“The Empty Grave” is a documentary that speaks to the soul. It demands of its viewers an emotional and intellectual engagement with the material realities of colonial plunder. The film’s conclusion is a resounding refusal to offer closure, both to the families it portrays and to the viewers who bear witness to their plight. The film’s epilogue is not just an update; it is a sobering reminder that the struggle for reparative justice is far from over, and a clarion call that underscores the vast scale of the problem.
Category: The Latest
DAHOMEY Berlinale Press Conference: Mati Diop and Team Dive into the Film’s Depths
Each of the points was discussed with a depth of emotion and intellectual rigor, reflecting the film’s ambitious aim to not only document a historic event but to provoke thought, foster healing, and inspire a reevaluation of cultural identity and heritage in the post-colonial context.
DEMBA Berlinale 2024 Review: A Slow Burn, Deep Impact Examination of Grief’s Unseen Depths in a Senegalese Story
Through DEMBA, filmmaker Mamadou Dia contributes to a vital dialogue on the significance of acknowledging and addressing mental health issues in a culturally sensitive manner, particularly in an African context, offering insights into the healing power of community while recognizing the solitude that often accompanies profound grief.
DAHOMEY Berlinale 2024 Review: In Mati Diop’s Multilayered Fantasy Documentary Statues Live On
DAHOMEY can also be seen as an imaginative extension and critique of the themes presented in STATUES ALSO DIE by Chris Marker, Alain Resnais, and Ghislain Cloquet. While the latter focuses on how African artifacts lose their cultural and spiritual significance when displayed in Western museums, stripped of their original contexts, DAHOMEY explores the potential for these artifacts to regain their “life” through the process of repatriation and recontextualization within their indigenous culture.
Oscar Nominated Tunisian Filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania Pledges Voice to the “Wretched of the Earth” (Video)
An emotional Kaouther Ben Hania used her acceptance speech at the 2024 Lumière Awards in Paris, France, where she was honored for her documentary LES FILLES D’OLFA (FOUR DAUGHTERS), as a platform for empathy and advocacy.
Suzy Bemba Is a European “Shooting Star”
The European Shooting Stars program has been a critical stepping stone for many actors, helping to launch international careers by increasing their visibility within the global film community.
PARLONS GRAND-MÈRE: A Window into African Film Production in 1989 with Mambéty and Ouédraogo
One African cinema luminary (Djibril Diop Mambéty) documented the production of the most recognized film but another African cinema luminary (Idrissa Ouédraogo)
DRIFT: Cynthia Erivo’s Mindful Melodrama Tackles Divisive Discourse Around Refugee Crisis
Cynthia Erivo stars in this carefully-observed film that centralizes a displaced and disaffected woman’s plight in a foreign land.
Exploring Sustainable Film Financing for Africa…
Film financing across African territories is a topic I will continue to raise as models continue to evolve.