myDylarama

Our Picks + Black Is King (Special Guest)

Abla Kandalaft, Coco Green, George Crosthwait — 2020-08-19T16:41:18Z

For this episode of Mydylarama's Top Picks podcast, we're joined by our guest, academic, film programmer and Japanese Avant-Garde and Experimental Film Festival producer George Crosthwait. George Crosthwait.

George's pick of the week, and also his first trip back to the cinema since February, is Shannon Murphy's debut film 'Babyteeth'. An Australian coming-of-age drama that both impressed and confused him due to it's tonal eccentricities.

Abla's picks of the week include Richard Pryor: Omit The Logic (2013), now available on Sky, a pretty engaging and informative documentary about the comedian's life, and a couple of festivals to look out for: the Cologne International Film Festival, whose first - and entertainingly eclectic - edition will run on 11-12 September 2020 across various venues in the city, and the London Kurdish Film Festival (15-24 August), offering a collection of 50 screenings carefully curated into various themes, all available ONLINE and for FREE!

George's choice for this episode take the podcast deep into the beehive for Beyoncé's ambitious new visual album 'Black is King'. A kaleidoscopic collage of symbolism, music and visual splendour, involving an impressive rollcall of African diasporic performers and artists, 'Black is King' is the first in a reported three picture deal between Beyoncé and Disney.

We discuss the film's aesthetic qualities and cultural merit, as well as its more problematic dimensions, its simplistic, potentially fetishistic depiction of a vague and all-encompassing "African" culture, its celebration of opulence and capitalist ambitions as a lever of Black empowerment, and the way it highlights a melancholic search for identity, roots and heritage among many African Americans. We mention a number of other films, namely The Burial Of Kojo, that you can watch on Netflix, the excellent Black Girl by Ousmane Sembene, freely available on YouTube!

As an aside, here is an article Abla mentions about Disney's dodgy credentials when it comes to matters of race and ethnicity - not to mention its history of plagiarism, sexism and dubious business practices.

Q&A with Sofia Alaoui, dir. Qu'importe si les bêtes meurent [So What if the Goats Die] - Clermont 2020

Abla Kandalaft — 2020-02-14T16:00:51Z

In the heights of the Atlas mountains, Abdellah, a young shepherd, and his father are snowed in. As their animals start to starve, Abdellah goes in search of supplies in a village more than a day's walk away. With his mule, he arrives in the village and discovers that it has been deserted because of a curious event that has left all the believers baffled.

The product of a truly incredible mix of genres, this short is a mesmerising oddity shot amongst the stunning, other-worldly landscape of the Atlas mountains in what were apparently fairly difficult conditions. Kudos to Sofia Alaoui for pulling it off and giving us well-crafted short that leaves us wanting more.

Trailer

Qu'importe si les bêtes meurent / Extrait / VOSTEN from Sofia Alaoui on Vimeo.

More on the film...

Why did you choose this title?

The title of the film was obvious to me even before writing the screenplay, when I started becoming interested in the Universe and extraterrestrials. I found that there was something in these subjects that went beyond questions about material things, everyday things with which we can be confronted. The “goats” in the title refers to something coming from the earth and I think that the title sparks a thrust towards something else. That's sort of the initial intention, to look elsewhere…

What is happening in the sky? Or are we supposed to guess what's happening?

I prefer not to say! That's really the question my character is asking himself and that will shock him when he discovers what it is. What's going on in the sky is an excuse to confront my character (and others, of course) with the discovery a new, unknown world which seems frightening at first because it challenges an entire way of thinking.

What prompted you to tell this story?

I grew up in Morocco, a country with strong dogmas (and not just in the religious realm.) It's difficult to doubt, to question a belief shared by a group. The question of extraterrestrial life has always fascinated me because it enables us to question our certainties and absolute truths. Would the proven existence of extraterrestrials change our way of believing? From the onset I wanted to tell a story that doesn't challenge these questions harshly. I like cinema that flirts with different genres, moving between documentary and fiction, between poetry and brutality in the way its staged. There was also the desire to tell a story set in an isolated village in the Atlas (the Moroccan mountain range.) I find that these desert decors portray many things. In the beginning, there was indeed, the convergence of several wishes, both aesthetic and fundamental which made me say “Bingo, I've got a film.”

How did the shooting of the film go?

The filming went very well on several points: artistic agreement with my chief operator, Noé Bach, so that we made a good team; I had a super script, a fantastic assistant director, and, working with non-professional actors was an immense pleasure. I tested a way to work and to direct the actors on this project. They had never read the scenario. Before shooting, I told them what was going to happen and take place in the scene, in what emotional state the characters were in. It was very interesting for me. In fact, Fouad, the main character, admitted to me that every night he would write down the scenes that we had shot in a notebook in order to have the scenario of the film, which of course he didn't have. One morning he came to see me and said: “Frankly, it looks like an awesome film, I can't wait to know the ending.” Obviously, the end of the film was shot the last day. It was somewhat of a surprise for the actors. But other than that, I have to admit that filming was a real battle given that we were deep in the Atlas: we worked crazy hours and quite honestly, I have to say , it's complicated to make an ambitious short film in Morocco. There aren't many professional short films in Morocco. People are used to making big American films so right away your little short, no one cares much, and people, when they see a camera, they think you have money and want you to dish it out. Even blocking off streets was hell! Especially because I wanted an empty village, deserted (whereas the town was really full of life.) When I look at certain shots again, I think about all we went through to get them, it's really somewhat of a miracle. You have to imagine that there were sometimes something like, I don't know, a hundred people behind us looking at the set as if it were a stage in a theatre. So, for the sound, you can imagine that we had to redo everything in post-production!

What are your next projects?

I'm working on my first feature-length film that I developed during my year in the Femis Screenwriting Workshop and in parallel I developed my first series with Barney Production. These are two Moroccan projects and that's quite exciting!

Would you say that the short film format has given you any particular freedom?

I directed several shorts and videos and it's true that I have the impression that that helped me to get to know myself by trying to experiment with different things. My approach to directing actors, to staging, to the other technicians on the set has matured through these different projects. I feel I'm ready to move on to a longer format!

Q&A with Baloji, dir. Zombies - Clermont 2020 PRIX FESTIVALS CONNEXION AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES

Clotilde Couturier — 2020-02-11T17:26:17Z

The film "Zombie" is a journey between hope and dystopia in a hallucinated Kinhsasa, from the culture of the hair salon to futuristic solitary clubbing, from the urban parade to the glory of a dictator in campaign (Papa Bollo) to modern western in the Takeshi Kitano style. In parallel, the film is based on the almost carnal relationship we have with our phones. The device becoming like an outgrowth of the hand and giving us the talent of digital ubiquity...

Baloji is a multidisciplinary artist; filmmaker, musician, poet... Zombies is a testimony to his dexterity as a multidisciplinary artist. From disparate elements and urban chaos, the film comes beautifully together, leaving us dazed and uneasy at the multitude of screens.

The film is available to watch online!

Baloji - ZOMBIES (Official Short film) from BALOJI on Vimeo.

Find out more about Baloji's work on his website.

Q&A with Anthony Nti, dir. Da Yie - Clermont 2020 Grand Prize

Abla Kandalaft — 2020-02-09T19:44:43Z

A foreigner in Ghana gets an assignment from his gang to recruit kids for a risky job that will take place later that evening. He finds Prince and Matilda, two lively kids and good friends, and plans to hand them over to the gang. After spending the day with them, he starts to question his decision and how it will affect their future.

Shot on a very low budget, Anthony Nti's Da Yie (good night)'s style is uncannily reminiscent of City of God and indeed the Brazilian film is one of his main inspirations. He masterfully uses the short format to develop fully fleshed out characters and a thrilling, well paced story that allows us to really come to care about their fates, no mean feat for a short.

Why did you choose this title?

“Da Yie”, which is Twi for “good night”, carries a double meaning in our film. First, it's a universal way of saying goodbye before bedtime. These are the last words exchanged between the main characters, who despite going through a life-changing journey, which could've ended badly, wish each other well. Knowing life goes on. Secondly, our main characters arrive safe at their homes. In a literal sense, they have had a “good night”.

Is the story based on a real-life one? What sort of research did you do?

The story is a mixture of things that have happened to me and stories that I have heard. We've read a lot about the subject matter. It's something that we can all relate to, being close to dangers as kids.

How familiar are you with this part of Ghana? Are you interested in exploring other themes and stories from the region?

I used to live there as a kid and it's still a place that inspires me. My second short film, Kwaku (2014), was also shot in Ghana, which also had its premiere in Clermont-Ferrand (African Perspective). I definitely have more stories to tell in Ghana, it's close to my heart and there are a lot of talented people there, who I'd like to work with in the future.

Can you tell us more about the co-production process between Belgium and Ghana?

It was interesting process, because we chose to produce it ourselves. We found a small Belgian crew (DP, 1AC, Sound) that was willing to go the extra mile and travel to Ghana with us. In Ghana, my family helped out where they could, as well. It was nice to see professional and non-professional cast and crew work together. Everybody was very close. A special family of its own.

Are there any works of art or films that have inspired you?

The opening is an homage to Citade to Deus. A film that inspired me to study film. But other influences slipped through as well, like Beasts of the Southern Wild or the seminal coming-of-age film, Fresh, by Boaz Yakin. I've also drawn from the work of Nigerian photographer, Emeka Okereke.

Would you say that the short film format has given you any particular freedom?

We've produced the film ourselves, which gave us the freedom to do anything we wanted. We're attracted to the possibilities of what could be told in a short amount of time. We really tried to push ourselves to the limit, telling the story that we wanted, with the people that we wanted to work with.

Get in touch with us if you have any questions or want updates!

Entretien avec Amel Guellaty, réalisatrice du film Black Mamba

Clotilde Couturier — 2018-09-19T17:57:00Z

"Black Mamba" présenté au Festival de Clermont-Ferrand 2018 :
http://my.clermont-filmfest.com/index.php?&m=104&c=3&id_film=200066481&o=178

Dans la sélection Regards d'Afrique :
http://my.clermont-filmfest.com/index.php ?m=104&c=178?lang=1&n1=c&n2=a&n3=14&id_prog=100000118

Comment avez-vous eu l'inspiration pour Black mamba ?

J'avais envie d'écrire une histoire avec un personnage féminin fort. J'ai aussi une esthétique assez sombre, violente, sale.... Étant scénariste et réalisatrice, l'écriture et l'image vont de pair, et l'un influence l'autre. J'écris au fil de mes idées sans vraiment savoir où je vais. Quand j'ai commencé à écrire je ne savais pas comment finirait mon film. J'ai une idée et ensuite je me renseigne, puis je vais chercher l'inspiration pour construire mes personnages. Je fais le travail un peu à l'envers...

A quel point étiez-vous intéressée par les questions d'émancipation féminine dans ce film ?

J'espère avoir fait un film féministe. On pense la femme en générale, surtout la femme arabe et encore plus spécialement la femme arabe voilée, comme un être faible, écrasé par l'homme et par la société. J'avais envie de raconter une histoire opposée à ces préjugés. Je pense que l'émancipation féminine est le réel sujet de ce film. La femme Tunisienne est admirable dans sa force et dans son combat pour exister et faire respecter ses droits dans notre société mais le chemin est encore long. J'avais envie de dépeindre une autre réalité, de jouer avec les idées préconçues des spectateurs. Des spectateurs Tunisiens mais surtout des spectateurs occidentaux.

Comment avez-vous rencontré l'actrice principale, Sarra Hannachi ?

J'ai rencontré Sarra alors que j'étais directrice de casting pour un autre film. J'avais déjà écrit une version de Black Mamba et lorsque je l'ai vu il m'a semblé évident que le rôle était fait pour elle. Elle dégageait une certaine force qui me rappelait mon personnage principal. Elle m'a tellement plu, qu'alors même qu'elle passait son casting, je me suis mise à lui parler de mon film.

Qu'est-ce qui vous intéressait dans le rapport au mariage ? Pourquoi avez-vous choisi de ne pas nous montrer son fiancé à l'écran ?

Le mariage est encore, en Tunisie, un passage obligatoire pour toutes les femmes au risque de devenir "une veille fille" ou en d'autres termes une honte pour la famille. Dès l'enfance on inculque aux petites filles que la réussite c'est le mariage, que le bonheur c'est le mariage, que le but ultime c'est le mariage. Il est impossible pour la société d'accepter qu'une fille ne veuille pas se marier, alors même qu'on lui présente un homme idéal. En Tunisie, (et ailleurs) la liberté de la femme existe, mais pas la liberté de chaque femme. C'est une valeur qui n'est pas personnelle, pas inhérente à chacune d'entre elles. Le bonheur de la femme est pré-emballé, déjà conçu et réfléchi. Elle sera heureuse en ayant un mari bon et aimant, des enfants et une belle maison. Elle pourra même choisir un métier de femme qui lui convient. L'idée qu'une femme puisse être heureuse d'une manière différente est rejetée par la société actuelle.
Dans le film le fiancé est secondaire, qu'il soit beau ou moche, bon ou mauvais, drôle ou ennuyeux, ne change rien. Peut importe qui il est, il n'est pas ce qu'elle veut. Le déchirement, le choix du personnage principal se fait entre sa passion et sa famille.

Enfin, comment est perçu le film en Tunisie et dans le reste du monde ? Avez-vous pu le faire diffuser partout ?

Pour l'instant je n'ai pas eu de problème de diffusion.
Hormis Clermont- Ferrand, le film est passé durant les Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage à Tunis, ainsi qu'à Marseille et à Hyeres (au festival Films Femmes Méditerrannée) où il à gagné le prix du public. Prochainement il sera visible au festival "Elles font leur cinéma" à Rouen.

Atlas Vision Productions - NextFilms Distribution

Stories of our Lives - Film Africa 2015

Ryan Ormonde — 2015-11-09T10:54:01Z

Stories of our Lives is a sequence of five tales sourced from real life experiences of gay Kenyans. The film uses the same crisp, saturated black and white photography across its five sections. Even though this creates a flattening of visual tone, the films-within-the-film each have a different feel.

‘Ask me Nicely' is briskly punctuated by a school bell but its scenes are also divided by images of clouds, in turn expressive of the absurd conventions and nebulous hopes that define possibilities for its central lesbian couple. Society's disdain is embodied by an imperious head teacher but this is not a simple ‘us against the world' tale. Here, a gay relationship is like any other friendship: sometimes we punish each other for no good reason.

The second story in the sequence, ‘Run', uses slow motion and muffled sound to capture the tingly transgression of a first brush with gay culture. A plaid shirt (good for black and white footage) represents this ‘other' life. In cinema, as in societies where LGBTI identities are repressed, the visual is all important.

Whereas in ‘Run', monochrome adds a slick edge to urban scenes, in ‘Athman' it lends itself well to beautiful, sunlit fields and branches against a clear sky. This pastoral setting is the backdrop to a very natural and sympathetic portrayal of a friendship between a gay man and the straight man he loves.

‘Duet' has a fairly interesting premise: a Kenyan in London has saved up his money to have sex with a prostitute, eager to find out if white people are different in the sack. This sets up some nicely prickly dialogue: ‘We're from Sudan and Ghana or wherever, not Africa. Africa is huge.' But in the end, the truth of the encounter seems to have got lost in transition to screen. Still, there's some pretty kissing.

In ‘Each Night I Dream', Africa does seem like a constricting continuum: the central character knows that trying to escape Kenya in any direction either leads to another gay-hostile African nation or the Indian Ocean. So instead she imagines an island paradise. Or is she is an alien from a more enlightened planet? ‘Maybe we came here to find out what it's like to be human,' she wonders.

Stories of Our Lives is a welcome project from the Nest Collective. A quiet defiance runs through it, rather than outrage. Colours are shut out from the narrative as well as the photography, but there is clarity in the telling.

ALL IS WELL (2011) - Film Africa

Coco Green — 2015-10-31T12:02:26Z

Also released under 'Alda and Maria', the inspiration for the feature film was director Pocas Pascoal's own life (see interview here) and the need for Angolan migrants to tell their stories. Of course, this is the reflection of a woman looking back as a migrant forced from home by war and conscription, but it tells the larger story of nationalism and identity.

The story begins with newly-arrived-to-Portugal Angolan sisters Alda and Maria exploring the new landscape and looking for friends (i.e. fellow expats they can trust), then quickly realising this is a misnomer since there are no alternatives. Despite their precarious situation, Pascoal never presents the characters as desperate; but looking for any reason to be hopeful. The film could've easily been titled 'How to become a survivor'.

The 6/10 rating on IMBD tells me that whoever rated it just didn't get it. All Is Well is not just about making these invisible migrants heard, but telling a coming of age tale in the context of a changing Angola and Portugal, the hopes of a particular diasporan community in Lisbon's suburbs and the political dreams the migrants were unable to realise in Angola. Also told through the eyes of two sisters, it moves beyond identity to the contradictory place occupied by those in a migratory transition.

Dir. Pocas Pascoal, 2011

All Is Well can be seen at Ritzy Brixton on Tuesday 3 November 2015, as part of Film Africa. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Pocas Pascoal. More info and tickets here.

AYANDA (2015) - Film Africa

Coco Green — 2015-10-31T11:57:03Z

I almost didn't watch Ayanda as the synopsis described the title character as an Afro-hipster. Did that really need a racial qualifier in South Africa? Why is the racial default for hipsters white? Things will never change if we keep normalising whiteness. Nevertheless, I'm glad I moved past it as the film has something to say about family and the agency to dream.

The adage 'it takes money to make money' is clearly illustrated in Ayanda's bid to save her father's car shop from being sold, her brother's attempt to have a legitimate business and her Uncle Zama's need to get out of some mysterious 'trouble'. But what comes across even more clearly is how their dreams, although seemingly rooted in similar ambitions, take them to very different places. Then there is Ayanda's mother, Dorothy, who somehow lost her ability to dream. Then, as each one achieves varying levels of success, they are willing to make different sacrifices to live the dream.

The film is stunning; each scene is a work of art. I didn't quite get the purpose of the documentarian character who opens the film, and moves throughout, by photographing various locals with a voice over about a 'changing Africa'; it was needlessly ambitious (a Johannesburg-based young person wanting to speak for a continent?). Besides, the film showed this through the characters; the reiteration was unnecessary. However the interspersed photos almost make up for this. Combined with the pacing of the film that drew me in immediately into Ayanda's creative world, which was made possible because of her belief in the beautifully impossible, the film turned out to be an opportunity for representing a seldom seen South Africa.

Dir. Sara Blecher, 2015

Ayanda is on 31 October 2015 at the Hackney Picturehouse as part of Film Africa.
Trailer and tickets here.