mojatu.com
18 Arts & Culture
STAY HOME AND STREAM: AFRICAN FILM AND TV TO WATCH DURING LOCKDOWN by Wilfred Okiche Even if in the majority of the countries hard lockdown is no longer introduced, but of course other security measures have been implemented to keep the citizens safe, films from African creators are always a good decision for cosy stay-at-home days. The exceptional directors, actors and script writers let us experience the shocking and uplifting stories from their perspective making these films a perfect fit for everyone. We created a list where anyone can find their favourite from classics to commercial crowd-pleasers. 93 Days (2016) – Nigeria 93 Days is a timely reminder of what is possible when experts and resources are deployed towards a common cause. One of the best films to come out of Nigeria, this heart-breaking but inspirational chronicle tells the story of the country’s ultimately successful containment of Ebola in 2014. Azali (2018) – Ghana Ghana’s first ever nomination for the Oscars is a harrowing and shrewdly-observed deconstruction of poverty, gender inequality and illiteracy. Directed by Kwabena Gyansah, Azali traces the journey of Amina (Asana Alhassan), a 14-year old girl from northern Ghana, who is dispatched by her mother to neighbouring Burkina Faso in a bid to escape the clutches of early marriage. Beauty and the Dogs (2017) – France/Tunisia Beauty and the Dogs unfolds over one harrowing night. Its events are divided into nine chapters, each filmed by director Kaouther Ben Hania in a single take. Mariam (Mariam Al Ferjani), a young student, is raped by policemen after a party. Suffering rejection and humiliation from institutions designed to help, she struggles, alongside an accomplice, to overcome bureaucratic and structural barriers while fighting for her right to be heard – and seen – in post-revolution Tunis. Black Girl (1966) – Senegal/France Black Girl may be 54 years old but the themes that Ousmane Sembène tackled in this now classic’s 55 minutes remain poignant today. The trauma of colonialism, racism and post-colonial identity in African bodies are all highlighted in the deceptively simple story of Diouana (Mbissine Thérèse Diop), a young Senegalese woman who moves to Paris to work as a maid for a French couple.
Isoken (2017) – Nigeria The protagonist of Isoken, directed by Jade Osiberu, submits to a family intervention. This film may present as a romantic comedy, but its bright colours and charming set pieces do not mask the pointed commentary on gender roles in upper class Nigerian society. The messaging on feminism is a bit muddled as Isoken cannot quite decide what it wants to say, but none of this detracts when the rest of the film is so cleverly attractive. Supa Modo (2018) – Kenya/Germany Likarion Wainaina’s heartbreaking debut is a different kind of superhero film. One in which a Kenyan kid takes flight from the harsh realities of her existence by escaping into a fantasy world of her own creation. Supa Modo’s finest triumph lies in Wainaina’s careful balance of vivid imagery and escapism with the despair and finality of mortality such that the film is never too sweet nor too sour. Super Modo restores faith in the world by simply highlighting the role community can play in times of grief. Much Loved (2015) – Morocco/France Much Loved was banned in native Morocco in advance of its release. Director Nabil Ayouch and star Loubnar Abidar were summoned to court on charges of “pornography, indecency and inciting minors to debauchery”. While Much Loved has its fair share of graphic imagery, it works effectively as a scathing critique of the duplicity of the conservative mainstream. Ayouch does this by focusing on the adventures and tribulations of four women working as sex workers in Marrakesh, Morocco’s most popular tourist destination. Of Good Report (2013) – South Africa A torrid affair between a high school teacher and a young woman spirals quickly into sexual obsession and blood thirsty violence in this impressive thriller from auteur Jahmil XT Qubeka. The black-and-white film is shot in a stylish, seductive manner that hints of the evil to come. Of Good Report’s considerable psychological heft connects with the traumas of its victims on the margins in post-apartheid South Africa. Seven years after its release, Of Good Report has lost none of its haunting power.
