Blog

Is Mads Brügger a journalist?
The Danish filmmaker believes his work contains qualities missing from most conventional journalism. Especially journalism dealing with Africa


The Kenyan Finns
What would happen if you made a film about a key figure in Finnish history and cast Kenyan actors in the lead roles?

Moroccan Rockstars
The artist Hassan Hajjaj frames his portraits of ordinary Moroccans with a neat shelf crammed with 7 Up and Coca-Cola cans, symbols of a burgeoning import market and aspiration.

Jakes Gerwel and “the intellectual home of the left”
The fate of the University of the Western Cape, set up for coloureds, radicalized by black consciousness and from where the ANC prepared to govern.

German amnesia and Herero women
For Namibians fighting Germany over reparations, It’s about more than about a bit of land or perhaps some goats. It’s about time that debt was paid — with interest.

Running with white people
South Africans have chosen ignorance. We have decided to not know what’s on the other side of the road. To be safe in our enclaves, and only venture out to edify our prejudices or prop up credentials.

President of France, King of Africa?
Francois Hollande want French-African relations to be transparent. Is this a new African policy or the old FrançAfrique?

What joy sounds like in German
Bonus music break: Abdullah Ibrahim, John Tchicai, Gato Barbieri, Barre Phillips and Makaya Ntshoko performing live on German public television in 1968.

There are more cell phones in Africa than India
For Canada's Conservative Party government Africa has moved from disaster and aid to opportunity. An actual Canadian government said the above.