This year’s International Film Festival of Rotterdam features an impressive lineup of African films. Below are three intriguing previews selected by Africa Speaks for Africa as a sampling of the creative and artistic outputs of African filmmakers – whose work is increasingly being recognized on the world stage.
A Hole in the Sky (Antonio Tibaldi and Alex Lora). Somalia, France. “Young Alifa looks up at the Somali sky thinking about her daily life as a shepherdess… She knows that the day that will change her life forever is about to come.”
Walk With Me (Johan Oettinger and Peter Tukei Muhumuza). Uganda, Denmark. “This complex, sometimes dark short film skilfully combines animation and feature film techniques. The two directors were brought together as part of the Copenhagen documentary festival’s Dox:Lab project. Walk with Me was shot in Uganda and completed in Denmark.
Chigger Ale (Fanta Ananas). Ethiopia, Spain. People are dancing at the neighbourhood bar Fendika in Addis Ababa, but it goes quiet when Hitler walks in. Only briefly, mind you, as it’s soon time to play a practical joke, like pulling the fake moustache off the little guy in uniform. He’s not amused.
Rags and Tatters (Ahmad Abdalla). Egypt. The film follows events in Egypt as it is in the grip of revolution. Rags and Tatters is primarily of interest because of its enormous topicality, and secondarily for its bold, not always convincing experiment in mixing fiction and documentary, a staple of writer-director Ahmad Abdalla’s work.