Sundance Film Festival Reviews of African Films Selected…there weren’t that many.
The documentary form’s increasing presence in the African context is worth highlighting, as seen in Sundance’s 2025 selections. “How to Build a Library” examines the present-day transformation of a colonial institution in Kenya, while “Khartoum” captures the first-hand experiences of Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
In the NEXT section, “BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions,” by Kahlil Joseph (USA) was initially yanked from the lineup but has now been reinstated, although I have yet to see it and likely will not at Sundance. The film is set for the Berlinale as well, which I plan to attend.
The story: a preeminent West African curator and scholar Funmilayo Akechukwu’s magnum opus, “The Resonance Field,” leads her to the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, drawing a journalist into a journey that shatters her understanding of consciousness and time.
– “How to Build a Library”: The film’s greatest strength lies in its chronicling of the protagonists’ evolution over the course of their journey. What starts as an idealistic mission to democratize knowledge turns into a class in realpolitik, as they learn to work the system they meant to change.

– “Where the Wind Comes From”: Ultimately, it’s both a love letter to Tunisia and a critique of the conditions that drive its youth to seek opportunities elsewhere.
– “Khartoum”: A layered portrait that crosses Khartoum’s social and ethnic divides—”an act of positive resistance” against the forces tearing a country apart.

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