Africa has been a source of inspiration for filmmakers since cinema's earliest days. This summer's Wednesday series represents an overview of that history, from the naive entertainment of "King Solomon's Mines" and "Tarzan and His Mate" to the more complex "Hotel Rwanda" and "Last King of Scotland" of recent years.
The large and culturally diverse continent of Africa lends itself to stories with big themes - the perils of globalization, the plundering and dwindling of natural resources, the persistence of racism and lingering effects of colonialism, ongoing tribal wars, and poverty. It's also a continent of staggering natural beauty and rich spiritual and artistic culture.
To see Africa from without and from within, through the fogged lens of the past and the sharper lens of the present, is to see disparities that have influenced culture on both sides of the ocean. We can feel nothing but gratitude for filmmakers such as Souleymane Cissé and Mahamet-Saleh Haroun and the artists in Nollywood (Nigeria's exploding film industry), for exploring and presenting their world in their own voices.
Our intention with Africa on Film is to show a broad range of films about Africa from different perspectives, including contemporary African film artists and documentaries that comment on the current state of affairs, and films that have not been seen in New England. It’s a huge undertaking – it’s a continent not a country!
~Bill Pence, The Music Hall Film Curator
Scheduled Events
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- War Dance: Wednesday, June 11, 2008. ChildVoice International will be on hand to discuss their work. ChildVoice International is a Christian, nonprofit humanitarian organization, based in Durham, NH., whose mission is to assist child victims of war in Uganda and around the world through advocacy, research, and effective demonstration projects, “restoring the voices of children who have been silenced by war.”
- Moolaadé: Wednesday, June 25, 2008. A post-film discussion moderated by Paul Goodwin.
- The Devil Came on Horseback: Wednesday, July 9, 2008. Two groups will be on hand to discuss the film and their work in the Darfur region.
Lutheran Social Services of New Hampshire: The Lutheran Church has been serving the world's refugees of all races and creeds since World War II, and assisting immigrants for over a century. LSS continues that tradition here in New England with refugee resettlement and support services in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Tents of Hope: The mission of the Tents of Hope project is to support a one-year process in which people respond as communities to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan by creating tents that are both unique works of art and ongoing focal points within communities for learning about, assisting and establishing relationships with the people of Sudan. - Daratt: Wednesday, July 16, 2008. Filmmaker Mahamat-Saleh Haroun discussion his film.
- Nowhere in Africa: Wednesday, August 20, 2008. Representatives from the Greater-Boston based One Home Many Hopes will be on hand in our upper-lobby. One Home Many Hopes provides a loving home for orphaned girls in Mtwapa, Kenya. It provides former street children with a nurturing environment, focused schooling, and a chance at a healthy and productive life. Known in Kenya as “Mudzini Kwetu”, their philosophy is that education and family support are the most effective ways to lift children out of cyclical poverty. For more information on One Home Many Hopes, please visit: http://onehomemanyhopes.org