Lessons from Lusaka Film Festival (part 2)

I like many women of my generation hold certain veneration for Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba, a woman who lived her life for Africa.

  The Film “Mama Africa” directed by Mika Kaurismaki and produced by Rainer Lolmel showcases Mama Miriam in all her glory from the time she started singing.

It shows her personal and political battles from her exile by the then apartheid regime in South Africa, the death of her daughter Bongi, her tumble from America and her eventual settling in Guinea.

Makeba’s life was colorful from her four marriages, her ethereal beauty but above all striking presence;

everyone interviewed in the movie loved her even her ex husbands had nothing but pure adoration for her.

South Africa was the only African country to sponsor a film and of course South African Ambassador to Zambia Moses Chikane graced the film with his presence.

“We sponsored the film because culture forms an important ingredient of society; when you have something that brings people together it means you are selling pride, Makeba is a special person to not only me but South Africa as a whole.”

Ambassador Chikane added that

“She was a voice for the voiceless , an icon to people who were in exile she connected us to people outside the country; she was a storyteller, a legend who depicted the way people lived; their excitement, pain and pleasure.”

After the movie he explained that though the movie portrayed Makeba much had been left out but the lesson for musicians to learn from Makeba is that art is not only our heritage;

“But it is an indicator of time and moments of society; because it transforms from time to time it has to be taken seriously, it should be planned as it will carry our legacy after we are gone.”

His wise words ring true; music is a form of healing and Makeba was a sangoma like her mother and grandmother; she healed through her music.

Music is a window into another world and her humbleness should serve as a lesson to artistes who after a few hits think they are mini gods ‘serve our continent well through your art and Africa will never forget you. ’

On a sadder note we watched “murder in Kinshasa” a film that analyses the conspiracy theories behind the murder of former Congolese President Laurent Desire Kabila who died at the hands of his bodyguard.

 

The movie directed by Marlene Rabaud and Arnaud Zajtman and produced by Michel Noll, Chien-Loup Entre and Sebastien Delloye is told through accounts by key witnesses and people who were accused of Kabila’s killing.

It is a gritty film which had the audience rooting for the men who in some cases were truly falsely accused; a common occurrence in Africa where politics and hunger for power take center stage over justice.

I am not a fan of having foreigners tell our history or our problems because very often they are skewed but Zambia: Good Copper, Bad Copper takes the cake for a documentary that is so accurate it had many in tears.

The documentary produced by YAMI 2 (in France) and directed by Audrey Gallet and Alice Odiot shows Mufulira a town ravaged by the mines, pollution and pillaging of raw materials by Glencore mines (for whom the term rogue employer was coined.

Glencore mines own subsidiaries around the world and they have been accused countless times around the world of evading taxes, pollution and other heinous crimes.

At the center of the film is Saviour Mwambwa the Executive Director of Center for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) who has taken over the herculean effort of mobilizing the locals so that they can fight back and help erase some of the effects.

 Anyone who has grown up on the Copperbelt can attest to the pollution and unnecessary deaths “senta” produces.

The last day was probably the icing on the cake “Pray the Devil back to Hell” a film about Liberia and how the women movement helped end the war.

The Muslim and Christian women banded together and managed through sitting at a field in the sun in and the rain to get Charles Taylor and the warring rebel groups to go for the peace talks in Ghana.

They followed the delegation to Ghana and when they noticed nothing was moving barricaded the doors and windows and threatened to strip (a curse in Africa) forcing the delegates to talk.

After Taylor was ousted they pushed and voted Ellen Sirleaf Johnson into power. 

Directed by Gini Reticker and produced by Abigail E. Disney the film features the narration of Leymah Gbowee who along with President Johnson won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011.

Leymah Gbowee

 The question asked to some of the women who refused to protest together with other faiths on account of different religion was;

“Can a bullet tell the difference between a Christian and Moslem?” a question that we all ought to remember.

The state of been an African woman knows no race, color or religion we all face the same adversities but if women stood up and shouted more perhaps some of the worlds evils may be less.

The major regret was perhaps not seeing all the films however it was an insight and truly memorable festival with lessons aplenty for those willing to learn.

Fresh View Cinemas Marketing Manager, Craig Lungu said people need to enjoy more films such as the ones shown at the festival so that they can look back and appreciate Africa’s heritage.

“In the west it is a big deal so at Fresh view we are starting out and this is a properly hosted festival according to International standards and we intend to showcase more theatre and works. 

 If Africa does not tell its own stories who will do it for us?”

Perhaps it is a question Zambia’s film makers need to answer especially as it was noted that many of them were absent at the festival an unfortunate thing.