Podiumsdiskussion SISTERS IN AFRICAN CINEMA

Credits

Name: Podiumsdiskussion SISTERS IN AFRICAN CINEMA

Guest: Bouzid, Leyla; Ellerson, Beti; Blecher, Sara; Kibinge, Judy Nini; Ellong, Francoise

Abstract

Participants:
Sara Blecher (Südafrika)
Leyla Bouzid (Tunesien)
Françoise Ellong (Kamerun)
Judy Nini Kibinge (Kenia)

Moderation: Beti Ellerson (USA)

“What, then, is an African woman’s vision, her gaze, her way of seeing and visualising? As the camera becomes her eye, as the lens becomes the vehicle for expressing woman/women`s experiences and showing her vision of the world, many African women transcend geographies and locations, boundaries are blurred, their positionality goes beyond nationality and country. The themes and subjects of their films reflect personal experiences, the search for identity, the demands of financiers, as well as the self-imposed duty to teach, the reveal injustices and to construct positive images of women and African societies in general.” This is what Beti Ellerson wrote in 2000 in the introduction to her book “Sisters of the Screen – Women of Africa on Film, Video and Television”, for which she interviewed 36 female directors, producers, actors and festival organisers. Since then a new generation of female filmmakers has emerged, enjoying far more presence in Africa’s film scene than their predecessors did. Beti Ellerson talks to guests from North, West, East and Southern Africa about how modern-day female directors define their roles.