power potential. Contrary to popular belief, Africa is not densely populated. The young, educated Africans feel that colonialism and the rich countries of the world can no longer be blamed for all the ills of Africa. As one African journalist says, 'It is unfortunate and shameful to see Africa with all her potential, always turning to the West and saying 'Give us this, give us that.' A young Kenyan businessman says he is embarrassed by an economy built on aid. Yet, he believes that a change is taking place across Africa and 'we have to take our place amongst the nations.'
Director: Poul Erik Heilbuth and Hans Bulow Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: economy, politics, government, development

Cry Freetown, Return to Freetown (Videocassette: 134 min.) [2005]
VHS 7205
Abstract: In Cry Freetown, Sierra Leonean filmmaker, Sorious Samura documents the civil war in Freetown, Sierra Leone. In Return to Freetown, filmmaker Sorious Samura returns to Sierra Leone and talks with three of the children who were abducted and forced to become soldiers in the civil war. Thousands were taken from their families by a ruthless rebel leader and turned into killers.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor: Insight News Tv
Keywords: Sierra Leone, economy, civil war, youth

Cry of the Owl: The Himba in Namibia (DVD: 70 min.) [2005]
DVD 8842
Abstract: In Namibia, in one of the most desolate regions of Africa, lives the Himba tribe, one of the last tribes trying to maintain a traditional way of life. Today the modern world is pressing in on them. Coupled with the real menace of HIV/AIDS, the Himba find their situation threatened from all sides. The film reveals the everyday lives of one family in an intimate manner. They open their home to us, and their hearts as well, as over the course of one year they share their innermost thoughts, desires and fears.

Big Mama, the head of the clan, has been diagnosed with a life-threatening case of tuberculosis. She is hospitalized in the nearest town which is hundreds of miles away from the village. Without her presence, the clan finds it hard to cope. On top of their worries about losing her, they have to deal with a mysterious cattle disease that is killing their herd at an alarming rate. The film follows three generations of strong Himba women, as they raise their children, trying to cope with the immense difficulties to simply survive.
Director: Erez Laufer Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Nambia, Himba, HIV/AIDS, women, family, health

Cultivating Opportunity: Self-Help Solutions to Poverty in the U.S. and Africa (Videocassette: 28 min.) [1997]
VHS 9327
Abstract: Willie Head, Jr. is struggling to hold on to his farm-70 acres in southeast Georgia. Willie is one of the remaining 18,000 African Americans who are losing their land at the rate of a thousand acres a day. Teresa Massango, a farmer in Mozambique in southeast Africa, is among the 80 percent of Mozambicans who depend on their land to feed themselves. They've faced war and famine, and are now threatened by investors wanting to profit from Mozambique's cheap land and labor. Cultivating Opportunity tells the inspiring story of how poor communities in Mozambique and the United States are creating opportunities to better their lives. Their work is a road map to ending hunger and poverty, a journey that begins within the communities themselves. In Cultivating Opportunity communities in vastly different parts of the world demonstrate surprising similarities in the self-help solutions they champion to fight poverty. The video shows how these communities are creating the opportunities they need. Willie says, 'I don't care what profession you're in; to just work hard doesn't do it. To just be committed doesn't do it. The opportunity must be there...'
Director: Michael Sheridan Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Mozambique, Georgia, development, farming, poverty

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

Daratt (also known as Dry Season and Saison sèche (DVD: 96min min.) [2006]
DVD 8778
Abstract: The government of Chad granted amnesty to war criminals in 2006, following forty years of civil strife. Atim, age 16, is given a revolver by his grandfather so that he may find and kill the man who killed his father. Atim quickly locates Nassara, now married and living as a baker in a nearby village. Pretending to be looking for work, Atim is hired as an apprentice baker. Despite his disgust, Atim gradually recognizes the father figure he has always needed. Nassara sees the teenager as a potential son and one day proposes adoption.
Director: Mahamet-Saleh Haroun Distributor: ArtMattan Productions
Keywords: Chad, family, war, reconciliation, feature film

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

Dead Mums Don't Cry (DVD: 49 min.) [2006]
DVD 7635
Abstract: Becoming a mother in Africa can be among the most frightening and dangerous jobs in the world. This program investigates why more than half a million women die every year in pregnancy and childbirth. Dead Mums Don't Cry documents one woman's remarkable struggle to stop mothers in her country from dying. She's Grace Kodindo - an obstetrician in the poverty-stricken central African country of Chad. Women in Chad have a 1 in 11 chance of dying during pregnancy or in childbirth. The risk for women in the UK is 1 in 5100. Cutting maternal mortality by 75% by 2015 was one of the eight Millennium Development Goals set by 189 countries in 2000. Five years on, progress is far behind schedule - and this film reveals it's slowest on the goals that affect women and children. But Dead Mums Don't Cry shows there is reason for hope. A few poor countries have succeeded in saving mothers' lives. BBC reporter Steve Bradshaw and Grace Kodindo travel to Honduras, which has cut maternal mortality far faster than some wealthier neighbors. A key reason is that influential men and women cared enough to make the issue a priority.
Director: Grace Kodindo, Tristan Quinn Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Chad, pregnancy, motherhood, health, development

Debt of Dictators (The) (DVD: 46 min.) [2005]
DVD 9422
Abstract: The Debt of Dictators is the first film to expose the nefarious lending of billions of dollars by multinational banks and international financial institutions to brutal dictators throughout the world. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, asserts that transnational banks 'know the price of everything, but have no values.' The Debt of Dictators reveals the impoverishment resulting from the odious debts incurred to multinational lending institutions by these dictators. The film transports viewers to Argentina, South Africa, and the Philippines, where they come face to face with those suffering from the sacrifice of essential social services in order to repay these illegitimate debts.
Director: Erling Borgen Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, debt, economics, dictatorship, politics, poverty, development

Diamonds of War (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 50min min.) [2007]
DVD 8987
Abstract: In the diamond-rich West African nation of Sierra Leone, rebels used the precious gems to bankroll a violent ten-year insurrection, leaving a terrorized population and a ravaged landscape in its wake.
Director: NA Distributor: Warner Home Video
Keywords: Sierra Leone, diamonds, mining, war, violence, economy

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

Equatorial Guinea: Drowning in Oil? (DVD: 35 min.) [2003]
DVD 8456
Abstract: In 1995, U.S. oil companies arrived in Equitorial Guinea in West Africa and found petroleum. Guinea has now become the third biggest oil-producing nation in sub-Saharan Africa, with production at 300,000 barrels a day. Because of its location, away from the Arabian peninsula, Guinea is important to the U.S. since it helps the U.S. in its goal to diversify its sources of oil. Throughout its Spanish colonial past and until the discovery of oil, the raising of cocoa crops was the only economic activity. Sarah Wykes, Global Witness NGO says that '...although the country will have about $700 million in oil revenues per year there has been no improvement in the development of the country. It isn't benefiting the people of Guinea.' Where is the money going? John Bennett, the ex-US Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea says that President Obiang, considered a dictator by many, is stealing much of the oil money (estimated at $1.5 to 2 billion over the past nine years) and depositing it offshore. Besides financial corruption, the government suppresses and even imprisons the leaders of the political opposition. The human rights violations and the lack of democracy are tolerated by the governments of the West in order to support U.S. oil interests.
Director: Lluis Jene and Enric Miro Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Equatorial Guinea, oil, industry, NGO, development, corruption, government, human rights

Ezra (DVD: 105 min.) [2007]
DVD 9460
Abstract: Tells the story of Ezra, a young boy kidnapped and forced to become a soldier with a rebel faction in the Sierra Leone civil war. Ten years later, he is before a truth and reconciliation commission and made to revisit and understand his crimes so as to begin the process of psychological healing.
Director: Carlos Arango de Montis Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Sierra Leone, wara, children, reconciliation, psychology

Farewell, GDR (Videocassette: 25 min.) [1991]
VHS 9316
Abstract: In the 1980s, many young Mozambicans left their native land to seek better lives in Germany. Once there, they found themselves in a hostile land where they were openly slurred and where police did not intercede when they were beaten. When this inhospitable welcome caused many to repatriate, they often found themselves outsiders in their homeland. Groups calling themselves ninjas antagonize the returning Mozambicans, treating them as 'Europeans lost in Africa.' And they must still face the economic hardships which they fled in the first place.
Director: Licinio Azevedo Distributor: First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords: Mozambique, Germany, immigration, economy, youth

Farmers of Gaho, The (Videocassette: 21 min.) [1998]
VHS 9331
Abstract: Over the generations, the farmers of the village of Gaho in southern Ethiopia have developed unique farming techniques that enable them successfully to grow crops in their arid environment. The preservation and enhancement of their soil is the villagers' most important priority. They accomplish this through constant weeding and composting. To trap water and prevent erosion, they build stone terraces on hilly terrain and earth embankments on level ground. Amongst the crops they grow successfully in this land of undependable rainfall are sorghum, sunflower, rapeseed, coffee, cassava, and yam. Farm Africa, an NGO promoting sustainable agriculture, has enabled the farmers of Gaho to experiment with new sorghum varieties resistant to pests, and requiring less moisture. It has also enabled Gaho's women to purchase livestock to be used for meat and sold in the region for supplemental income. Although each farmer has his own plot of land, cultivation and maintenance are communal endeavors. A common area is tilled and planted, and the yield of this area is stored for distribution during times of scarcity.
Director: Bill Locke Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, arid regions, agriculture, sustainability, NGO, development

Femmes du Niger: entre integrisme et democratie (Videocassette: 26 min.) [1993]
VHS 9416
Abstract: Niger is a traditionally Islamic country where authorized polygamy and Muslim fundamentalism clash with the country's struggle for democracy. In elections in 1993, men voted by proxy for their different wives and daughters. Women who speak out about their rights have been physically attacked and excommunicated by the ayatollahs. Working together, women are the most ardent defenders of democracy, which offers the best hope of winning the equal rights which are still denied them. Critical viewing for those interested in women's human rights and the impact of fundamentalism.
Director: Anne-Laure Folly Distributor: Women Make Movies
Keywords: Niger, women, Islam, human rights, government, religion

Fishers of Dar (DVD: 37 min.) [2002]
DVD 8240
Abstract: Using no narration or commentary, this film shows the traditional fishing practices of the communites of Kivukoni and Kundichi in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and the hundreds of people who make a living in the process.
Director: Lina Fruzzetti Distributor: NA
Keywords: Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, trade, fishing, food, economy

Flip-Flotsam (DVD: 26 min.) [2003]
DVD 8239
Abstract: This beautifully photographed, charming documentary traces the fantastic journey of Africa's most popular shoes: the flip-flop. Easily bought, quickly discarded, for Westerners the flip-flop stands as a symbol of the summer holiday. But in its African homeland, it has a unique life cycle, and their story reveals much about Africa¹s economy and culture. The flip-flops' journey begins in the factories of Mombasa, where 20 million pairs a year are made. Cheap and colorful, they have become an integral part of Swahili dress and are everywhere: aboard dhows and donkeys, bearing loads and left waiting for their owners on mosque door steps. Worn-out ones are taken to the cobblers who specialize in flip-flop maintenance. But some are too damaged to repair and are discarded. Every May, the monsoon rains wash rubbish into the ocean where the flip-flops' buoyancy allows them to host barnacles and crabs. Finally they come to rest further down the African coast. The colorful debris is prized by vilagers who ingeniously carve the flip-flops into toys and mobiles, fuelling a new cottage industry that provides precious income for many families. Newly transformed, the flip-flops are transported back to the shop-lined shores of Mombasa -- where their journey first began.
Director: Etienne Oliff Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Mombasa, Swahili, economy, clothing, recycled products, crafts

Force d'art: Voix de Femmes en Afrique, La = The Power of Art: Women's Voices in Africa (DVD: 51 min.) [2007]
DVD 8627
Abstract: The idea of culture is evolving, and is no longer simply a static collection of knowledge, values and practices, shared and transmitted by a community, but a dynamic reality. La Force d'art: Voix de Femmes en Afrique explores how contemporary women who choose to be professional artists reach their position and battle stereotypes associated with their African-ness and their identity as women. The film also explores the role an artist can play in addressing the problems that women face on the African continent. Artists interviewed include Aminata Diaw Cisse, Gabi Ngobo, Penny Siopis, Pelagie Gbaguidi, Marie-Blanche Ouedraogo, Zainab Toyosi Odunsi, Suzanne Ouedragog, Mawa Kone, Fatoumata Diabater and others.
Director: Claudine Pommier Distributor: Claudine Pommier
Keywords: women, art

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

From Congo to Zaire (DVD: 52 min.) [2001]
DVD 7895
Abstract: The Congo, the largest country in Central Africa, was granted its independence from Belgium in 1960. This riveting historical documentary, using a wealth of archival material, illustrates how the legacy of colonialism effected modern Congo, led first by Patrice Lumumba, then by General Mobutu for thirty years. From 1908, when King Leopold II ceded his land grants to the Belgian people, economic development was seen as the first stage of the process of colonization. A new industrial port, along with road and rail networks, opened up the Congo to overseas trade. The Belgians brought with them an efficient system of administration, education and healthcare. By the end of World War II, the relationship between the colonizers and colonized changed. The pace accelerated towards decolonization. However, independence brought its own problems. Two leaders emerged, Patrice Lumumba and General Mobutu, and conflict between them ended with the murder of Lumumba and Mobutu's seizure of power. From Congo to Zaire takes a fresh look at the Congo's turbulent history and provides new insights into the problems it faces today.
Director: Olivier Moser and Frederic Tadino Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Congo, Zaire, colonialism, history, Mobutu, Lumumba

Future of Mud: A Tale of Houses and Lives in Djenne: A Constructed Documentary (DVD: 58 min.) [2007]
DVD 9917
Abstract: Through the story of a mason in Djenne, Komusa Tenapo, and his family, this documentary examines an African tradition of mud architecture in Mali.
Director: Susan Vogel Distributor: Icarus Films
Keywords: Mali, architecture, construction, heritage, education, art

Ghanaian Video Tales (DVD: 60 min.) [2005]
DVD 8925
Abstract: Five Ghanaian filmmakers, actors and producers introduce us to the genre of Ghanaian horror films. Low cost of production allows the filmmakers to reach local audience who identify with the films which depict the customs and myths that are a part of their daily lives.
Director: Tobias Wendl Distributor: IWF Knowledge and Media
Keywords: Ghana, arts, film, ethnography, horror, supernatural, myth

God Gave Her a Mercedes Benz: Mama Benz: An African Market Woman (DVD: 48 min.) [1995]
DVD 8036
Abstract: The colorful markets of Africa are often dominated by strong older women. They control price and determine who can buy their goods. These imperious women rule the market and are treated with deference. Thanks to their business acumen, they have amassed a great deal of wealth. These women are affectionately referred to as Mama Benz. Why? Because each one has as her trademark a prized possession, a chauffeured Mercedes Benz. This film focuses on one woman who presides over the cloth market in Lomé, Togo. She is a lavishly dressed matron with a fully- staffed mansion who proudly travels the rutted dirt roads in her limousine. Despite her success, Mama Benz has not become too grand for the hurly burly of the marketplace. Everyday she takes her accustomed place in the stall, surrounded by gloriously colored textiles, and haggles with her customers. The other market women look up to her. Perhaps one day they too will attain her success and become a Mama Benz.
Director: Katia Petersen Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Togo, Lome, women, textiles, economy, trade

Great Wonder (A): Lost Children of Sudan (DVD: 61 min.) [2004]
DVD 7676
Abstract: More than 2 million Sudanese have died in the longest uninterrupted civil war in the world, now in its 20th year. Another 5 million civilians have fled their homes to escape the fighting. A Great Wonder traces the extraordinary journey of three young Sudanese orphans, a fraction of the 17,000 so-called 'Lost Boys' of Sudan, who have spent the majority of their lives either in flight from war or in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Northern Kenya. Having navigated the hazards of warfare, disease and starvation, their arrival and resettlement in Seattle, Washington is not your average immigration story. Over the course of 18 months, these youths have recorded their own experiences through their own eyes and in their own words using digital video cameras. The resulting diaries serve as a personal thread throughout the film, incorporating first-hand accounts of their experiences in war with their radically different lives as immigrants in America. A story of survival in its most elemental form, A Great Wonder explores the concepts of loss, faith, community and freedom as it bears witness to the spirit that drives these young people to rebuild their lives.
Director: Kim Shelton Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Sudan, refugees, immigrants, children, war, resettlement

Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo (The) (DVD: 76 min.) [2007]
DVD 9695
Abstract: Since 1998 a brutal war has ravaged the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing over 4 million people and resulting in many tens of thousands of women and girls being systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers from both foreign militias and the Congolese army. Until now, their stories have never been told to the world.
Director: Lisa F. Jackson Distributor: Women Make Movies
Keywords: Democratic Republic of Congo, war, rape, violence, gender

Guguletu Ballet (DVD: 23 min.) [2007]
DVD 8107
Abstract: In 1992, a white South African ballet dancer ventured into a township and began teaching classes in an empty schoolroom. Within a few years, hundreds of township children took up ballet, and a program called Dance For All was born. Guguletu Ballet profiles some of the extraordinary people behind Dance For All's success -- from prima ballerinas who left the international stage to teach in the townships, to students who are overcoming great odds. Their stories offer a glimpse at the harsh realities of township life...and proof that ballet dancers can come from the most unlikely places.
Director: Kristin Pichaske Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, Cape Town, dance, performance

Guimba (Videocassette: 93 min.) [1995]
VHS2991
Abstract: This epic allegory contrasts Africa's tremendous wealth and potential with its present poverty and plunder. The film's narrative embodies the process of revealing the truth from behind the facade of Guuimba's despotic power. Using a combination of sorcery and cruelty, he terrorizes people into submission. His one weakness is his son, Janguine, a randy, perverse dwarf who spends his days satisfying every appetite. Janguine is betrothed to the beautiful Kani, but prefers her more voluptuous mother Meya. Guimba supports his son's obsession by exiling Meya's husband. It is a decision he will come to regret.
Director: Cheick Oumar Sissoko Distributor: Kino Video
Keywords: government, despotism, feature film

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

Healing Passage, The (DVD: 90 min.) [2006]
DVD 7577
Abstract: Cultural artists, along with historians and healers, look at present day behavior that is connected to the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. For more than 300 years Africans were carried from their homeland, across the Atlantic Ocean (The Middle Passage), into chattel slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean. The residual impact of this African Holocaust still reverberates in the world today through psychological trauma, genetic memory, personal and community consciousness. The artists use music, dolls, dance, altars, spoken word, visual art and ritual to create paths to healing.
Director: S. Pearl Sharp Distributor: A Sharp Show
Keywords: Slave trade, The Middle Passage, African Americans

Heart of the Congo (DVD: 57 min.) [2004]
DVD 7637
Abstract: Amid threats of violence, corruption, and a legacy of colonial dependency, aid workers in the Congo help refugees who have lost everything. They seek to strengthen villagers' will, essential for a self-sufficient future. Heart of the Congo is a film about courage, perseverance and ways in which humanitarian aid makes a lasting difference.
Director: Tom Weidlinger Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Congo, refugees, humanitarian assistance, colonialism

Hemelse Modder: Architectuur en Magie in West Afrika = Heavenly Mud: Architecture and Magic in Mali (DVD: 52 min.) [2003]
DVD 9032
Abstract: This unique film takes us on a journey down the Niger River in Mali (West Africa) filled with rarely seen traditional African architecture. These edifices are as visionary as anything conceived by Gaudi in the 20th century. The power and striking beauty of African architecture is immediately apparent. The film compares ancient African architecture to twentieth century 'organic' architecture as practiced by Frank Lloyd Wright and Antonio Gaudi. A famous Dutch organic architect, Max van Huut, believes modern Western architecture has contributed to alienation, whereas contemporary organic architecture, with its more human scale, contributes to a sense of community.
Director: Ton van der Lee Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Mali, architecture, religion, art

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

Hunting My Husband's Killer: A Rwandan Story (DVD: 51 min.) [2004]
DVD 7966
Abstract: Lesley Bilinda, the Scottish widow of a Rwandan black pastor, returns ten years after the 1994 Rwandan genocide to search for his murderers only to find the truth elusive and forgiveness impossible. Lesley met Charles when she was working as a nurse in Rwanda, but their life together was shattered as genocide swept the country. In a hundred days of violence, about one million were killed. At the height of the genocide, Charles was abducted and never seen again. Ten years later, in a new atmosphere of openness, some of the killers are coming forward to confess their crimes. Lesley meets the manager of the guesthouse where Charles was last seen, Paster Kabeira. He is believed to have colluded with Hutu rebels and was seen handing Charles over to armed militants. He is now in prison, but he refuses to admit he did anything wrong. The meeting leaves her frustrated and upset, but she refuses to give up. She visits the Murambi Genocide Memorial site to confront for herself the scale of the genocide. Its full horror brings her to her knees. She travels on to Gahini, the village where she and Charles lived. A local man agrees to speak about the killings. As they talk, it becomes clear to her that he was one of the men who murdered her best friend, Anatolie. She feels disgust but also pity for him. She also uncovers some unexpected and unpalatable truths about her husband's 'secret life' which test her Christian faith to its limits.
Director: Jay Knox Distributor: NA
Keywords: Rwanda, Hutu, civil war, genocide, monuments

Hyenas (DVD: run time NA) [1992]
DVD 7510
Abstract: This Senegalese film is based on the play The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt. The Wolof-language film satirizes the influence of Western materialism on traditional Africa as Linguerre, a Senegalese woman, returns to her village after a life in exile. Thirty years earlier, she became pregnant by a local merchant. The man denied her claims that he was the child's father and went further to accuse her of adultery with other men from the village. The woman's life in exile has actually been quite prosperous, while her village is in a state of poverty. Linguerre is wealthy and is willing to bail the village out of its financial misfortune -- in exchange for the life of the man who betrayed her decades earlier. The film holds a sharply critical view of capitalism and its effect on traditional values.
Director: Djibril Diop Mambety Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, development, capitalism, feature film

I Talk About Me, I am Africa (Videocassette: 54 min.) [1980]
VHS 9336
Abstract: Filmed in black areas of South Africa. Provides look at the response of black culture to the system of apartheid through performances in a variety of theatrical forms.
Director: Chris Austin Distributor: First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, theater, art, race

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

In Danku the Soup Is Sweeter: Women and Development In Ghana (DVD: 30 min.) [2000]
DVD 9105
Abstract: As in many African villages, life in Danku in the north of Ghana has been a struggle for subsistence. The women bear the burden of caring for the children, raising food, and trying to make life better for their families. Through a special project of the Canadian International Development Agency, the women were given access to credit for the first time. This film shows how this little bit of financial aid allowed the women to become 'entrepreneurs.' We follow two women who take advantage of this program, borrowing a little bit of start up money. We see how hard they work to pay back their loans. One makes butter from arduously pounding vegetables; the other cooks delicious soup from seasonal crops. They each sell their products from door to door and at the market near their village. Eventually their efforts make a small profit that affords their families some more comforts. This beautifully filmed video captures the rhythms of village life and the tenacity of the women who, though uneducated, are willing to undertake new responsibilities.
Director: Gary Beitel Distributor: NA
Keywords: Ghana, women, development, NGO, economy, credit associations

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

In the Tall Grass (DVD: 57 min.) [2006]
DVD7519
Abstract: In the Tall Grass tells the story of Rwanda's search for redemption after genocide as the country sits down to reckon with the horror in a network of informal, community courts called gacaca.
Director: J.Coll Metcalfe Distributor: NA
Keywords: Rwanda, gacaca, justice, genocide, law

Iron Ladies of Liberia (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 77 min.) [2007]
DVD 9754
Abstract: After fourteen years of civil war, Liberia is a nation ready for change. On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was inaugurated President, following a hotly contested election in which she won 59% of the vote. She is the first elected female head of state in Africa. Since taking office, she has appointed other women to leadership positions in all areas of government, including the Police Chief and the ministers of Justice, Commerce, Finance and Gender. Can the first female Liberian president, backed by other powerful women, bring sustainable democracy and peace to such a devastated country?
Director: Daniel Junge and Siatta Scott Johnson Distributor: Women Make Movies
Keywords: Liberia, Sirleaf, politics, government, women, gender, war

Issakaba (DVD: 97 min.) [2000]
DVD 8368
Abstract: This fictionalized feature provides a thoughtful, if romanticized, account of the rise of vigilantism in southeastern Nigeria in the late 1990s. Based on the notorious Bakassi Boys, the Issakaba wield machetes and powerful magic to defend a village against armed robbers. Starring Sam Dede. First in a four part series.
Director: Lancelot Odua Imasuen Distributor: KAS-VID International Ltd
Keywords: Nigeria, crime, vigilantes, supernatural, feature film

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

Justice Pursued (DVD: 50 min.) [1997]
DVD 9220
Abstract: Rwanda, Argentina, East Germany and Bosnia have been the locus for the most heinous acts of the last 20 years. In this program, Gerald Gahima, Rwanda's Minister of Justice, has the unenviable job of tracking down hundreds of Rwandans accused of perpertrating hideous atrocities against their neighbors during that country's recent civil war. We follow Gahima to Israel where, in an emotional meeting with a former Nazi-hunter, Gahima receives advice on how to proceed. The torture and murder of thousands of young Argentines by the Pinochet regime are detailed by a survivor. In East Germany, newly discovered Stasi training tapes paint a brutal portrait of political repression behind the Berlin Wall, while in Bosnia, efforts to track down the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing are ongoing.
Director: Jane Dibblin, Paul Mitchell, Michael Stewart Distributor: Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Rwanda, genocide, political persecution, human rights, war crimes, law, genocide

Karavanen (DVD: 28 min.) [2006]
DVD 7837
Abstract: Every September a group of Toubou nomad women in Niger travel approximately 1300 miles by camel caravan across the desert. They go to sell livestock and also to collect dates that they will sell. Anthropologist Ingrid Poulsen joins the caravan, which is organized and led without men.
Director: Dam Sall Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Niger, Toubou, nomads, women, caravans, trade

Karmen Geei (DVD: 84 min.) [2001]
DVD7547
Abstract: 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. The opening scene is set in a women's prison on Goree Island, site of the notorious slave castle. Karmen and the women in the prison use dance and music as a weapon of resistance against dehumanizing regimentation as has so often been the case throughout the African Diaspora.
Director: Joseph Gaï Ramaka Distributor: Kino Video
Keywords: Senegal, musical, opera, gender, lesbian and gay, feature film

Karoo Kitaar Blues (DVD: 92 min.) [2006]
DVD 7760
Abstract: Follows South African songwriter David Kramer and slide guitarist Hannes Coetzee into remote regions of South Africa on their quest to find musicians who play an almost forgotten folk music.
Director: Lizza Key Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: South Africa, Namaqualand, music

Keep the Dance Alive (Que la danse continue) (DVD: 75 min.) [2007]
DVD 8816
Abstract: A unique voyage through the music, dance and spirit possession practices of the Ovahimba people of north-western Namibia and south-western Angola, Keep the Dance Alive features remarkable footage of how dance and spirit possession is integrated into everyday life from infancy to death. The documentary presents a singular vision of the Ovahimba people, that of director Rina Sherman who filmed the lives of an Omuhimba family for seven years. She focuses on how singing, rhythm and voice work together with dance and spirit possession to compose a complete imaginary universe and a dense and complex social structure.
Director: Rina Sherman Distributor: Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Namibia, Angola, Ovahimba, dance, music, ethnography, spirit possession, religion, cosmology, family, social organization

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

Kenya, Where Women Rule (DVD: 20 min.) [2006]
DVD 8230
Abstract: Domestic violence against women is rife among the Samburu in Kenya. In Samburu culture, the women also do all the work, including building the homes, herding, collecting firewood and water and caring for the children. In the 1980s and 90s, two hundred women from the tribe claimed they were raped by men from a nearby British army base. The Samburu men rejected them, whipped them and threw them out of their homes. In 1990 a small group of these stigmatized women decided to band together and create their own village. Under the leadership of one woman, Rebecca Lollosoli, their village has prospered, taking advantage of the income from tourism. The Samburu men have tried to sabotage the tourist business and have also mounted raids on the village. Finally, the Samburu men's chief tried to effect a reconciliation, but the women vehemently rejected his proposal. They are clearly enjoying the advantages of independence!
Director: Stormland Productions Distributor: NA
Keywords: Kenya, Samburu, women, economy, rape, tourism

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

Kits and Cards (DVD: 53 min.) [2006]
DVD 9036
Abstract: For forty-five years the Congo waited for free elections. But before the election, several important items had to be in place, namely, an electoral register and voters' cards. And these things presented huge problems in a country with limited infrastructure and security. With the help of the United Nations, the European Union and advisors from Belgium, it has been accomplished. A Belgian firm shipped the computers, printers, photographic equipment, and its experts were on call. Delivering the necessary electronic kits for printing the voters' cards to a safe holding area was also a tremendous problem. The trucks were in disrepair, and their low-paid drivers did not have enough food, drink, or sleep. But with the dream of democracy near at hand, and good spirits, the people pulled together.
Director: Philippe Dutilleul Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Congo, elections, government, politics

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

Last grave at Dimbaza (Videocassette: 54 min.) [2006]
VHS 9290
Abstract: Shot illegally in the Republic of South Africa, this documentary exposes the oppression of Blacks and other people designated as 'coloured' under apartheid rule in South Africa. The film contrasts the lives of black and white South Africans, focusing on inequities in housing, education, wages and health care. This is a digitally remastered version of the original 1973 film.
Director: Chris Curling and Pascoe MacFarlane Distributor: First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, economy, apartheid, race, history, politics

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

Listen to the Silence (DVD: 52 min.) [2003]
DVD 8402
Abstract: The film reveals the kaleidoscope of rhythms heard in an African village. The night sings with the sounds of cicadas. Women pound pestles rhythmically to grind grain. Children amuse themselves with dancing, jumping and tapping games, and play together in small bands shaking marimbas and beating on rustic drums. We are shown the complexity of drumming by master drummer Akakpoli Afade, who also points out the wide variety of instruments used. Music of the Ewe, Ashanti, Ga and Frafra peoples in Ghana is represented. Collins points out that village music is communal, integral to social interaction. This lively film adds a new dimension to the appreciation of African music, focusing as it does on the space between sounds - the richness of silence.
Director: Peter Bischoff Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ghana, Ashanti, Ewe, Ga, music

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

Living With Hunger (DVD: 50 min.) [2004]
DVD 8602
Abstract: In an unprecedented mission, Sorious Samura moves into a remote village in Ethiopia. Between August and September 2003 Sorious lived in a hut and survived on the same meagre diet as the rest of the villagers. As well as this remarkable film, the DVD includes specially commissioned interviews with Sorious Samura, the film's director, Charlotte Metcalf and the film's editor, Richard Guard. See also Living with Illegals, Living with Refugees and Living with AIDS.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor: Insight News TV
Keywords: Ethiopia, hunger, food, development, poverty

Living in Africa: African Solutions to African Problems (DVD: 150 min.) [1995]
See individual titles
Abstract: Series of five films (each 30 minutes):

l. Maasai in the Modern World - Kenya: This film looks at the impact of the modern world on the ancient culture of the Maasai people. Traditionally the Maasai herded their cattle between the plains and the well -watered mountain land. As tourism makes inroads on their already scarce land, they are trying to adapt without losing their heritage. DVD 8904

2. The Survival Age - Tanzania: Tanzania illustrates some of the problems of development and the environmental crisis. The economists featured are critical of Western ideas about progress. The film reflects on the failure of both socialism and capitalism in this country and explains the need to overcome the legacy of colonialism. DVD 8905

3. This Virus That Has No Cure - Zambia: Worldwide there are over 17 million people infected with the AIDS virus and an estimated ten million live in Africa. The problem is placing a serious strain on the Zambian health system. The film explores ways in which the community is uniting to fight back, caring for sufferers and educating about prevention. DVD 8906

4. The Riches of Elephants - Zimbabwe: The Campfire project is a highly successful program for both wildlife conservation and social development. The local community is allowed to sell safaris or hunting rights on public land reserves. The profit is used for development projects such as fences, schools, and individual households. DVD 8907

5. A Land of Immense Riches -Mozambique: Once devastated by war, Mozambique now offers positive models for bio-diversity, community conservation and eco-tourism. We meet members of the local community who are working with the conservation authorities to educate people about sustainable harvesting and many other ways of protecting the environment. DVD 8908
Director: Mark Newman Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Maasai, modernization, tourism, economy, development, environment, HIV/AIDS, wildlife conservation, government

Living in bondage (DVD: 163 min.) [1992]
DVD 9686
Abstract: Lagos businessman Andy Okeke sees his friends getting rich and he is upset that he has no success himself. He is torn between his village ways and the modernity of city life. In an attempt to get ahead, he becomes involved in the occult with tragic results. This movie marked the beginning of the video movie industry in Nigeria.
Director: Chris Obi Rapu Distributor: Nigerian Movies
Keywords: Nigeria, filmmaking, urban life, occult, modernity, feature film

Living the HipLife (DVD: 61 min.) [2007]
DVD 11338
Abstract: This film is a musical portrait of street life in urban West Africa. It follows the birth of Hiplife music in Accra, Ghana, a mix of various African musical forms and American hip hop. Archival footage and hip hop music videos are remixed with interviews and the daily lives of rap artists. We follow Reggie Rockstone, the Godfather of Hiplife in the founding of the musical movement, as well as the Mobile Boys a group of aspiring rap artists as they try to make it in the music business. With humor and personality these characters move across the political and musical landscape of urban Ghana.
Director: Jesse W. Shipley Distributor: Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Ghana, music, urban life, performance, art, economy

Living with Illegals (DVD: 60 min.) [2006]
DVD 8601
Abstract: In Living with Illegals, award-winning journalist Sorious Samura becomes an illegal immigrant. His journey is epic as he travels from Morocco into Europe through Spain and France, finally crossing the English Channel to Britain. Samura wants to understand the reality of being an illegal immigrant, so he lives in the exact same conditions and experiences the same gruelling hardships as his companions. The story begins in Northern Morocco, where hundreds of illegal immigrants live in forests waiting for their chance to break into the enclave of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in Africa. All that separates them from Ceuta and Europe is a 50 km, 6 m fence, around which they camp. Huddled together in cold, flimsy tents and hounded by daily police raids, the immigrants struggle to survive with no food, money or peace of mind, but their determination to reach the promised land is unyielding. Samura meets Gus and Theo who have decided to swim around the fence and thus into Europe, an extremely dangerous method of entry which many have paid for with their lives. The next day, news arrives that only Theo made it to other side. Gus was captured. Samura leaves the Moroccan forest and meets with Theo in Ceuta. Together they try to earn some money parking cars. Samura soon discovers a derelict factory known as the 'Longhouse' where those on the run from immigration authorities live. The conditions are horrifying. For these people, the dream of Europe has already turned into a nightmare. Samura travels through several cities of mainland Spain where he begs, sleeps rough, performs odd jobs and learns inside tricks to survive as an immigrant. Through a 'connection man,' Samura crosses the Spanish/ French border, and onwards by train he reaches Calais. This is the hub for all immigrants trying to enter the UK. Samura is surprised to find living conditions and scenes of desperation as bad as those in Morocco. In the end, through astonishing circumstances, both Sorious and his companion Arick do reach their final destination. It has been an incredible journey, but was all the suffering really worth it? Living with Illegals is an extraordinary documentary. Offering unprecedented access and unique insights into the world of African illegal immigration, it raises important questions about the rights of individuals to seek a better life free of poverty and war. See also Living with Hunger, Living with Refugees and Living with AIDS.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor: Insight News TV
Keywords: Morocco, Spain, Europe, immigration, unemployment, poverty, law, human rights

Mama Benz and the Taste of Money (DVD: 52 min.) [2002]
On Order
Abstract: In West Africa wealthy women enjoy wearing colorful clothing made of 'genuine African' textiles. Ironically, since the early 20th Century, this coveted cloth has been designed and manufactured not in Africa, but in the Netherlands by a company called Vlisco. Local market women who sell the Vlisco cloth and have become extraordinarily rich -they can afford to be driven around in a Mercedes Benz--and are thus called 'Mama Benz.' This film details the interplay between a young ambitious European, Henk Bremer, from the Vlisco company, and an equally ambitious African market woman, Alice Gouba, as they jockey for advantage in marketing the cloth into a new territory. The film shows the difference in business attitudes between Europe and Africa, as they both struggle for a dominant position yet realize they are mutually dependent. Vlisco has for years pursued the strategy of divide and rule, while the Mamas know their power lies in being united. Alice is treading a tightrope between the two factions. A subtle and witty film about the evolving global marketplace.
Director: Karin Junger Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: West Africa, women, economy, textiles, markets, trade

Man Who Could Be King, The (DVD: 46 min.) [2000]
DVD 8936
Abstract: This is the extraordinary story of a man torn between his obligation as a tribal leader and his duty to his family. Adongo Akway Cham is an Anyuak tribesman from Southern Sudan who escaped the civil war to live peacefully in Canada. No sooner had he settled in Canada when his father, the tribe's king, died, and Cham was chosen over all his brothers to be the successor. The camera follows Cham for three years as he struggles with his kingly duties and attempts to settle his family in Canada. His wife is in an Ethiopian refugee camp, burdened with caring for his eight children. She is waiting for Cham to release her from the camp and obtain entry to the safe haven that Canada represents. Cham is in conflict. 'From the beginning I have tried to say no. I don't want to take the responsibility, but who will go and take it if not me?'
Director: Edith Champagne and Nancy IngDuclos Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Sudan, Anyuak, emigration, government, refugees

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

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

Mauritania: The Vanishing Oasis (DVD: 57 min.) [1993]
DVD 9001
Abstract: Beautifully photographed, this film introduces us to a couple, Baba and his wife Fatou, and their two children who live in a tiny oasis at the outskirts of Chinguetti, once a holy city of Islam. Ninety percent of Mauritania is desert, which encroaches a little every day upon the remaining arable land. Barely twenty years ago, eighty percent of Mauritania's population was nomadic. Today, only twelve percent can maintain the nomadic life. Fatou had grown up in a nomadic family and struggles with her new sedentary life. The family lives as best it can by protecting their date trees, which are constantly threatened by the ravages of sand. Drinking sweet tea to assuage their own hunger, they aim to keep their baby daughter plump so she can be married off at age seven. This is a memorable portrait of human beings surviving despite the forces of nature that buffet them.
Director: Louise Racicot Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Mauritania, economy, family, environment

Max and Mona (Videocassette: 98 min.) [2004]
VHS9296
Abstract: In this funny and engaging film from South Africa, young Max leaves his small farming village to become a doctor in the big city. But things start to go wrong right away as Max is mistakenly sent on his journey with the sacred village goat, who he names Mona. Upon arrival in Johannesburg, he crosses paths with a sexy siren and becomes embroiled in a gangster face-off triggered by his crooked Uncle Norman.
Director: Teddy Mattera Distributor: First Run Features
Keywords: South Africa, Johannesburg, urbanization, gangs, feature film

Motherland: Moving On (DVD: 60 min.) [2003]
DVD 8835
Abstract: The film Motherland: A Genetic Journey followed three people of African descent who traced their roots through DNA testing. This new film picks up their story two years later. Shot in the UK, USA, Africa and Jamaica, this very moving film continues their soul-searching journeys, raising fundamental questions about who we are. Mark discovers that his ancestors belonged to the Kanuri tribe. When he connects with them, he cannot communicate since there is a language barrier. He goes through an emotional 'naming ceremony' but finds that he has mistakenly chosen a name that belongs to the slave catchers that oppressed his people. Beaula learns that she has ancestors that belong to more than one tribe and some of the tribespeople are only interested in what gifts she can offer them. Jacqueline visits English cousins who are white who accept her as part of the family. All three participants feel enriched by their new discoveries but understand that DNA tracing may lead to complicated emotional discoveries. With Dr. Rich Kittle, Howard University, and Fatimah Jackson, University of Maryland, and other experts.
Director: T. Jackson and A. Baron Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: ethnic identity, African diaspora, genealogy, genetics

Mseyas (The) (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 53 min.) [2007]
DVD 9607
Abstract: AIDS kills more than two million people every year in Africa. As a result of this epidemic, there are more than 11 million orphans. This documentary is the story of the Mseyas, AIDS orphans from Iringa, Tanzania. Alberina, Maria, Amos and Orsolina live on their own and face a life of struggle without resources.
Director: Gustavo Vizoso Distributor: Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Tanzania, HIV/AIDS, orphans, street children, poverty

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

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

Nigeria's Oil War (DVD: 24 min.) [2006]
DVD 8737
Abstract: The Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force is a well organized crime gang that has become a key player in the world's most strategically important industry -- oil. The vast Niger Delta holds an estimated three percent of the world's oil, and to the U.S., it's a vital alternative to the oilfields of the Middle East - worth $30 billion per year. The Force wants a share of this oil revenue for the people of the Niger Delta. As their leader, Al Haji Asari Dokubo, admitted in the film, the gang has brazenly stolen oil straight out of pipelines owned by some of the world's biggest multinationals. Called 'bunkering,' the practice is costing Western oil companies hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue each year. If gangs like the Force are threatened, they can disrupt Nigeria's oil supply with ease. This could lead to economic repercussions around the world. Not that the government of Nigeria seems overly concerned about cleaning up the industry, or using its massive oil wealth to help the people - some believe that they are the biggest gang of all. 'People have now gotten to the point where they don't believe anything that the government stands for,' Nigerian human rights lawyer Ledum Mittee says. 'Instead of the oil becoming a blessing, it now becomes a curse.'
Director: Mary Ann Jolley Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Nigeria, Niger River Delta, petroleum industry, insurgency, politics, government, economy

Nkuleleko Means Freeedom (Videocassette: 28 min.) [1982]
VHS 9339
Abstract: The central theme of Nkuleleko Means Freedom is education with production, a system of education that combines theory with practice and is meant to develop a new 'integrated' person as well as to dignify manual labor. Back home in Zimbabwe, the former refugees, now students, have built new schools and are participating in the building of a new society.
Director: Ron Hallis Distributor: First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, education, exile, refugees, work

No Spare Parts (Videocassette: 22 min.) [1991]
VHS 9340
Abstract: No Spare Parts portrays the introduction and utilization of appropriate technology in a developing nation. In Ghana, thrown away materials are being recovered and used to build and modernize the economy. Requiring only minimal financial resources, small workshops use recycled automobile parts and traditional crafting skills to produce machinery of great benefit to the local people. Grinding mills, lathes, palm oil presses and lumber saws, all made from scrap, enable the population to improve their everyday lives. Ghana's utilization of discards as a resource for raw materials reduces their reliance on imports and improves their independence and self-reliance. The appropriate technology movement is burgeoning in Ghana and having a beneficial impact on all levels of society. There's a message here for our own throw-away society and a lesson in ingenuity.
Director: David Springbett Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ghana, appropriate technology, recycling, economy

Nuit de la veritae, La (Videocassette: 100 min.) [2004]
VHS9300
Abstract: Set in an unnamed African country in the immediate aftermath of a lengthy, bloody civil war, this taut tale takes place on a 'day of reconciliation' where the president, the leader of the opposition and their spouses meet to celebrate the end of hostilities. But after atrocities on both sides and lingering ethnic tensions, can there really be peace? From the beginning, the tension between members of the two sides is palpable and as the film continues, the atmosphere of menace grows as the leaders struggle to cement a lasting peace but old wounds remain fresh.
Director: Fanta Régina Nacro Distributor: NA
Keywords: civil war, ethnic tensions, feature film

O Jardim do Outro Homem = Another Man's Garden (DVD: 80 min.) [2006]
DVD 10219
Abstract: For a young girl who wants to study medicine in Mozambique, the obstacles extend far beyond the distractions of her boyfriend and her family. A moment of weakness or an error in judgment can cost her a place at the university, an irretrievable loss in a country with so few opportunities for women.
Director: Sol de Carvalho Distributor: Icarus Films
Keywords: Mozambique, gender, education, poverty, feature film

Ocre People: Nomads of Namibia, The (DVD: 32 min.) [1993]
In Process
Abstract: In the desert of Namibia, life has always been a harsh struggle enriched by a feeling of oneness with the land. The people of Ova Himba were cattle herders who followed the rains and knew where to find water and vegetation. They migrated between their encampments, the women repairing the huts with cow dung. Chief Kamasuthu, his mother, children and three wives always lived in the manner prescribed by their ancestors. They ground ocre with butterfat and herbs and decorated their bodies with this deep-hued mixture. This honored the fine cattle of their ancient gods. The drought and the war in Angola forced them into shanty towns and took away their dignity. Their children grew scornful of the old ways. This ancient, nomadic tribe, which had been untouched by the 20th century, now faces an uncertain future.
Director: Tracer Films Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Namibia, Ova Himba, economy, herding, war

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

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

Ordinary People. Sebokeng by Night (Videocassette: 26 min.) [1994]
VHS 9321
Abstract: Zone 12 in Sebokeng, a township outside Johannesburg, had been the scene of many massacres in the years before South Africa's first democratic election. 'Invisible' gunmen came out in the night to kill arbitrarily, leaving the township a tense war-zone. On the night of filming, Aviva, a young 'comrade' who works to defend the township at night, takes one crew to an ANC affiliated 'Self Defense Unit' (SDU) vigil for a murdered resident. Another crew spends the night with Amelia, a housewife terrified by nightfall; and a third follows a member of the South African Police's 'Internal Stability Unit' (ISU), which patrols the township in armored cars from dusk to dawn each night. As the night passes, Sebokeng By Night conveys the experience of township life in the midst of murderous conflict, and the toll the violence takes on ordinary people on all sides.
Director: Harriet Gavshon Distributor: First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Sebokeng, apartheid, vigilantes, crime, government

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

Ordinary People. The Penalty Area (Videocassette: 26 min.) [1994]
VHS 9322
Abstract: Baviaanspoort Maximum Security prison, outside Pretoria, was notorious for its inhumane conditions - until 1992 when a new recreational soccer program was introduced. In July, 1993, the Orlando Pirates - South Africa's most popular team who, as a symbol of Soweto, are heroes to the inmates - came to Baviaanspoort to play the prison team. This film, the first ever shot inside a South African prison, covers this unprecedented sporting event as, for one day, a sense of humanity is restored to thousands of convicts.
Director: Clifford Bestall Distributor: First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, prison, soccer, sports

Ordinary People. City of Dreams (Videocassette: 26 min.) [1993]
VHS 9320
Abstract: City of Dreams spends a day in Ponte City, perhaps the tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere, and home to thousands of immigrants from all over Africa. This film introduces Babu, a bandmember in Ponte City's Zairian evangelical church; Mary, organizer of the on-premise nightclub's Miss Manhattan Africa competition; and James, a Zimbabwean banker and complex resident, who attends the pageant. The film reveals a city of dreamers, who in turn lend fascinating insights into the aspirations of urban Africans in South Africa.
Director: Harriet Gavshon Distributor: First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, urbanization, immigration, religion, performance

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

Osuofia in London (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 105 min.) [2003]
VCD 91
Abstract: Nigeria's greatest comedic actor Nkem Owoh stars as Osuofia, a hunter too lazy (or inept) to kill a deer, even as all five of his daughters support him. Deep in debt and relentlessly hassled by angry creditors, Osuofia has no choice but to leave town. His life is changed forever when fate leads him to London to collect an inheritance. Before he can cash in, a clash of cultures leads to decidedly hilarious results. Story continues with Osuofia in London 2.
Director: Kingsley Eloho Ogoro (Sir K) Distributor: Ulzee Nigeria Ltd
Keywords: Nigeria, immigration and emigration, comedy, feature film

Pain, Passion and Profit (Videocassette: 49 min.) [1992]
VHS 9402
Abstract: From the director of Bend it Like Beckham and Pride and Prejudice, the film Pain, Passion and Profit is an inspirational look at women entrepreneurs through the eyes of the Body Shop founder, Anita Roddick, who has always maintained a strong commitment to the idea of profits with principles. Several women in Africa who have successfully developed small-scale business enterprises in their own communities provide a focus for Roddick to pose questions about how the role and status of women affects their enterprises and how those enterprises provide a means of community and economic development for women. Pain, Passion and Profit gives an in-depth look at global feminism and economic development as well as a personal and spirited view of the connections between the experiences of women entrepreneurs in the First and Third Worlds.
Director: Gurinder Chadha Distributor: Women Make Movies
Keywords: business, women, economy, development, feminism

Passing the Message (Videocassette: 52 min.) [1981]
VHS 9401
Abstract: Black workers under South Africa's system of apartheid produce that nation's wealth, while enjoying little of it. Passing the Message is a film about the struggle to organize trade unions for black majority in the face of a vast entanglement of repressive government policies. Three black union activists who we follow through their grassroots organizing efforts tell this story of courage and hope. Black trade unions, although legal since 1979, have had to register and operate under state control. Some unions have refused to comply. These unions have been opening a new chapter in the struggle for justice in South Africa, a chapter revealed in Passing the Message.
Director: Clifford Bestall Distributor: First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, labor unions, apartheid, politics, race, economy

Photo Souvenir (DVD: 54 min.) [2007]
DVD 9925
Abstract: During the social and cultural euphoria of a newly independent Niger in the 1960s, Philippe Koudjina worked as a photojournalist and later opened his own photo studio. For many years, his snapshots of the youth scene in Niamey and his individual and family portraits provided Koudjina with a national reputation and a good living. Today he is no longer able to take photos because he is slowly losing his sight to glaucoma, and after having been hit by a car, he must use crutches to get around. His cameras, photographic equipment and a disorganized collection of negatives gather dust in a decaying cupboard, while he begs on the street in order to survive. Photo Souvenir features interviews with Koudjina, and contrasts his desperate situation with the fortunes of other African photographers such as Malick Sidibé and Seydou Keita, whose work from the same period has brought them renewed attention and financial rewards. While the film documents the effort by two French photo connoisseurs to organize an exhibition of Koudjina's work in Paris, Photo Souvenir reveals the fickle cultural process by which one-time 'photo souvenirs' become 'photographic art,' and whether or not an artistic reputation is made in the western world.
Director: Paul Cohen and Martijn van Haalen Distributor: First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Niger, photography, journalism, youth, art, exhibitions

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

Race Against Time: The AIDS Crisis in Africa (DVD: 48 min.) [2002]
DVD 8057
Abstract: The AIDS crisis in Africa is an epidemic of staggering proportions. Thirty-six million people are infected with the HIV virus worldwide, with over 25 million of them in Africa, and a staggering number of Africans -- 17 million -- have died. This film is about the inspiring work of Canadian Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa as he searches for solutions to the pandemic ravaging the continent. Lewis describes the 'Herculean effort' that has begun to relieve the suffering. A global trust fund has been set up through the United Nations, which has grown to $1.5 billion. Drug companies have slashed their prices for anti-viral drugs for Africans, and there is now hope for the dying. After years of denial, there is now a new willingness on the part of African leaders to confront the disease. Lewis travels to Zambia and Kenya witnessing the challenges first hand as he talks to widows of AIDS victims, who are often infected themselves. In many instances, these ill women must care for their deceased relatives' children as well as their own, despite their desperate financial situation. On the plus side, he finds many creative, community-based educational programs that feature preventive 'safe sex' songs, dances and dramas.
Director: Stephen Lewis Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Zambia, HIV/AIDS, United Nations, politics, health, performance

Rain in a Dry Land (DVD: 82 min.) [2006]
DVD 7257
Abstract: Tale of two remarkable families, Somali Bantus who are refugees from the 1991 civil war in Somalia and find new homes in urban America. Emmy award-winning filmmaker Anne Makepeace captures the poetry, the humor, and the astonishing resilience of these new Americans as they show us our world through new eyes.
Director: Anne Makepeace Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Somalia, refugees, immigration, civil war

Red Dust (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 110 min.) [2004]
DVD 9029
Abstract: A political thriller set in a small South African town during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings. Human rights lawyer Sarah Barcant must represent Alex Mpondo, a former political activist, who was held captive and sadistically tortured by a police officer under the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Director: Tom Hooper Distributor: HBO Video
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, thriller, reconciliation, human rights, politics, feature film

Regopstaan's Dream (DVD: 24 min.) [2000]
DVD 8128
Abstract: In 1974, the South African apartheid government evicted the Bushmen inhabiting areas of the Kalahari Desert as part of an ongoing genocide against these people, which had gone on for generations. Forced to live in shanty conditions on the edge of their own land, the Khomani clan of the Bushmen initiated a fight to regain control of their ancestral lands. On 21st March 1999, at a ceremony in the Kalahari Desert, 300 of the world's remaining Bushmen were granted 125,000 acres of land by the new South African government. Regopstaan Krupier was an elder in the #Khomani clan of the Bushmen who initiated the fight to regain control of their ancestral lands. Regopstaan's Dream follows the story of his son, Dawid Krupier's campaign to make the dream come true by making sure that the South African government honors their agreement to allow him and his extended family the right to live in their Kalahari home.
Director: Chris Walker Distributor: NA
Keywords: South Africa, Kalahari, Bushmen, San, national parks, apartheid, politics, conservation, land

Returning Dreams (DVD: 23 min.) [2005]
DVD 7910
Abstract: Fourteen-year old Jemoh fled from Liberia when she was 11 and has been living in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone for the last three years. Now she is about to join one of the first and biggest UNHCR convoys to return to Liberia for three years. This Life program follows Jemoh's long journey home and the mixed picture she finds when she gets there. Jemoh's just one of the millions of children caught up in the world's conflicts. Some are forced to fight and kill; others are used as slaves and 'wives.' Those that survive are left brutalized and traumatized. How, the program asks, do you rehabilitate children who have gone through these kinds of experiences? To mark the 15th anniversary of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, Life returns to Sierra Leone and Liberia, to assess the fate of children caught up in their recent civil war.
Director: Emily Marlow Distributor: NA
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Liberia, refugees, children's rights, civil war, youth

Rivers of Sand (Videocassette: 52 min.) [1991]
VHS 9344
Abstract: The Niger River brings life to the countries on the southern edge of the Sahara, known as the Sahel. Because nomadic herders are losing their grazing land to the desert, plans are being made to divert Niger River water to this area to permit the growing of crops.
Director: Bruno Sorrentino Distributor: NA
Keywords: Mali, Sahel, Sahara, drought, agriculture, development, desertification

Samba (DVD: 52 min.) [2005]
DVD 7872
Abstract: This film goes behind the scenes of the samba and carnival world in Rio de Janeiro to reveal how the cultural clash of the African/Black & European/White cultures gave birth to a new tradition.
Director: Eduardo Montes-Bradley Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Brazil, Rio de Janerio, samba, race, diaspora, performance, music, popular culture

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

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

Setting the Grass Roots on Fire (DVD: 56 min.) [2000]
DVD 8935
Abstract: Dr. Norman Borlaug, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, has spent his life battling against hunger and poverty in developing countries. With characteristic energy and a sense or urgency, he is setting the agenda for a 'Green Revolution' in sub-Saharan Africa as population increases overwhelm production. Borlaug grew up on a small farm in Iowa during the Depression years and trained as an agricultural scientist. He developed a lifelong determination to use science for the benefit of subsistence farmers. The film charts his struggle against third world poverty, using footage shot in Africa and Mexico over the last thirty years. In Mexico after World War II, Borlaug designed a simple approach for intensifying traditional agriculture that had dramatic results. It saved India and Pakistan from a repetition of the dreadful famine of the 1960's. Often embroiled in politics in his determination to put agriculture at the top of the agenda, he has also crossed swords with some environmentalists, who he felt had little understanding of life in developing countries. His faith has always been in small-scale farmers who are 'setting the grassroots on fire.'
Director: Tony Freeth Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Nobel Peace Prize, poverty, hunger, development, agriculture, environment

Silent Killer. The Unfinished Campaign Against Hunger (DVD: 57 min.) [2005]
DVD 7636
Abstract: There are still a billion hungry people in the world. Fifteen thousand children -- the equivalent of five times the victims of the World Trade Center bombings -- die each day of hunger. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. We can end hunger -- if we make a commitment to doing so. Silent Killer shows how it can be done. Hosted by National Public Radio's Scott Simon, the film begins in South Africa's Kalahari Desert, where razor-thin Bushmen use the Hoodia cactus to fend off hunger. But now, a drug firm has patented the Hoodia's appetite-suppressant properties and is using it to make a diet product for obese Americans and Europeans. Hoodia is a metaphor for a world where some people die from too much food, but millions more die from too little. We discover how serious the problem is in Kenya as we meet Jane Ininda, a scientist who is trying to make agriculture more productive in her country, while her own brother, Salesio, barely survives the drought, poor soils and pests that constantly threaten his crops. Through powerful stories, we come to understand the dimensions of the hunger crisis. At the World Food Summit in Rome, we learn how activists have been working to end hunger since President John Kennedy declared war on it in 1963. But today, America's commitment to food security is less clear. In fact, world financial commitments to hunger research have been declining in recent years. But Silent Killer does not leave viewers feeling helpless. A visit to Brazil finds a nation energized by a new campaign called 'Fome Zero' -- Zero Hunger. In the huge city of Belo Horizonte, we meet a remarkable leader and see how, under the programs she supervises, the right to food is guaranteed to all. In the countryside, we are introduced to the Landless Peasants' Movement, which is giving hope to millions of hungry Brazilians.
Director: Hana Jindrova and John de Graaf Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Kalahari, Bushmen, hunger, drought, food, agriculture, development

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

Sorious Samura Collection (The): Cry Freetown, Exodus, Return to Freetown. (DVD: 134 min.) [2005]
DVD 8476
Abstract: Compilation DVD of three films about Sierra Leone by Sierra Leonean filmmaker Sorious Samura. In Cry Freetown, Samura documents the civil war in Freetown, Sierra Leone. In Exodus, he follows the story of one migrant, Osas, whose absolute determination to achieve his mission reveals that he is willing to sacrifice everything to get out of Africa. In Return to Freetown, Samura returns to Sierra Leone and talks with three of the children who were abducted and forced to become soldiers in the civil war. Thousands were taken from their families by a ruthless rebel leader and turned into killers.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor: Insight News Television
Keywords: Sierra Leone, immigration, war, children, violence, family

South African Chronicles (Videocassette: 105 min.) [1988]
VHS 9346
Abstract: The nine short documentaries comprising South African Chronicles were produced by twelve young filmmakers at the racially integrated Varan Workshop. Focused on such subjects as a meeting of the Afrikaner Resistance Movement, an election campaign in a small mining town, a homeless children's shelter in the racially mixed Hillbrow section of Johannesburg, and the distribution of pension checks to senior citizens in Soweto, these films show the realities of South African life behind the sensationalism and rhetoric of most reports out of South Africa. In this way, South African Chronicles tells the story of apartheid all the more vividly.
Director: Varan Workshop of Johannesburg Distributor: First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, human rights, sociology

Spite: An African Prophet-Healer (DVD: 54 min.) [1984]
DVD 8394
Abstract: People from all over the Ivory Coast seek out prophet-healers for treatment of their medical and emotional problems. Some of these ailments may be caused by the stress of cultural change. Often Western medicine cannot cure them. This stunningly photographed film focuses on Sebim Odjo, who draws upon Moslem, Christian and traditional African beliefs in his healing ceremonies. He moderates disputes, tracks down the source of illness, and uses his powers to heal. We see a water cure used on a patient ill with spite.
Director: J.P. Colleyn and Catherine De Clippel Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Cote D'Ivoire, medicine, religion, health

Sultan's Burden, The (DVD: 50 min.) [1994]
DVD 9086
Abstract: Sultan Issa Maigari is the ruler of the northern Cameroon province of Adamawa, an area the size of England. Served by a liveried bodyguard of servants and slaves, he lives in an extraordinary thatched palace with his harem of wives and concubines and his thirty children. We are in a world of heraldry and magic, an ancient world fast disintegrating under the pressures of contempory political forces. In 1992, the Sultan allowed anthropologist Lisbet Holtedahl and award-winning director Jon Jerstad to film his life. Never before had a traditional Islamic leader granted such access to a world that seems straight out of the Arabian Nights. We see the many problems besetting the Sultan, ranging from the threat of an armed rebellion among the peasant farmers, to his impossible task of justifying support for the national Christian government to his local Moslem subjects. His courtiers criticize his rule. His own praisesinger (surely the worst praisesinger in Africa) contributes a bitter diatribe against the Sultan for his lack of generosity. The intrigues of the court are reminiscent of Shakespearean drama. Filmed as the first democratic elections in Cameroon were about to be held, The Sultan's Burden captures the myriad political and ethnic rivalries which occur all over Africa as it emerges from a colonial past.
Director: Jon Jerstad Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Cameroon, government, religion, elections, politics

T-Shirt Travels (DVD: 57 min.) [2001]
DVD 8789
Abstract: What happens to all those old clothes you bring to the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries? This comprehensive program is about Third World debt and secondhand clothes. The filmmaker travelled to Zambia and was amazed to find almost everyone wearing Calvin Klein, MTV and James Dean t-shirts! Huge bales of American secondhand clothing are sold to African importers, putting the African manufacturers out of business. We see a secondhand clothing dealer in Zambia carefully select a bale among dozens, bundled and shipped from abroad. He pays for the used clothing and then transports it by bus ten hours to a market. His meager profits support his entire extended family who subsist in shanty towns miles from the market. Their lives exemplify the poverty plaguing Africa today. They have virtually no possibility of advancing themselves and their children. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Harvard University Center for International Studies and other experts discuss the history of colonialism, slavery and the depletion of Africa's natural resources. They draw the connection between this shameful legacy and the current huge debt. As the African governments service their debts according to an IMF/World Bank policy known as 'structural adjustment lending,' people's benefits are slashed drastically, resulting in terrible suffering from malnutrition, poor healthcare, inadequate schools and a crumbling infra-structure. Our old t-shirts come with a high price-tag.
Director: Shantha Bloemen Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zambia, trade, economy, clothing, poverty, history, government, development

Tales of Sand and Snow (DVD: 49 min.) [2004]
DVD7232
Abstract: Having recently immigrated to Montreal, Burkinabé director Hyacinthe Combary explores his roots in an effort to rediscover the spiritual values of his people. His quest leads him to the northern forests of Quebec and an enlightening encounter with the Atikamekw of Wemotaci. In filming this Aboriginal people, he creates a moving cinematic dialogue between the Gourmantche of Burkina Faso, who practise the divinatory art of geomancy, and the men of the taiga, who connect with the spirits through sweat lodges. In this journey between North and South, the filmmaker comes to the realization that his quest is universal. 'It is the same question for all the peoples of the earth: With the globalization of culture, how can one keep from becoming dehumanized, from being cut off from one's deepest being?'
Director: Hyacinthe Combary Distributor: NA
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Gourmantche, Quebec, Wemotaci, Atikamekw, religion, divination

TemeTTeme (Videocassette: 30 min.) [1998]
VHS 9348
Abstract: Set in the beautiful drylands region of northern Ethiopia, TemeTTeme is a moving parable about progress and the values of family life. TemeTTeme tells the story of 12-year-old Belete who runs away from his father's desertified farm to pursue an education in the city of Addis Ababa. The story illustrates the African proverb, 'begezza rasu 'bab TemeTTeme', which means, 'by his own doing, he wrapped a snake around himself.' It reveals hope and resourcefulness in the midst of social and economic problems in rural and urban Ethiopia. The young actors in this film and many of the production team are street children in Addis Ababa. This film is dedicated to them and to the thousands of children whose talent and potential lies wasting and unseen on the streets of towns and cities throughout the world.
Director: Richard Duplock Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, youth, desertification, rural-urban migration, street children, poverty, family

These Girls Are Missing: The Gender Gap in Africa's Schools (DVD: 60 min.) [1997]
DVD 8006
Abstract: Everybody knows this instinctively -- educate women and you will change society. Perhaps that's why in many African countries, fewer than 20% of girls ever enter a schoolroom, and across the continent, only one woman in three learns to read. It's not official policy. In fact, an international industry devoted to changing the status quo exists. Still the deck is stacked against African girls. How can a schoolgirl be such a threat to traditional concepts of appropriate gender roles and control of fertility? These Girls Are Missing offers small sets of stories, sharp glimpses into a few intimate relationships layered to mirror the complex reality: Nadouba and Bintu in their West African village, Taz and Patricia from elite St. Mary's Secondary School in Malawi, Ethel and her mother torn between village and the modern world, a relaxed and riotous conversation among a group of Malinke elders. Through knowing them, the audience grows to understand how deep cultural attitudes, more than economics, undermine the future of Africa's women. More provocative than prescriptive, this film aims to inspire reflection, argument and deeper understanding.
Director: Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Malawi, Malinke, women, education, gender

They Carry Their Families: A Village in Mauritania (DVD: 14 min.) [1999]
DVD 8972
Abstract: Life in a rural village in Mauritania is hard on women. Tradition and Islamic religion are intertwined to reinforce strict gender roles. The husband is the protector and keeper; his word is law. While the men take their ease, the girls and women are off to the fields during the peanut planting and harvest season, walking five miles each way, and coming home with heavy burdens from the fields to prepare the family dinner. They carry the water, sweep the yard, wash the clothes, and care for the children. This short, beautifully filmed video captures succinctly the subservience of women, while at the same time remaining respectful of tradition and culture. There are no drugs, alcohol or loneliness in this kind of community, where family bonds are very strong. We hear from several young Peace Corps workers in the village who are hopeful that by educating and thereby widening the horizons of young women, eventually women will have more choices. From a Western perspective, the future of Africa depends on education and family planning.
Director: Ingo A. Zamperoni Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Mauritania, women, gender, religion, family, work, education

This Is Nollywood (DVD: 56 min.) [2007]
DVD 9589
Abstract: This Is Nollywood tells the story of the Nigerian film industry -- a revolution enabling Africans with few resources to tell African stories to African audiences. Despite all odds, Nigerian directors produce between 500 and 1,000 movies a year. The disks sell wildly all over the continent. Nollywood actors have become stars from Ghana to Zambia. This Is Nollywood shows how the egalitarian promise of digital technology has found realization in one of the world's largest and poorest cities. And it shows the universal theme of people striving to fulfill their dreams.
Director: Franco Sacchi Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Nigeria, Nollywood, film, popular culture, business, media

Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man (DVD: 52 min.) [2006]
DVD 9601
Abstract: A biography of Thomas Sankara, a charismatic army captain who became the first president of Burkina Faso after a popularly-supported coup. During his four years in office before being assassinated, he instituted a wide range of progressive social and economic reforms.
Director: Robin Shuffield Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Upper Volta, Thomas Sankara, politics, development, economics, postcolonialism

Through My Eyes (DVD: 44 min.) [2006]
DVD 7689
Abstract: Through My Eyes follows Rwandan youths who use the arts to help move the country forward ten years after the genocide. By expressing themselves through dance, poetry, music and painting, the teens, many of whom lost parents and family members during the conflict, are able to deal with the emotional and physical trauma they endured. The film documents how--through organizations and group activities--these creative talents not only honor those who perished but also confront new problems affecting the country such as poverty and AIDS. By focusing on what they can accomplish by working together in creative endeavors, the youth of Rwanda prove that art can not only benefit those around them but ensure that future generations have a brighter future.
Director: Hawa Essuman Distributor: NA
Keywords: Rwanda, youth, art, music, poverty, HIV/AIDS, genocide

Toro Si Te -- Everything's Fine (DVD: 78 min.) [2006]
DVD 7205
Abstract: Set in Mali, this film tracks the difficult daily life of a rural doctor as he goes about providing healthcare and hope.
Director: Daisy Lamothe Distributor: Agora Films
Keywords: Mali, health, medicine, development

Touki Bouki (DVD: 85 min.) [1973]
DVD 7517
Abstract: Two youngsters attempt to escape what they perceive to be the poverty and backwardness of their native Senegal. In this movie, a boy and a girl try to gather the funds and connections to enable them to move to France. They believe they will find better wages and a better life there. The boy engages in a number of petty thefts to finance his ambitions, but in the end, cannot leave without a fetish amulet, which he has lost somewhere. The girl fares better.
Director: Djibril Diop Mambety Distributor: Kino International
Keywords: Senegal, neo-colonial attitudes, poverty, immigration, feature film

Tree of Our Forefathers, The (DVD: 53 min.) [1994]
DVD 9405
Abstract: Follows a refugee family who has spent 10 years living in a refugee camp in Malawi as they make the return journey to their homeland in the Tete Province of Mozambique where they at last can pay proper respects to their dead under the village tree. During the 15-year civil war in Mozambique, one and a half million people fled to seek refuge in neighboring countries. There was no time for ceremonial leave-taking, no time to pay the proper respects to the dead. But in 1993, with the war finally over, the refugees began to return home. Licinio Azevedo's moving documentary is the story of one family's long journey back to seek the forefathers' atonement under the village tree. The film follows Alexandre Ferrao and his extended family as they toil home across a land emptied of people and littered with the twisted scrapmetal of warfare. At night, around the camp fire, the family recounts their experiences of the years in exile and their fears for what they might find when they finally reach home.
Director: Licinio Azevedo Distributor: Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Mozambique, refugees, emigration, immigration, funeral rites, ceremonies, civil war

Tree of Survival (Videocassette: 20 min.) [1984]
VHS 9349
Abstract: Trees, sorely needed to halt the desertification of the Sahel, are also the only source of energy for an ever-growing population. The delicate ecological balance is in danger. The key to successful efforts to reverse the trend lies with the people of the Sahel; only time will tell whether they will win, or the sand.
Director: Abdellatif Ben Ammar Distributor: First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords: North Africa, Sahara, Sahel, desertification , drought, environment

Tsotsi (DVD: 94 min.) [2006]
DVD 7818
Abstract: A young man running with a criminal gang on the streets of Johannesburg, Tsotsi - a nickname meaning thug - is immersed in a world of violence that seems to leave him unaffected, until he discovers an infant in the backseat of a car he has stolen.
Director: Gavin Hood Distributor: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Keywords: South Africa, Johannesburg, criminals, gangs, youth, poverty, feature film

Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela: A Son's Tribute to Unsung Heroes (DVD: 73 min.) [2006]
DVD 6399
Abstract: Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela provides a rare inside look into the organizational and psychological dynamics of liberation movements in general and the ANC in particular. At the same time its poignant story of the bonds between a son and his father strained by our politically turbulent times has universal resonance.
Director: Thomas Allen Harris Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, Nelson Mandela, liberation movements, ANC, politics, apartheid

Two Dollars With or Without A Condom (DVD: 40 min.) [1997]
DVD 8758
Abstract: Ethiopia has become to the Arab world what Thailand is to European tourists. Prostitution in Ethiopia has increased incredibly in recent years. In one section of Addis Ababa, some 130,000 girls support themselves by selling their bodies. Most of them are under eighteen, and many even under fourteen. In this probing documentary, we meet the victims, girls that have been orphaned, or thrown out by their family, or are hoping to find a better life. They are compelled to turn to prostitution to survive. The young ones, like nine-year-old Yashwarek, don't even earn enough money to buy food. The older ones earn more, about $2 a night, but yearn to work the luxury hotels as high-class prostitutes. Virtually all the girls are HIV positive. Condoms are seldom used, even though they are distributed free in many places. Customers, believing the youngest girls are HIV-free, seek them out, which in turn keeps lowering the age of girls becoming HIV-infected. Some attempts by agencies are being made to help these girls, but they face heavy odds.
Director: Leyla Assaf-Tengroth Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Ethiopia, prostitution, orphans, HIV/AIDS, women, youth, economy, poverty

Two Rivers, The (Videocassette: 59 min.) [1986]
VHS 9350
Abstract: Documentary which looks at the rural South African man's perspective on his country through the eyes of writer Rashaka Ratshitanga. Rashaka Ratshitanga lives in Venda, a rural area of South Africa, recently declared by them to be an independent black state in accordance with their policy of apartheid. Detained many times for his opposition to the white regime, Ratshitanga spent twenty years as a migrant worker in Johannesburg. He takes the viewer on a journey from his small rural village across the country to Johannesburg.
Director: Mark Newman Distributor: British Film Institute
Keywords: South Africa, Venda, Johannesburg, apartheid, urbanization, migrant labor

Vanishing Cultures: Bushmen of the Kalahari (DVD: 58 min.) [2005]
DVD 7839
Abstract: The film takes a look at the San people, traditionally hunter-gatherers, but who are now facing outside pressure to change to a 21st century life. They find themselves having to stand up for their heritage, their land and their dignity. They realize that they can benefit economically from their distinct knowledge and traditions.
Director: Jeffrey Hayes Kazmark Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Southern Africa, San people, land tenure, hunting, economy

Wandering Warrior (DVD: 56 min.) [1996]
DVD 8247
Abstract: This is a unique story of a leap across cultural boundaries as a Maasai warrior from the pastoral valleys of southern Kenya adapts to life on the fast track in suburban Massachusetts. At age nineteen, Maasai warrior Mpeti Ole Surum met an American tourist on a safari in Kenya. This meeting changed his life forever. The American encouraged him to get an education and learn about the world beyond his valley. Changing his name to 'Tom,' he went to school and learned to read and write English. For several years he held different jobs at a resort, where he impressed guests by speaking about the Maasai culture. Possessed of the courage and strength needed to kill lions, he also had the talent of a natural showman. Sent abroad to encourage tourism, Tom quickly became a sought after lecturer, entertainer and talk show guest. Today he has several agents booking his performances at schools and universities across the United States. Even the most complacent high school students sit up and take notice when Tom bellows tribal incantations across the stage while dressed in full hunting regalia. A self-styled cultural ambassador, Tom also shares what he has learned of America with young Maasai. While he partakes of the bounty of American life, including Armani suits, a luxury car, and credit cards, he is still strongly attached to his tribe and its traditions.
Director: Cliff Moskow Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, emigration, tourism

War Dance (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 107 min.) [2008]
DVD 9959
Abstract: Dominic, Rose, and Nancy are three children whose families have been torn apart, their homes destroyed, their innocence lost, and who currently reside in a displaced persons camp in Patongo, Uganda. These children attend a school where they can momentarily forget the brutal realities of their lives, as they participate in music, song and dance. When they are invited to compete in an annual music and dance festival in their nation's capital, their historic journey is also an opportunity to regain a part of their childhood and to taste victory for the first time.
Director: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine Distributor: Thinkfilm LLC
Keywords: Uganda, dance, music, performance, children, war, displacement, feature film

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

Water for Tonoumassaé (DVD: 28 min.) [1987]
DVD 7931
Abstract: During the long, dry season in the south of Togo, in West Africa, a woman's day began at 1:00 a.m. with an eight-hour trek for water. Unbeknownst to her, the water so arduously collected was contaminated. Water for Tonoumassé shows the efforts of a group of villagers to get clean water by drilling a well nearby. It chronicles the success of this project in which women played a key role. To the surprise of the village men, the women were capable of making decisions, handling money, and learning the mechanics of keeping the pump in working order. We share their joy as they celebrate when water pours forth. By taking responsibility, these women have transformed daily life, both for themselves and their families. They are able to care for their children better and have more time to grow food. This vivid example of a development project that works is an excellent resource for exploring issues relating to women's roles in developing countries.
Director: Gary Beitel Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Togo, water, technology, development, women

Way to Move On (A): Women's Savings Associations in Dakar (DVD: 23 min.) [2000]
DVD 8048
Abstract: Senegal went through an economic crisis in the l980's, and cut off from government support, many women emerged from their domestic roles to become breadwinners for their families. They formed collectives, called Roscas, which act like credit unions with an emotional component. Participants contribute a predetermined sum which gets redistributed to members who need short term loans to run their business. The women are able to raise their families' standard of living by raising and selling food crops, or making handicrafts. They meet regularly, share problems and help one another out. It is a cooperative very much in keeping with the African sense of community. The Rosca movement may be a key out of poverty.
Director: Elisa Mereghetti and Francesca Lulli Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Senegal, Dakar, women, cooperative societies, credit unions, economy

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

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

Who's afraid of Ngugi? (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 83 min.) [2006]
DVD 10266
Abstract: This documentary follows acclaimed author Ngugi wa Thiong'o as he and his political activist wife Njeri journey back to Kenya after years of exile. As they are welcomed home by joyous and hopeful crowds, they also must cope with those who still find their revolutionary words and deeds threatening.
Director: Manthia Diawara Distributor: Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Kenya, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, literature, politics, exile

Witchdoctors: a Day in the Other Africa (DVD: 55 min.) [2007]
DVD 10030
Abstract: Film by Brooklyn librarian/documentary filmmaker Boniface Wewe that aims to show viewers the other Africa full of life and culture, as opposed to the stereotyped images of poverty and corruption often presented on the evening news. Filmed in West Central and South Africa, the film offers a first-hand look at some of the people and the professions that play a role in African cultures and lives. Highlights indigenous professions from palm wine tapping in Santa, Cameroon; thumb piano (ndenge) playing in Bali, Cameroon; Zulu singing (isicathamiya) by the award-winning Hlahlindlela High School choir; and an interview with the Prime Minister to the King of the Zulu Nation. The bulk of the program, however, is comprised of a day spent with a community of traditional healers (sangoma) in Kwangcolosi Village in the Valley of 1000 Hills, South Africa, who train together in an apprentice system under an experienced practitioner. The chief sangoma, Ma Nokusho Bhengu, has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal for her collaboration with President Bush and an American program which sees a partnership between Western and traditional doctors in South Africa. We meet a variety of people who have trained under Ma Bhengu as the viewer becomes acquainted with the criteria for becoming a sangoma, sample medications (muti) and their cures, the initiation of a young sangoma and esoteric dances punctuated with hallucinating growls when the ancestors are invoked. A traditional African blessing and prayer to the ancestors concludes the day.
Director: Boniface Ndemping Wewe Distributor: African Artistic Videos
Keywords: Cameroon, South Africa, healing, music, religion

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

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

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

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

Film and Video Main Catalogue

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

46664: The Concert (DVD: 388 min.) [2004]
DVD 4339
Abstract: The title refers to former President Nelson Mandela's one-time prison number, which he loaned to this benefit concert to raise awareness of the threat of HIV/AIDS in South Africa and of the need for action in response. Performances include: Abdel Wright, Anastacia, Andrews Bonsu, Angelique Kidjo, Baaba Maal, Beyoncé, Bob Geldof, Bongo Maffin, Bono, Danny K, Eurythmics, Jimmy Cliff, Johnny Clegg, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ms. Dynamite, Paul Oakenfold, Peter Gabriel, Queen, The Corrs, The Edge, Watershed, Youssou N'Dour, Yusuf Islam (a.k.a. Cat Stevens), Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Zucchero. Special features: press launch in London when Nelson Mandela announces the event to the world's media; documentary showing the making of 46664; artist interviews about the event and why they support the 46664 campaign; footage from a visit to Khayelitsha to see the Mothers 2 Mothers-2-Be and Baphumelele Children's Home projects; 12 one-minute films by contemporary visual artists representing their vision on HIV/AIDS; Spirit of Africa documentary; photo gallery featuring all of the artists.
Director: David Mallet Distributor: Warner Strategic Marketing
Keywords: South Africa, concert recording, HIV/AIDS, music, Nelson Mandela, health, popular culture, performance, media

6000 a Day: An Account of a Catastrophe Foretold (Videocassette: 55 min.) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8188
Abstract: How the failure of key individuals, prominent NGO's, and governments to act allowed a catastrophe to fester--a catastrophe that undoubtedly could have been avoided. Since it appeared 20 years ago, AIDS has left behind it a trail of destruction. This film answers the question 'why did the world wait so long to react', and dissects the key moments in the global response to the epidemic. By examining this human catastrophe, the film reveals a global rift that helped the disease to spread. Part of Steps for the Future, a unique collection of documentaries and short films from Southern Africa about life in the time of HIV/AIDS (Volume 16).
Director: Philippe Brooks Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, NGO, international cooperation, government policy

7-Up in South Africa (Videocassette: 83 min.) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 6507
Abstract: The South African children in the film were just visited in 1991 and will be documented again in seven years. Of all the Age seven films, this one is unique in that the compelling portraits of the bright and charming children are strikingly contrasted with the social turbulence that surrounds them.
Director: Angus Gibson Distributor: Shanachie Entertainment Corporation
Keywords: South Africa, children, social conditions, history, youth

A L'Ombre du soleil: Funérailles et intronisation du Hogon d'Arou (Videocassette: 83 min.) [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 5030
Abstract: A film about a Dogon funeral and enthronement ritual.
Director: NA Distributor: Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Mali, Dogon, funeral, ritual

A Luta Continua (Videocassette: 26 min.) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8253
Abstract: An HIV-positive group from Khaleyitsha, Cape Town make short films to show at public venues like taxi ranks and shopping malls in Cape Town's townships. They are present at these screenings, in which they strive to disclose their status, discuss HIV and AIDS issues, and clear up audience misconceptions about HIV and AIDS. Shows portions of the filming and the films themselves, interspersed with group members discussing their lives. 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 14).
Director: Jack Lewis Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, Cape Town, HIV/AIDS, activism, popular culture, Steps for the Future

A-OK? (Videocassette: 24 min.) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8924
Abstract: Vitamin A is essential for the functioning of the human immune system. In industrialized countries, foods like flour or sugar have been fortified with it for decades. But in some developing countries, children with Vitamin A deficiency run the risk of dying from common childhood illnesses like measles. The cost of ensuring all children receive enough Vitamin A is small, but improves children's chances of survival by as much as 25 percent. This episode looks at the prospects for two very different Vitamin A distribution programs in Ghana and Guatemala.
Director: Di Tatham Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, Guatemala, nutrition, children, health, development

AIDS in Africa (Videocassette: 52 min.) [1990]
V.CASS. VHS 5118
Abstract: Describes the war on AIDS in Africa, where the disease cuts across the entire population, affecting men and women of reproductive age and their children, striking a continent already wracked by underdevelopment, civil strife and corruption.
Director: Roger Pyke Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Africa, HIV/AIDS, health, economic conditions, politics

Abolition: Broken Promises (Videocassette: 50 min.) [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 4420
Abstract: This program presents a grim picture of the black experience after slavery through the eyes of those who experienced it and their progeny. Topics include the Fugitive Slave Law and the Dred Scott decision; Northern political abandonment of blacks; the Ku Klux Klan; failure of the post-war land-distribution act; the role of industry; the deliberately cultivated image of black males as criminals and rapists; and the perpetuation of Jim Crow well into the 1950s.
Director: NA Distributor: Films for the Humanities
Keywords: African Americans, social conditions, segregation, race, slavery, politics, history

About the United Nations: Africa Recovery (Videocassette: 15 min.) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 1839
Abstract: Africa today is a continent beset by drought, famine, war & debt. In Zambia, a news reporter examines these problems & discusses potential new solutions that might be applicable to the entire continent.
Director: Albert Lin Distributor: United Nations. Department of Public Information
Keywords: Zambia, politics, drought

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

Act of Faith (An): The Phelophepa Health Train (Videocassette: 25 min.) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8923
Abstract: A group of health professionals spends nine months of each year touring the poorest and most remote areas of South Africa. This program catches up with the train in the province of KwaZulu Natal, where there's just one doctor for every 4,000 people. With a full contingent of volunteer doctors, dentists, optometrists, and health educators on board, the 'good clean health train' delivers quality health care to deprived rural communities.
Director: Toni Strasburg Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Keywords: South Africa, Natal, health care, poverty

Africa (Videocassette: 456 min.) [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 2088
Abstract: Gives a history of Africa from many locations showing life as it is today plus archive film and dramatized reconstructions. (4 videocassettes: 114 minutes/ea)
Director: NA Distributor: Home Vision
Keywords: overview, history

Africa Comeback: the Popular Music of West Africa (Videocassette: 60 min.) [1984]
V. CASS. VHS 2933
Abstract: Looks at the popular music scene in Ghana today and explores the diversity of African music.
Director: Geoffrey Haydon and Dennis Marks Distributor: NA
Keywords: Ghana, music, popular culture

Africa Dreaming (Videocassette: 109 min.) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 3798
Abstract: Four short films on love from Namibia, Mozambique, Senegal, and Tunisia produced in a continent-wide media project. 26 minutes each. Sophia's Homecoming (Namibia; directed by Richard Pakleppa); Sabriya (Tunisia; written and directed by Abderrahmane Sissako); So Be It (Senegal; written, directed and produced by Joseph Gai Ramaka); The Gaze of the Stars (Mozambique; directed by Joao Ribeiro)
Director: Collective Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Namibia, Tunisia, Senegal, Mozambique, gender, short feature films.

Africa I Remember: A Musical Synthesis of Two Cultures (DVD: 30 min.) [2004]
DVD 7984
Abstract: Tunde Jegede, a black musician and composer, bridges two classical traditions. His instrument is the kora, an African harp lute whose roots are in the court of 13th century Mali. First introduced to the kora in Britain by a Senegalese musician, Tunde later studied in the Gambia where he found himself immersed in its rich oral tradition. In this film, we follow him to the villages of West Africa where he learns from local musicians. We also see him perform his compositions with the London Sinfonietta. What is remarkable about Tunde's music is the way it combines West African and classical European traditions, bringing together a love of both cultures. Combining African experiences with Western structures, spontaneous composition with written musical notation, his The Cycle of Reckoning reflects on the legacy of the African slave trade.
Director: Tunde Jegede Distributor: Filmakers Library
Keywords: Gambia, kora, folk music

Africa in the 21st Century (Videocassette: 147 min.) [2002]
V. CASS. VHS 7506, 7507, 7508
Abstract: A series of three videos presenting aspects of contemporary life in different regions of Africa: Somalia: The Neglected Civil War, Mali and Senegal: the Power of Islam, Zimbabwe & South Africa.
Director: NA Distributor: Filmakers Library, Inc.
Keywords: Mali, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Africa, Africas (Videocassette: 62 min.) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 8686
Abstract: Three short segments present different facets of contemporary African life. Fantococà (23 min.) presents the cultural phenomenon of skin bleaching in Cameroon and the challenge it is now posing on notions of black pride and identity. Director: Agnès Ndibi. From The Other Side Of The River (18 min.) documents the effects of war on a community of Ethiopian women and children who were forcibly relocated into refugee camps. Director: Moji-da Abdi. Laafi Bala (20 min.) demonstrates the causes of wide-spread unemployment and poverty in Burkina Faso, where few institutional resources and government support are available, and the debilitating effects this is having on women and youth. Director: Fanta Regina Nacro
Director: Moji-da Abdi, Fanta Regina Nacro and Agnès Ndibi Distributor: Women Make Movies
Keywords: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, women, gender, beauty, war, refugees, youth, poverty

Africa: Continent of Contrasts (Videocassette: 35 min.) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 2463
Abstract: A view of the African continent, emphasizing its wide variety of landscapes and how its peoples have adapted to them. (videocassette: 35 min. + guide)
Director: Mary Lee Nolan. Distributor: Educational Video Network
Keywords: overview, geography, adaptation

Africa: Search for Common Ground (Videocassette: run time NA) [2005]
ON-ORDER
Abstract: Seven-part series by the NGO, Search for Common Ground, which emphasizes conflict resolution, prevention and transformation. Contents: Program 1-- Thokoza Video Dialogues for Peace; Program 2 -- When Things Fall Apart (Congo), Breaking the Cycle: Domestic Violence (South Africa); Program 3 --'Reconciliation Radio (Burundi), Democracy or Disruption - Wangari Maathai and Green Belt (Kenya); Program 4 -- The Hunt for Witches (South Africa); Program 5 -- A.T. Toure and the Peace Flame (Mali), Water, Water Everywhere (Lesotho); Program 6 -- Under the Baobab Tree (South Africa), Making the Angola Peace Song (Angola); Program 7 -- Between Confession and Prosecution: Truth and Reconciliation (South Africa).
Director: NA Distributor: Search for Common Ground
Keywords: Angola, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, South Africa, conflict resolution, violence, TRC

African American Lives (DVD: 240 min.) [2006]
DVD 5313
Abstract: An unprecedented four-part series, African American Lives uncovers a new level of personal discovery. Using genealogy, oral history, family stories, and DNA analysis to trace lineages through American history and back to Africa, the series provides life-changing journeys for a diverse group of highly accomplished African Americans including Whoopi Goldberg, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Quincy Jones, Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, and Oprah Winfrey.
Director: Henry Louis Gates Distributor: PBS Home Video
Keywords: Africa, African-American history, DNA fingerprinting, genealogy, history, slavery

African Carving: a Dogon Kanaga Mask (Motion Picture: 20 min.) [1975]
MP-16MM 342
Abstract: Examines the ceremonies and rituals surrounding the Kanaga mask. Shows the ritual of carving the mask and presents parts of the ceremony in which the mask is used to release the spirit of a dead man.
Director: Eliot Elisofon and Thomas Blakely Distributor: Phoenix/BFA Films and Video
Keywords: Mali, Dogon, masking, art, ritual

African Dance (Videocassette: 70 min.) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8351
Abstract: A documentary exploring African contemporary dance featuring eight modern dance companies from Africa, Europe and Canada, as well as interviews with dance historians.
Director: Ken Glazebrook, Alla Kovgan Distributor: Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: Dance history

African Jim (Videocassette: 51 min.) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 4562
Abstract: Made in 1949, African Jim was the first film made in South Africa to have an all-black cast. Now considered a classic, the film also includes some great jazz singers of the period (Sam Maile, The African Inkspots, and Dolly Rathebe). The plot tells a simple story of a country lad who comes to the city to look for work, takes some knocks while adjusting to city life, but comes out on top when his singing talent is discovered. The film was a sensation for black audiences, who had never before seen their own heroes on screen.
Director: NA Distributor: Villon Films
Keywords: South Africa, popular culture, history, feature film

African Queen (The) (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 105 min.) [1952]
V. DISC 42
Abstract: Thrown together at the outset of World War I, the spinster sister of a British missionary and the derelict captain of the launch, The African Queen, determine to pilot the boat down an uncharted river in an effort to destroy a German gunboat which prevents invasion by British forces. Setting: German East Africa in 1914.Filmed in Africa. Producer: Sam Speigel.
Director: John Huston Distributor: CBS Fox Video
Keywords: East Africa, World War I, colonialism, feature film

African Recovery (An) (Videocassette: 28 min.) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 1174
Abstract: Peoples of the Sahel region, recovering from the recent drought, with outside assistance, are striving to recover the once abundant forests, crops, and quality of life the region once supported. In addition, efforts are under way to reeducate the nomad tribes to useful lives in the cities and villages.
Director: Sandra Nichols Distributor: First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Sahel, drought, development, pastoralism

African Religions (Videocassette: 52 min.) [1978]
V. CASS. VHS 2866
Abstract: Visits the Zulu Independent Churches of South Africa to explore the Black African response to Christianity. Traces the history of religious beliefs inAfrica from the arrival of the first Christian missionaries to the current rediscovery of the African religious identity.
Director: Jonathan Stedall Distributor: Ambrose Video
Keywords: South Africa, religion, history, missionaries

African Sanctus (Videocassette: 47 min.) [1977]
V. CASS. 29
Abstract: This program retraces composer David Fanshawe's African odyssey which inspired his now-famous composition of the same name. The music incorporates the centuries-old rhythms of Africa into a colorful Latin Mass, which celebrates human experience as we travel from the Mediterranean down to Lake Victoria, and from the mountains of the western Sudan across the Red Sea.
Director: David Fanshawe Distributor: Time-Life Video
Keywords: religion, music

African Studies Center Multimedia Archives (Internet) [2004]
Online
Abstract: A collection of digitized images or links to images on other servers of African art and other African subjects, mostly in .gif format. Most sections have an introduction and/or descriptive list of the images. Contents include: African city maps, other maps and satellite images, African flags, African sculptures, Egypt, Elmardi archive, Ethiopia, face masks, Smithsonian Africa collections, Vatican & the Orient, wildlife. http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Home_Page/GIF_Images.html
Director: University of Pennsylvania, African Studies Center Distributor: NA
Keywords: Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, art, maps, electronic resource, photography

African Wildlife (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 60 min.) [1986]
V. DISC 540
Abstract: Filmed in Namibia's Etosha National Park over a two year period capturing extraordinary close-ups of animal behavior.
Director: NA Distributor: Vestron Video
Keywords: Namibia, environment, wildlife

African and African-American Religions (Videocassette: 50 min.) [1998]
V.CASS. VHS 7590
Abstract: Discusses the cultural diversity of Africa through its many religions. Shows how shared elements of various customs serve as unifying threads across peoples, centuries, and continents. Narrated by Ben Kingsley. Teacher's guide and related materials available at http://www.libraryvideo.com
Director: Coley Coleman Distributor: Schlessinger Media
Keywords: Africa, diaspora, religion

Africans (The) (Videocassette: 540 min.) [1986]
V. CASS. VHS 683
Abstract: Controversial examination of contemporary Africa in terms of its triple heritage: what is indigenous, what was contributed by Islam, and what wasacquired from the West. Narrated by Ali Mazrui. (9 videocassettes: 60 minutes/ea)
Director: NA Distributor: Films Inc.
Keywords: overview, history, religion

Afrique, je te plumerai (Videocassette: 88 min.) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 2348
Abstract: A depiction of the history of colonials in Cameroon, and by extension, on the African continent. Focuses on historical as well as contemporary European cultural dominance, including its influence on publishing and mass media in Cameroon.
Director: Jean-Marie Teno Distributor: California News
Keywords: Cameroon, colonialism, media, history, feature film

Afro@digital (Videocassette: 62 min.) [2003]
V.CASS. VHS 8478
Abstract: Looks as the information technology revolution which has become a daily reality in many African countries where the Internet, mobile telephones and digital video cameras are being used with extraordinary creativity. Visits a marabou who explains he no longer replies by letter to questions but uses his mobile phone and email to transmit his advice. Another illustration of the digital revolution in Africa is the rise of internet cafes and cyber teahouses. In some towns in Senegal and the Congo, increasing numbers are connecting to the internet using a laptop computer with a mobile phone.
Director: Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Congo, information technology, internet

After the Hunger and Drought (Videocassette: 52 min.) [1987]
V. CASS. VHS 1866
Abstract: Discusses the role of writers in preserving the past and shaping the future of Zimbabwe. Includes interviews with some of Zimbabwe's foremost authors.
Director: Olley Marima Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Zimbabwe, literature

Aftertaste (Videocassette: 36 min.) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8332
Abstract: This video focuses on two South African wine farms where 'empowerment' projects have recently been started in response to calls for change. The wine farm workers receive part of the profits from the sale of 'empowerment' brand wine Winds of Change. They have used this money to buy their own houses and shares in the wine farm business. On the surface, these 'empowerment' projects seem to be a radical departure from the abusive, paternalistic labor relationship between farm owners and workers that has existed for so long. But the legacy of centuries of abuse cannot be eradicated overnight.
Director: Ceridwen Dovey Distributor: Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: South Africa, viticulture, economic development

Aiming High (DVD: 26 min.) [2005]
DVD 8462
Abstract: This film focuses on Uganda's successful economic recovery in the wake of Idi Amin's regime.
Director: Ashley Bruce Distributor: Bull Frog
Keywords: Uganda, Idi Amin, poverty, government policy, development, economy

Aimé Césaire: A Voice for History = Une voix pour l'Histoire (Videocassette: 160 min.) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 2988 V.1-3.
Abstract: This three-part study introduces American audiences to the celebrated Martinican author who coined the term négritude and launched the movement called the A Great Black Cry'. Weaves Césaire's life and poetry into a vast tapestry featuring many of the most important artistic and intellectual figures of the past six decades. In Part I, L'Ile Veilleuse (The Vigilant Island) Césaire shows us his pays natal, its volcano, beaches and colonial towns, a tropical crossroad where Europe, Africa and America meet. From this cultural vortex, Césaire, his wife, Suzanne, and philosopher René Menil founded in 1939 the seminal literary review Tropiques. Discusses the difficulty of balancing the life of a poet with that of a practical politician for over 50 years. Part II, Au rendez-vous de la conquête (Where the Edges of Conquest Meet) moves to Paris in the 1930s where Césaire, Leopold Senghor, first president of Senegal, and the French Guyanese poet, Leon Damas, developed the concept of négritude, a world-wide revindication of African values. In Part III, La force de regarder demain (The Strength to Face Tomorrow), Césaire responds to the disappointments of the post-colonial world, the dangers of neo-colonialism. (3 videocassettes: 54, 56, 50 min.)
Director: Euzhan Palcy Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Cesaire, Negritude, literature, politics, diaspora

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

All About Darfur (Videocassette: 82 min.) [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9128
Abstract: Up until now the perilous situation in Sudan has been seen only from outside the country. All About Darfur offers an opportunity to hear it explained by eloquent, diverse, even contradictory voices from within Sudan. The director talks to ordinary Sudanese in outdoor tea shops, markets, refugee camps and living rooms about how deeply rooted prejudices could suddenly burst into a wild fire of ethnic violence.
Director: Taghreed Elsanhouri Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Sudan, Darfur, civil war, ethnicity, race relations, humanitarian crisis, violence

Allah Tantou, God's Will Be Done (Videocassette: 62 min.) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 2989
Abstract: Through home movies, old newsreels, letters and fictional reconstruction of imprisonment, this film examines the life of the film maker's father, a diplomat under the Sekou Toure regime, who later disappeared into the Guinean gulag. Film reevaluates the turbulent decade of African independence and discusses its relevance to the new political order on the continent.
Director: David Achkar Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Guinea, prisoners, politics and government, drama

Allan Boesak (Motion Picture: 28 min.) [1984]
MP-16MM 363
Abstract: Depicts Allan Boesak's work against segregation in South Africa.
Director: Hugo Cassirer and Nadine Gordimer Distributor: Felix Films
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, politics

Amandla!: A Revolution in Four Part Harmony (DVD: 103 min.) [2002]
DVD 4122
Abstract: Tells the story of black South African freedom music and the central role it played against apartheid. Specifically considers the music that sustained and galvanized blacks for more than 40 years. Focuses on the struggle's spiritual dimension named for the Xhosa word for power. An uplifting story of human courage, resolve and triumph. Individuals featured include: Vusi Mahlasela, Jeremy Cronin, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Sophie Mgcina, Dolly Rathebe, Sifiso Ntuli, Abdullah Ibrahim and Duma Ka Ndlovu.
Director: Lee Hirsh Distributor: Artisan Home Entertainment
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, nationalism, music, history, popular culture, performance, politics

Among the Wild Chimpanzees (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 59 min.) [1984]
V. DISC 542
Abstract: Documents Jane Goodall's twenty-two-year field research on the wild chimpanzees of East Africa. Shows the chimpanzees' nomadic behavior, their family structure, and their ability to hunt, make and use tools. Also looks at discoveries of warfare and cannibalism. (videodisc: 55 min.) [1987] and (motion picture: 59 min.) [1984]
Director: NA Distributor: Vestron Video
Keywords: East Africa, primates

Analysis of the Economic and Ethnic Composition of South Africa (Videocassette: 30 min.) [1991]
VC NO. 466 LAW LIBRARY
Abstract: Abstract not available.
Director: Phyllis Dannhauser Distributor: South African Communication Service. Film and Video Production Unit.
Keywords: South Africa, economy, population, ethnicity

Ancient Egypt: the Sun and the River (Videocassette: 52 min.) [1971]
V. CASS. 14
Abstract: Blends the art, architecture, and history of ancient Egypt with a review of modern Egyptological research and discovery.
Director: NA Distributor: Time-Life Video
Keywords: Egypt, art, architecture, history

Angano ... Angano (Videocassette: 64 min.) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 1559
Abstract: Venerable but unmistakably contemporary storytellers recount for the camera and their listeners the founding myths of Malagasy culture, the creation of man and woman, the origin of rice cultivation, the reason for animal sacrifice.
Director: Clemance Blanc-Paes and Ceaser Paes Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Madagascar, myth, folktales, feature film

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

Angola (DVD: 45 min.) [1989]
DVD 9212
Abstract: A Brazilian documentary which reflects contemporary Angolan society, beginning with its war of independence against Portugal, which Angola won in 1975.
Director: Robert Berliner Distributor: Cidela and Antene
Keywords: Angola, Portugal, colonialism, history

Angola é A Nossa Terra (Videocassette: 45 min.) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 6901
Abstract: Angolan women are rarely heard describing the impact of South Africa's undeclared war against their country. This moving documentary, produced in conjunction with the Organization of Angolan Women (OMA), highlights the contribution women make to the reconstruction of a country where war has consumed more than half the national budget and produced at least a million internal refugees.
Director: Jenny Morgan Distributor: Women Make Movies
Keywords: Angola, South Africa, war, women, history, politics

Another Man's Garden (DVD: 80 min.) [2006]
DVD 10219
Abstract: For a young girl who wants to study medicine in Mozambique, the obstacles extend far beyond the distractions of her boyfriend and her family. A moment of weakness or an error in judgment can cost her a place at the university, an irretrievable loss in a country with so few opportunities for women.
Director: Sol de Carvalho Distributor: Icarus Films
Keywords: Mozambique, women, gender, education, health

Apartheid Revisited: Confronting History (Videocassette: 40 min.) [1998]
V. CASS. VHS 5091
Abstract: Developed by the Bill of Rights Education Program of the A.C.L.U., Project HIP-HOP (Highways Into the Past, History, Organizing & Power) is a 'traveling classroom.' In the summer of 1996, veterans of previous 'HIP-HOP' excursions traveled to South Africa. Their goal was to learn about the history of South Africa and the resistance movement that led to the end of apartheid.
Director: Charlotte Angel and Kyle Boyd Distributor: Cambridge Educational
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, history, race relations, education

Apostles of Civilised Vice (Videocassette: 2 videos min.) [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 6956 pt. 1 & pt. 2
Abstract: A history of same-sex desire which investigates lesbian and gay experience and personalities from colonial times to the present. Between 1910 and 1933 thousands of men were convicted of sodomy and 'unnatural offences.' The majority of those tried, convicted and imprisoned were black. For over two centuries of South African history, lesbian and gay stories have been silenced, depriving contemporary queer life of a history.
Director: Zackie Achmat Distributor: Idol Pictures
Keywords: South Africa, homosexuality, gay men, lesbians, history, law

Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaking at the Emory University School of Law 1994 Religious Human Rights Conference (Videocassette: 43 min.) [1994]
LAW Library VC No 450
Abstract: Archbishop Desmond Tutu's address at the 1994 conference on Religious Human Rights held at the Emory School of Law.
Director: NA Distributor: Emory University School of Law
Keywords: South Africa, Desmond Tutu, human rights, religion, law

Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Bill Moyers (Videocassette: 60 min.) [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 4863
Abstract: Bill Moyers discusses with Archbishop Desmond Tutu the latter's life and work, in particular the Archbishop's struggle against apartheid.
Director: NA Distributor: Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: South Africa, apartheid, Desmond Tutu, history, politics

Art as a Verb in Africa: The Masks of the Bwa Village of Boni (DVD: 90 min.) [2005]
DVD 8536
Abstract: The spectacular mask performances of the Bwa people in the village of Boni, in central Burkina Faso, include plank masks, hawks, lepers, dwarfs, serpents, and other spiritual beings. The masks' performances recreate the characters of the spiritual beings they represent. Filmed at the annual mask festival in 2005. Edited and produced by Christopher D. Roy.
Director: Yacouba Bonde Distributor: CustomFlix
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Bwa people, masquerade, art, performance

Art of Tracking (The) (Videocassette: 54 min.) [1996]
V.CASS. VHS 8501
Abstract: This video takes an historical look at the art of tracking and hunting, focusing on the San of the Kalahari Desert, the Arctic Inupiat, and the Aboriginal Australians.
Director: Tim Dalton, Gary Steer Distributor: Insight Media
Keywords: Kalahari, Australia, Arctic Continent, San, Inupiat, Aboriginal Australians, hunt, geography

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

Asante Market Women (Videocassette: 52 min.) [1982]
V.CASS. VHS 8792
Abstract: This documentary examines the matrilineal and polygamous Ashanti society of Ghana through interviews with women who exercise complete authority in the wholesale produce market. The interviewees reveal the advantages and tribulations of their relationships, the practical problems they confront, and the various solutions they embrace.
Director: Claudia Milne Distributor: Filmaker's Library
Keywords: Ghana, Asante, Akan, women, economic conditions, social conditions, gender

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

Athol Fugard: Blood Knot, 1964 (Videocassette: 28 min.) [1996]
V.CASS. VHS 8170
Abstract: Videocassette release of excerpts from the original New York production of Fugard's Blood Knot, filmed in 1964. Story of two South African half-brothers, one black, one white, remembering their lives from two very different perspectives. Cast: James Earl Jones, J.D. Cannon.
Director: NA Distributor: Creative Arts Television
Keywords: South Africa, race relations, drama, apartheid, theater

Atlantico Negro: Na Rota dos Orixás = Black Atlantic: On the Orixas Route (Videocassette: 55 min.) [2001]
V. CASS. VHS 6016
Abstract: / documentário de Renato Barbieri ; idealização e realização Instituto Itaú Cultural Videografia. The waters of the Atlantic brought the slaves from Africa to Brazil, their bodies in chains but their souls still tied to mother Africa. This Brazilian-made film takes us to both shores, to how spiritual life, dance and song came with the captive people and took root in the new soil. Among the many traditions were the language and gods of Yoruba and Jejes from the Republic of Benin. Today, when Brazilians revisit Africa, they teach the Africans the culture that these descendants of slaves keep alive in Brazil. The documentary is a testimony to some of the ironies of the Diaspora.
Director: Renato Barbieri Distributor: Filmakers Library Inc.
Keywords: Benin, Brazil, slave trade, diaspora, history, religion

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

Baara = The Porter (Videocassette: 90 min.) [1978]
VHS 9314
Abstract: The first feature film ever produced in Mali, Baara (The Porter) is about a young man caught in the growing political and economic tensions of urban Africa. Balla Diarra is a worker in the capital city of Bamako who struggles to survive on his meager income. After his friend is murdered by an unfeeling factory boss, he must confront increasingly violent choices. Set in a modern city rather than a mythical past or traditional village, Baara offers a portrait of African life not often seen on the American screen. In Bambara with English sub-titles.
Director: NA Distributor: NA
Keywords: Mali, urban life, work, feature film

Bab el-Oued City (Videocassette: 93 min.) [1994]
V. CASS. VHS 4619
Abstract: Bab El-Oued is a working class district of Algiers. A young worker commits an act which puts the entire district in turmoil.
Director: Merzak Allaouche Distributor: www.arabfilm.com
Keywords: Algeria, politics, urban life, feature film

Baboon Tales (Videocassette: 52 min.) [1998]
OXFORD V.CASS.305
Abstract: Based on 26 years of fieldwork by anthropologist/primatologist Shirley Strum, this film documents social and parenting skills of baboons toward their offspring through the first year of a newborn's life during a season of drought. Accompanied by study guide.
Director: Gillian Darling Kovanic Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Kenya, Baboons, anthropology, primatology

Bahia, Africa in the Americas (Videocassette: 58 min.) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 826
Abstract: The impact of African culture on the people of Bahia, Brazil is explored. Some interview responses in Portuguese; these are followed by English translation. Produced, written and translated by Geovanni Brewer.
Director: Michael Brewer Distributor: University of California, Extension Media Center
Keywords: Brazil, Bahia, religion, popular culture, Diaspora

Ball (The) (Videocassette: 5 min.) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8263
Abstract: The Ball tells the story of Mozambican children who use condoms to make soccer balls. In a dramatization, a man confronts them and accuses them of stealing his condoms. This story illustrates that many people are not using condoms for safer sex, despite their availability. 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 24).
Director: Orlando Mesquita Distributor: California Newsreel
Keywords: Mozambique, HIV/AIDS, Steps for the Future, Drama

Bamako Sigi-kan = Bamako's Pact (Videocassette: 77 min.) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8963
Abstract: Discusses the social and economic conditions in Bamako, Mali, and whether globalization, which local residents feel is being forced upon them, is a necessary or good thing.
Director: Manthia Diawara Distributor: Third World Newsreel
Keywords: Mali, Bamako, economics, globalization

Battle of Algiers (Video Disc/Laser Vision: 122 min.) [1989]
V. DISC 1310
Abstract: Dramatization of the conflict between Algerian nationalists and French colonialists that culminated in Algeria's independence in 1962. Producer: Antonio Musu.
Director: Gillo Pontecorvo Distributor: Image Entertainment
Keywords: Algeria, colonialism, urban culture, nationalism, feature film

Beauty and the Beast: Two Igbo Masquerades (Videocassette: 31 min.) [1985]
V. CASS. VHS 808
Abstract: Two masquerades, an Ekeleke and an Okoroshi festival, videotaped in the Ibgo village-group of Agwa, Nigeria.
Director: By Herbert M. Cole Distributor: Henry M Jackson School of International Studies, African Studies Program
Keywords: Nigeria, Igbo, masking, performance, art

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

Behind the Mask (Videocassette: 120 min.) [1976]
V. CASS. VHS 3016 v.1 and v.2
Abstract: An examination of the masks and statues of the Dogon people of Mali, both as art and as religious artifacts. Produced by BBC-TV and Warner Bros. (2 cassettes: 120 min.)
Director: NA Distributor: Time-Life Video
Keywords: Mali, Dogon, masking, art, religion

Benin: An African Kingdom (DVD: 75 min.) [2004]
DVD 8380 through 8384
Abstract:
Five part series: 1. Home to the Village (DVD 8380)
Most urban Nigerians retain strong ties to their home villages. Many, like the Izevbigie family, return for planting and harvesting--suitcase farming it's called. This program compares the life of the city-dwelling Izevbigie with that of their country cousins, as well as the games they play.