5 New Films to Watch Out For, N°28

Here’s another pick of five interesting-looking new films that have come out recently. Born This Way is a film by Shaun Kadlec and Deb Tullmann about gay activists and members of “Alternatives Cameroun,” the first LGBT organization in Cameroon — a cause made all the more urgent by the recent killing of Camfaids director and activist Eric Lembembe. You’ll also recognize lawyer (and AIAC’s “woman of the year”) Alice Nkom:

El Gusto is Safinez Bousbia’s film about an Algerian group of Jewish and Muslim musicians who were separated by history over 50 years ago and have been reunited some years ago to share once again their passion for Chaabi music. They have since gone on to record albums with Damon Albarn and Sodi:

Aya de Yopougon, the film interpretation of Marguerite Abouet’s popular graphic novel set in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, has been a long time coming. The animated film draws from the first two volumes of the series she collaborated on with graphic artist Clément Oubrerie, also the co-director of the film:

Incarcerated Knowledge is a documentary by AIAC’er Dylan Valley who has followed a man, Peter, from the first day of his release from South Africa’s most notorious prison. Having foresworn his membership of the powerful ‘28s’ gang, Peter is intent to reintegrate himself back into his community through his passion for Hip-Hop:

And The New World is a story written and directed by Jaap van Heusden about a Dutch woman (Bianca Krijgsman) whose life is changed by an Ivorian refugee (Issaka Sawadogo) who is held “in transit” at the detention center for asylum seekers where she works as a cleaner. Here’s a clip:

Further Reading

Not exactly at arm’s length

Despite South Africa’s ban on arms exports to Israel and its condemnation of Israel’s actions in Palestine, local arms companies continue to send weapons to Israel’s allies and its major arms suppliers.

Ruto’s Kenya

Since June’s anti-finance bill protests, dozens of people remain unaccounted for—a stark reminder of the Kenyan state’s long history of abductions and assassinations.

Between Harlem and home

African postcolonial cinema serves as a mirror, revealing the limits of escape—whether through migration or personal defiance—and exposing the tensions between dreams and reality.

The real Rwanda

The world is slowly opening its eyes to how Paul Kagame’s regime abuses human rights, suppresses dissent, and exploits neighboring countries.

In the shadow of Mondlane

After a historic election and on the eve of celebrating fifty years of independence, Mozambicans need to ask whether the values, symbols, and institutions created to give shape to “national unity” are still legitimate today.

À sombra de Mondlane

Depois de uma eleição histórica e em vésperas de celebrar os 50 anos de independência, os moçambicanos precisam de perguntar se os valores, símbolos e instituições criados para dar forma à “unidade nacional” ainda são legítimos hoje.