SCI-CULTURA

Anyone who’s read the recent posts on this blog will know that I am enthralled, intrigued and besotted by the use of film as a medium to convey stories. This year has been good for raising the awareness of Kenya in the world of film. This time, not just as a location for big shot movies like Out of Africa, The Constant Gardener, etc., but more importantly for Kenyan creativity and talent in making films.

From a Whisper (Dir Wanuri Kahiu), based on the US Embassy bombing in Kenya on 7th August 1998 won Best Film at the Kalasha Film & TV Awards in Nairobi after scopping a bunch of awards at the recent African Academy Movie Awards in Nigeria, including Best Director, Best Screen Play and Best Picture – much to Nollywood’s surprise. Read more in the article by Art Matters.

Apparently they are working on a contract with a South African company to sort out the film distribution, which is great news as those who didn’t or couldn’t make the showing on the big screen in Nairobi last year will have a chance to actually watch it. It’s not rocket science, but as Mahamat-Saleh Haroun pointed out during a Q&A session at the London African Film Festival (2008), distribution of film is where we are lacking in Africa in the ability to spread our stories told from our unique perspective, noting the financial considerations.

The docu-film on albinism, In my Genes by Kenyan film maker/actor Lupita Nyong’o was one of a number of Kenyan films featured at the New York African Film Festival (2009). (Trailer) In a recent interview with Drum magazine, (July 2009) Lupita echoes my sentiments in that our drive should be telling our own unique stories and not necessarily emulating Holly-/Bolly-/Nolly- wood.

A bonus of the content of the afore-mentioned films is that they also raise socio-political and cultural awareness.

I chose this image by Paul Sika as it captures a sci-cultura moment: where science (in the form of health care) meets art.

Cote d’Ivoirian Paul Sika, whose digital photography work resists being confined to a singular definitional space and traverses concepts of photography, film and art stated:

I am a Film Director using a still photo camera.

What I love about this quote is that it challenges us to look beyond (self-imposed) boundaries and let creativity flow where it will.

Full interview over at Scarlett Lion.

Lastly, a wonderful resource on the critical analysis on African women in cinema (hat tip MyWretchedConsciousness) by the academic Center for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema is their blog aptly named African Women in Cinema. I was impressed by the depth of its content and if you are into this subject, you could easily lose a few hours there.