IFFR's focus on Africa this year was prompted by that continent's striking absence from the international film festival scene, Geoffrey Macnab reports
“It began with nothing… it began with an absence,” programmer Gertjan Zuilhof comments of Rotterdam’s ambitious Where is Africa/Forget Africa programme, one of the defining events of this year’s Festival. “Over the years, you realise this whole continent – this African cinema – is hardly present.” In the programmes of international film festivals, African cinema is rarely represented by more than one or two token films. “Not that the festivals are not interested, somehow they are. They are even willing to show mediocre films to have an African presence,” Zuilhof reflects.
Travelling companions
The Rotterdam programmer set off for Africa last summer. It was his first trip to the continent and he freely admits he is far from an expert in African cinema. His itinerary took him first to Cameroon. His original idea had been to travel alone. Eventually, he decided to bring some non-African filmmakers with him. On his travels, he avoided Francophone, West African countries, which already often have French funding for their movies.
Filipino auteur Khavn De La Cruz joined him in Cameroon. Malaysian director Tan Chui Mui was his companion in Durban, South Africa. Other directors involved included Indonesian auteur Edwin in Kenya, American filmmaker Kevin Jerome Everson, who travelled to Congo Brazzaville, Indian-American filmmaker Pia Sawhney who filmed in Rwanda and Thai artist/filmmaker Jakrawal Nilthamrong in Zambia. There were a dozen directors in all, from every part of the world and every ethnic background. The films they made are all showing in Rotterdam this year.
Hip hop
During his travels, Zuilhof endeavoured to meet as many local filmmakers as he could. “I have this habit – not only in Africa but everywhere else – that one of the first things I do is organise a party for the filmmakers. I’ll say let’s come together in the French Cultural Institute at 5pm – I’ll buy you drinks and we can meet each other.”
One phenomenon Zuilhof noticed was the surprisingly strong influence of hip hop culture on young filmmakers. “It was not just the music, but also the videos and the clothes. A number of filmmakers I met started by making music videos for musician friends and developed themselves into filmmakers.”
Where Is Africa
When white Western Europeans travel to Africa on a big cultural mission, it is inevitable that they will be accused of being patronising. “This ‘patronising’ idea is a concern mostly of other white people,” Zuilhof suggests. “When I was travelling in Africa and went from Uganda to Malawi, the local filmmakers were very pleased that I made the effort to come to them. I don’t think in countries like Malawi and Uganda, they ever had an international programmer present in the country.” Nigerian director Kunle Afolayan (whose film Araromire receives its international premiere in Rotterdam) agrees. “The festival is trying to push cinema from Africa and this is good for the continent. Africa has not been well placed in the world cinema circle.” Rotterdam’s Where Is Africa strand includes a programme curated by Alice Smits and Lee Ellickson, directors of the Amakula festival in Uganda. This provides a general and historical overview of African cinema.
The Goteborg Festival is one of the supporters of Where Is Africa. “They committed themselves to the programme at an early stage and actually gave money to us. I think this is quite special – one festival gives money to another festival to support a project!” (This was one reason why the programmer was in Sweden last week, presenting some of the films that are now screening in Rotterdam to Goteborg audiences.)
Logistical hurdles
Many of the African filmmakers in Rotterdam this week are travelling internationally for the very first time. Some daunting logistical hurdles had to be overcome. Certain filmmakers didn’t even have passports. Others struggled to get visas. “All the paperwork is connected to corruption. If you’re a young filmmaker without money, you don’t have money enough to bribe the people to give you papers.”
Out of Africa
To get a taste of the season, Zuilhof suggests that festival-goers should head over to the Schouwburg. There, the films from Zuilhof’s programme are screening on a gigantic loop. So what now? After the wealth of African cinema on display this year, how will Rotterdam ensure that the best African filmmakers continue to be represented at the festival? Zuilhof has one idea. “It would be nice to turn the situation around,” he reflects. “Now, I have brought international filmmakers to Africa. There is a logic that you could turn it around and ask the African filmmakers to do something, maybe out of Africa…”
More about the Where is Africa season here.