Saturday, June 8th, 1:30pm
AWANI
Aderonke Adeola, Nigeria, 2018, 28m
Awani is a documentary that serves as a timeline that examines the evolution of the role of Nigerian women, starting from pre-colonial Nigeria to the present day. The documentary uses a blend of archival footage and expert commentary to make the case that the role women play is not due to any one individual or specific time period but a mixture of economic incidences and colonialism that shape political and social attitudes towards women.
BURKINA BOUNTY
Iara Lee, Burkina Faso, 2018, 32m
In French with English subtitles
Burkinabè Bounty, a documentary from Cultures of Resistance Films, chronicles agricultural resistance and the fight for food sovereignty in Burkina Faso—a small, landlocked country in West Africa. Showcasing activist farmers, students, artists, and leaders in the local Slow Food movement, the film looks at how the Burkinabè people are reclaiming their land and defending their traditions against the encroachment of corporate agriculture. From women gaining economic independence by selling "dolo" beer, to youth marching in the streets against companies like Monsanto, to hip-hop musicians reviving the revolutionary spirit of Thomas Sankara, Burkinabè Bounty shows the creative tactics people are using to take back control of their food, seeds, and future.
THEY CALL US WHORES
João Graça Mozambique (Language: In Chamam-nos Putas with English subtitles) 2018, 20MIN
Some call them sex workers. Others, prostitutes. Others, whores. It doesn’t matter what you call them, the women who make their living through sex work in Mozambique are vulnerable to the ambiguity of the law, which doesn’t criminalize nor considers their activity legal. This gray area allows for the clients and the police to use violence and discrimination as weapons of intimidation whenever they find convenient. These women became activists and began organizing to defend their rights, with lectures in police stations and a solid attitude as workers. Many of them are mothers and heads of families. What must be done so that the Mozambican law recognizes them as workers?
This program is part of the African Film Festival.
