22nd Cascade Festival of African Films » South Africa

MANUSCRIPTS OF TIMBUKTU, THE

Anatole Schaff — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:03:29 +0000

The Manuscripts of Timbuktu directed by Zola Maseko (Drum, The Life and Times of Sarah Baartman) brings to life the historical city of Timbuktu, which flourished as part of the Mali Empire as a great center of commerce, learning, and religion. Scholars, doctors, judges, priests, and other learned men both wrote and owned manuscripts containing the latest knowledge in the fields of physics, astronomy, medicine, mathematics, judicial law, government, and theology. Local families wrote their histories in chronicles known as tarikhs. Thousands of these manuscripts of learning and family history are preserved to this day, including the written work of one of Africa’s greatest scholars, Ahmed Baba (1556-1627). In the film, historians, imams, and experts on the Timbuktu manuscripts tell the fascinating tales of this African city, each from the perspective of his specialized field of study. Their stories are interspersed with creative dramatizations of the life of Ahmed Baba, played by the actor Eriq Ebouaney (Lumumba, The Forest). For anyone interested in history and African identity, this film is a revelation.

Sponsored by African Creations LLC, African Women’s Coalition, Costello’s Travel Caffé, Ko-Falen Cultural Center, and Senegalese Association of Portland & S.W. Washington

STATE OF VIOLENCE

Anatole Schaff — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:58:18 +0000

State of Violence tells the story of Bobedi, a member of South Africa’s new black business elite. On a night he and his wife Joy are celebrating his latest job promotion, an intruder murders Joy in a seemingly random act of violence. Frustrated by the slow pace of the police investigation, Bobedi tries to take justice into his own hands, and he enlists the help of his younger brother, Boy-Boy, played by Presley Chweneyagae (Tsotsi), to track down the killer. But when Bobedi captures the murderer, he is forced to confront a terrible secret from his past as an anti-apartheid revolutionary. Director Khalo Matabane widens the film’s focus from the story of one man to an examination of the consequences of memory and denial, ever-vital issues within South Africa’s collective memory. The film offers no easy answers.

In English, Zulu, and Tsotsitaal with English subtitles.

PARENTAL ADVISORY: Violence.

ZIMBABWE’S FORGOTTEN CHILDREN

Anatole Schaff — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:52:55 +0000

Xoliswa Sithole, an accomplished filmmaker in her own right who was once proud to call Zimbabwe her home, has produced a wrenching documentary chronicling the economic, olitical, and social degradation of her country, and the devastating impact this is having on children. The film focuses on three children: Grace, Esther, and Obert, who show us their daily struggle to put food in their mouths, their desperate need for money to pay next term’s school fees, and their dreams of a better life.

Sponsored by Lewis & Clark College and Zimbabwe Artists Project.

HOPEVILLE

Anatole Schaff — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:31:54 +0000

On a mission to forge a relationship with his estranged son, a father and his son arrive from the big city to the dusty town of Hopeville, which proves to be anything but hopeful. When the father decides to restore the public swimming pool so his son can pursue a swimming career, he is met with skepticism and resistance. However, his patience, determination, and acts of courageous selflessness ripple through the town, inspiring others to take positive action.