Event

Afrika Eye, the UK’s pioneering African film festival, returns to Bristol’s Watershed in partnership with Ujima Radio from Friday 28th till Sunday 30th October – during Black History Month - celebrating the power of African film makers, the complexity and richness of their cultures and histories.

 

This year’s brilliant line up of films explores popular uprising in North Africa, the horrifying story of dictatorship in Zimbabwe and the drama of the struggle to maintain democracy in Ghana - all framed with two fantastic music films from Africa and the Diaspora.

The opening documentary explores the power of music in the struggle for freedom. Harry Balafonte’s life and work, as expressed in our opening film SING YOUR SONG (28th October) is an inspiration towards the goal of freedom; the film will be followed by the Afrika Eye launch party where Moroccan music maestro Hassan Erraji and his fusion band will fire up the dance floor with uplifting Arabesque grooves.

 

‘Our films this year deal with the fascinating gamut of African politics,’ says Simon Bright, co- director of Afrika Eye (and director of the Mugabe film), ‘from tyranny to functioning democracy to popular uprising and revolution.’ And we see it all through African eyes... only at Afrika Eye.

 

The festival showcases films from North Africa, such as NO MORE FEAR about the recent Tunisian revolution, selected for Cannes this year. From West Africa comes the drama of AN AFRICAN ELECTION. And from the South we bring the European premiere of ROBERT MUGABE...WHAT HAPPENED?, a feature length documentary investigating Mugabe’s astonishing metamorphosis from liberator to tyrant. The film has been playing to packed audiences across South Africa since its release in July 2011 and is being used by activist NGOs in South Africa and even in Zimbabwe itself (circulated undercover) to raise awareness of issues around Mugabe and the upcoming elections in the country next year.

 

Once again Afrika Eye is running it’s Eye-Full short film competition offering local Bristol filmmakers the chance to submit their work for inclusion in the festival (details at www.afrikaeye.org.uk), and in association with First Born Productions in Bristol, Afrika Eye is sponsoring young film makers to create a film for the event.

 

In conjunction with Bristol’s Festival of Ideas, Afrika Eye also brings an enticing talk about democracy, dictatorship and revolution (29th October) with Lord Paul Boateng, former UK Cabinet Minister, who originally hails from Ghana. ‘This exciting festival provides a welcome opportunity to focus on the challenges and opportunities that Africa presents at this critical time,’ says Boateng.