All screenings to take place at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse.
Sunday 6th November 2011, 6.30pm
FRAGMENTS
Director: Hakim Belabbes. Morocco. 2010. 90 mins.
Filmed over the course of ten years, FRAGMENTS is a deeply personal and autobiographical documentary that charts the lives of the Belabbes family through the transitions that life forces upon us; birth and growth, success and failure, aging and death. Inevitably, what also appears is the world that shapes this family - and in this way, the film presents a first-hand view of Moroccan society and culture.
This is also a recording of the first steps taken by the director into film and photography, documenting an incredible filmmaker finding his voice through the medium. Through his eyes, a beautiful and bravely human film emerges, showing how personal stories portrayed in film are able to expose universal issues that apply to us all.
Monday 7th November 2011, 6.30pm
NOTRE ETRANGERE / THE PLACE IN BETWEEN
Director: Sarah Bouyain. Starring: Dorylia Calmel, Assita Ouedraogo. Burkina Faso/France. 2010. 82 mins.
Amy has never had a sense of belonging. Growing up in France with her father, 
she now decides to go in search of her long-lost mother from Bukina Faso. Exploring her African roots, yet still unable to find what she is looking for, Amy is caught adrift between two worlds.
Juxtaposing her journey with the parallel story of a French woman learning the Dioula language from a Burkinabé cleaner, the film explores the intricate ideas of crossing bridges and breaking boundaries; personally, racially and culturally.
Shot in a simple, observing style, NOTRE ETRANGERE is an intimate and heartbreaking story of four women discovering what it means to have a home.
We are delighted to welcome lead actress Dorylia Calmel to a Q&A following the screening.
Tuesday 8th November 2011, 6.30pm
KOUNDI AND THE NATIONAL THURSDAY
Director: Ariane Astrid Atodji. Cameroon. 2010. 86 mins.
In Eastern Cameroon, the local trade has always been deeply rooted in the rich timber industry of the region. But in the small village of Koundi, the people have begun to realise how unsustainable this is becoming, and decide to rewrite their future by starting a cocao plantation.
Breaking the traditional view of a poverty-stricken Africa, this is an inspiring and important document of a community of people who come together to try to make a change on their own. Not just an account of their mission, but about the people themselves, KOUNDI AND THE NATIONAL THURSDAY portrays a rare insight into the everyday life of the villagers and how we can all learn from the lives they lead.
Wednesday 9th November 2011, 6.30pm
DREAMS OF ELIBIDI
Director: Kamau Wa Ndung’u and Nick Reding. Starring: Juma Williams, Sharleen Njeri. Kenya. 2010. 90 mins.
Described as a ‘film that tells a Kenyan story, by Kenyans’, and filmed in the
slums surrounding Nairobi, DREAMS OF ELIBIDI brilliantly walks the line between dramatic social issues and playful comedy. The film follows George Elibidi’s four daughters in a fast-paced, coming-of-age tale that uses both fiction and documentary to show the humor, yet also the dangers, of growing up in modern-day Kenya.
There is a fresh approach to the way that the film tackles some dark and sensitive themes such as HIV/AIDS, and the way it reflects these issues as part of life in the slum makes this an entertainingly unique and uplifting film.
We are delighted to welcome director Kamau wa Ndung’u to a Q&A following the screening.
Thursday 10th November 2011, 6.45pm
AFRICAN SHORTS PROGRAMME
TINYE SO
Director: Daouda Coulibaly. Starring Bocar Bâ, Yaya Coulibaly, Téhibou Bagayoko. Mali/France 2011. 25 mins.
Looking down upon the city of Bamako, the ancestors of the Bambara tradition are displeased with the youth of today, as presented in this breathtaking, cinematic poem.
LEZARE
Director: Zelalem Woldemariam. Starring Yemeserach Gembero, Binyam Teshome, and Mesfin Alemu. Ethiopia. 2009. 14 mins.
A moving story of a homeless boy living in southern Ethiopia, which delves into much larger issues like global warming, and the responsibility we have for the generations that follow us.
GARAGOUZ
Director: Abdenour Zahzah. Starring Youcef Abbas, Tahar Benayachi, and Farouk Irki. Algeria. 2011. 22 mins.
A road movie about travelling puppeteer, Mokhtar, and his son as they drive around the Algerian countryside selling puppets, while facing prejudices and obstacles along the way.
MWANSA THE GREAT
Director: Rungano Nyoni. Starring Samuel Mwale, Anna Mithi, and Mwansa Bwalya. Zambia/UK. 2011. 23 mins.
A tale of how a small boy uses his imagination to combat the loss of his father. Told with playful charm and humor, this is a heartfelt exploration of childhood imagination and escapism.
