As always, end of year lists are met with anticipation; either by those eager to see the year in review, or by critics ready to decry what has been left off. No list is definitive, so please do add your suggestions and comments below. For me, it has been an explosive year of African cinema; […]
This year Africa is a Country is partnering with Film Africa, London’s only annual African film festival to review some of the films that will be screening 1-11 November. Perhaps this should also be filed partly under “Shameless Self-Promotion” since I’m a programmer at the festival. However, AIAC’s writers/bloggers will pre-review films going to London, many of […]
I’ve recently taken on a new daily commute from Bed-Stuy to Harlem via the A Train. This route, once celebrated in song by Duke Ellington, was and remains famous for connecting New York’s two largest and most historical Black Communities. Today, both communities retain their importance as cultural nodes for the descendents of Black migrants from the […]
From the Otelo Burning soundtrack (we still owe the soundtrack a review), here’s ‘Walk on Water’ by Reason. The film about a group of young South African surfers, set in 1989, comes with an official mixtape.
Surfing as leisure and a sport has historically been associated with whites in South Africa, though that’s not necessarily true in practice. In fact a few documentary films (for example, “Taking back the waves“), the new feature film “Otelo Burning” and the work of photographer Richard Johnson (scroll to the right) have pointed to a […]
The trailer for “Otelo Burning,” a new feature film set in Durban, a coming of age story set against the backdrop of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison about a group of young black teenagers, living in a township, learning to surf. It will open next month’s Durban International Film Festival. I. want.to.see.this. H/T: Akin Omotoso.
