CLOSE-UP: Rungano Nyoni
Born in Zambia and raised in the UK, Rungano Nyoni presented her first feature I Am Not A Witch at this year’s Cannes Director’s Fortnight. In the movie, a young girl (Maggie Mulibwa) is accused of witchcraft and sent to a witches’ camp. A respected man (Henry Phiri) decides to use her “gifts” for his own business. His spouse […]
AWOTELE at Durban 2017
This joint venture continues, thanks to the growing interest of readers. The printed version of Awotélé #7 is getting greater exposure at international festivals where African films are circulating. Awotélé’s return to the Durban International Film Festival is in line with our will to bridge Anglophone and Francophone voices in renewed dialogue. The strong presence […]
What is the key to a filmmaker’s success? The film
Can an English-speaking filmmaker make it in the French-speaking world? And, vice versa, can a French-speaking filmmaker succeed in the English-speaking world? These questions may seem obvious, but finding an answer is not quite so simple. First we must give some serious thought to what makes a filmmaker successful. In cinema generally, what propels a […]
AWOTELE at Durban 2016
Here is the latest edition of AWOTELE, a film journal born on the corner of a table, in a discussion between ecessarily utopian film critics who write about films that few people see and whose expertise is often limited to the distribution networks of African cinema – or, at times, the international festivals that take […]
How is international success measured?
Almost at once, we confront the question: how is international success measured? And, following this, where is the movie? If I say, for instance, that Viva Riva! represents an African New Wave, I suppose it would be a truly audacious statement. And yet, I’d guess, fewer Africans have seen this movie than have seen the latest inane […]
AWOTELE at Durban 2015
Step two. This is Awotele 2. It’s like the second step in the long walk of African critics alongside African cinemas. This second edition is headed towards the Southern part of the continent. On the occasion of the Durban Film Festival, the critics of African cinemas have raised the issue of the relationships between films […]