Mama Africa South Africa Miriam Makeba
TAN -The Afro News would like to congratulate the Vancouver International Film Festival and their incomparable volunteers for completing 30 years of bringing excellent films and documentaries to the public. The Afro News is a proud sponsor of the documentary Mama Africa. For show times of these excellent films: VIFF viff@viff.org
Mama Africa.
Finland/Germany | Director: Mika Kaurismäki, 90 minutes, Subtitled, English, French. Rating PG
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Miriam Makeba’s exquisite voice and life is featured through her music and mosaic images of her life as well as commentaries of friends and family in this well done documentary. She was forced to flee the Apartheid regime and was befriended in the United States by Harry Bellefonte and well other known musicians. Makeba established herself there as a singer, sharing songs about her homeland and helping to free others from continued mistreatment. Miriam said: “I do not sing politics, I merely sing the truth.”
After she married Black Panther Stokely Carmichael, she was forced to leave the United States since all her concerts were cancelled and she was denied radio air time. Returning to Africa She was known as Mama Africa and treated like royalty in the African continent.
This is a powerful presentation, full of music and insights into her life and work. After seeing the film, I felt that I “knew” her as a person and a humanitarian.
18 Days in Cairo. In Arabic with English subtitles
18 Days in Cairo. In Arabic with English subtitles.
This unusual film was created by ten social media filmmakers about the 18 days in Cairo during the revolution against Mubarak based in Taher Square. It premiered at the Cannes International film festival, representing a new type of filming with a variety of points of view, portraying the lives of ordinary people ranging from workers, students and a barber who ended up using his shop as a makeshift hospital for the wounded . 18 Days offers a slice of life that the news coverage could not give us about momentous events that change Egypt forever. www.18daysinegypt.com/
Sira - Songs of the Crescent Moon
Sira – Songs of the Crescent Moon. 77 minutes, Switzerland, Arabic, American Premier.
The documentary of the relationship between the 75-year-old Egyptian Sayyed el-Dawwy of Egypt said to be the last interpreter of the Sira, an epic Arabian poem of five million verses which has been handed down orally for many generations. He tries to pass on his knowledge to his illiterate grandson who learns how to record his reading of the poem with the hopes that it will be passed on in the future.
Cairo Exit.
P Dir: Hesham Issawi. Egypt-UAE. 2010. 100 minutes, Arabic with English subtitles.
Production Company: Film House. Producer: Sherif Mandour Screenplay: Hesham Issawi, Amal Afifi. Cinematography: Patrick Thelander. Editor: Nehed Samy. Music: Tamar Karawan. Main cast: Maryhan, Mohammed Ramadan, Ahmed Bedear, Safaa Golal, Nadia Fahmy, Sanaa Muzian.
A modern day Egyptian Romeo and Juliet story showing life in Cairo among the youth as they search for jobs respect and find romance between different faiths. Good acting by Maryhan and Ahmed, strong story line and interesting visuals.
