African cinema is diverse. African cinema crosses genres, social issues, economic development and conflict resolution. The North Carolina African Film Festival is coming to Fayetteville, NC for a five-day festival to showcase the different cultures, films and more.
The specific films that are shown during the film festival are made by people of African descent. The aim of the festival is to close culture gaps through discussion as well as exposing the local community to the different cultures represented in these select films.
Below are a few of the films that are being showcased during the film festival:
The Prophetess by Sylvie Weber. The Prophetess is a story of overcoming struggle through gumption and sisterhood. Furaha and Venantie have survived physical and psychological traumas we could never imagine. Set in South Kivu region in the DR Congo, the pair has experienced horrific sexual terrorism from the FDLR militia, yet in each other they find the strength to make a change and their own stories, devoid of societal pressures.
Awani by Aderonke Adeola. Awani serves as a timeline that examines the evolution of the role of Nigerian women, starting from pre-colonial Nigeria to the present day. The documentary uses a blend of archival footage and expert commentary to explore how colonialism has shaped political and social attitudes towards women, but to also celebrate women from the past.
The Fruitless Tree by Aicha Elhadj Macky. As a married but childless woman, Aicha finds herself in a situation that is totally “out of the ordinary” in her country, Niger, where women are expected to have children. But just like everywhere else in the world today, Nigeria also experiences problems with infertility. Based on her personal story, Aicha Macky explores the private suffering of women in her situation with great sensitivity.
The NCAFF will be hosting a Gala on February 29th that will honor the movies that are being shown as well as shedding on the other cultures that will be represented over the five-day festival. The festival begins on February 26th and will go until March 1st.
