Al Jazeera’s Witness series has released a 47-minute version of “The Empty Grave (Kaburi Wazi),” directed by Cece Mlay and Agnes Lisa Wegner. The documentary follows two Tanzanian families as they trace the remains of ancestors taken under German colonial rule for so-called “racial science,” and held in European and American museum collections. First shown […]
Tag: Berlinale
Berlinale Names Sata Cissokho as New Head of World Cinema Fund and Toolbox
The Berlinale has appointed Sata Cissokho to oversee both the World Cinema Fund and the Toolbox Programme. She begins with Toolbox immediately while Vincenzo Bugno completes his 21-year leadership of the WCF by the end of 2025. The move brings two of the festival’s global initiatives—funding and training—under one leadership ahead of Berlin 2026. Fully […]
Berlinale Spotlight Returns to Accra – September 3–7, 2025
Berlinale Spotlight: Accra is back for its second edition, running September 3–7, 2025, at the Goethe-Institut in Cantonments, Accra. All screenings begin at 6:30 pm daily in the courtyard. Presented by The Falcon, an upcoming cinema and cultural space in Berekuso, Greater Accra, and led by Jacqueline Nsiah (The Falcon Ghana, Berlinale Selection Committee), this […]
Protected: BLACK TEA Berlinale Press Conference: Sissako and Cast Dive Into the Collective Effort That Shaped the Exploration of Love, Migration, and Identity
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THE EMPTY GRAVE (KABURI WAZI) Berlinale 2024 Review: A Stark Documentary Journey on the Legacy of Colonial Plunder in Tanzania
“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.
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.
Navigating the Berlinale’s Controversial Invitation Through the Lens of African Cinemas
Reflecting on the personal and professional challenges faced by journalists covering the intersection of politics, culture, and cinema.
African Films with 2022-2023 Major Festival Premieres Without U.S. Distribution — Akoroko
Tracking African films with Big 5 festival premieres that are yet to secure US distribution.