AFRICA.FILM: Our Own Stories, Our Own Way

Trailer for “Pray the Devil Back to Hell”

FILM: “Pray the Devil Back to Hell”. Documentary about peace efforts of Liberian women led by Leymah Gbowee to end their country’s war. What started out as sit-ins at fish markets developed into meetings with the warring factions and even pressure during peace talks to ensure that negotiations went all the way to fruition. There is a quote over at The Daily Beast from film producer Abbey Disney (yes that Disney) on how easy it was to find Liberian war porn but (little) no footage of Gbowee and other women trying to end the fighting (they got some footage from a former presidential videographer):

One of the interesting things was how easy the combat footage was to come by—you do a search for it, and the next thing you know is you are swimming in the most disturbing images of blood and gore. What was hard to find were the women working for peace, because no one knew they were there—we had reporters say to us, “We knew they were there, but why shoot them?” They were so pathetic.

Trailer for This is Nollywood

FILM: “This is Nollywood”. Director Franco Sacchi spotlights the third largest movie industry in the world, by following Nollywood director Bond Emeruwa in his quest to make a feature length film with $20,000, a digital camera, 9 days and a whole lot of Lagos-style chutzpah.

“We are telling our own stories in our own way, our Nigerian way, African way,” Bond says. “I cannot tell the white man’s story. I don’t know what his story is all about. He tells me his story in his movies. I want him to see my stories too.”
Bond Emeruwa, Nollywood director

TEDTalks: Welcome To Nollywood. Franco Sacchi discusses the making of his documentary “This is Nollywood” and the significance of film and a vibrant storrytelling culture to Nigerian society. Includes excerpts from the documentary.
Kofia Tip for Nollywood linkage: Africa is a Country

SEE ALSO: PHOTOGRAPHY: Pieter Hugo, Nollywood 2008