Europe focuses on Africa
As part of the first edition of European Development Days (November 13-17) in Brussels, the annual AfrikaFilmFestival, which takes place in Leuven at the end of April, is holding a presentation of the most recent films made in or about Africa at two Brussels cinemas (the arthouse cinema Flagey and the 26-theatre Kinepolis Heyzel multiplex).
"People should take the time to get to know and like Africa better,” said European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel. The former Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs is aiming to emphasise Africa’s artistic dynamism with an exhibition on contemporary art, another on comics, a youth award and film screenings.
Aside from a few shorts and two Belgian documentaries – Rwanda: The Hills Speak by Bernard Bellefroid and Congo River [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Thierry Michel – the free public screenings will host films by the Mali director of Mauritanian origin Abderrahmane Sissako (Life on Earth, Waiting for Happiness and the recent The Court [+see also:
trailer
film profile], screened at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section to a packed cinema); Dry Season [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Chad director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Special Jury Prize at the recent Venice Film Festival; Africa Paradis by Sylvestre Amoussou, a film set in an imaginary future, an African Eden invaded by immigrants from a vanishing Europe (these three films soon to be released in Belgium through Cinéart); and Madame Brouette by Senegalese director Moussa Sene Absa.
The francophone African productions are accompanied by two South African films, 2006 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner Tsotsi (Thug) [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Gavin Hood and 2005 Berlin Golden Bear winner U-Carmen by Mark Dornford-May, as well as Shooting Dogs [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by British helmer Michael Carton-Jones.
European Development Days will be attended by 200 development experts, representatives of European and African governments and others, who all share the common aim of "strengthening the collective effectiveness of European aid in order to meet the Millennium Objectives [because] we Europeans have the means and the will to help to make Africa better a better place," said Commissioner Michel.
(Translated from French)
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