Film Africa returns to London from 25 October to 3 November with an exciting selection of films by Ghanaians or about Ghanaians among this year's list of African cinema.
Film Africa opens with ‘Dahomey’ - a film dramatisation that documents the return of 26 royal treasures, long held in a museum in France, to their rightful home in Benin (formerly known as The Dahomey Kingdom).
Closing the festival is ‘Black Tea,’ features a young Ivorian woman who embarks on a transformative odyssey to China, where she finds unexpected love and confronts the complexities of cultural assimilation. Watch out for more details on the full line-up of films.
Film Africa is a Royal African Society event.
Films by Ghanaians include:
SAT 26 OCT | SOUTH LONDON GALLERY, 2:00 PM | 9 minutes
Highlife by Andy Madjitey
A young lady, Afi, finds out she was left a box of unlabelled vinyl records at her deceased stepfather’s will reading. She is not sure how to feel about it considering their turbulent relationship prior to his passing but she’s sent on a journey of discovery and music.
SAT 26 OCT | SOUTH LONDON GALLERY, 2:00 PM | 10 mins
Kubolor by Gabriel Kwami Agbolo Efoe & Cherif Douamba
From the southern part of Ghana, Jamestown. A young man YHAW Phila. Yhaw has a dream of becoming one of the greatest rappers. Coming from a society with very orthodox cultural values limiting the dreams of the young people.
Kubolor talks about a young talented and resilient young man who doesn’t allow any of these old cultural and religious beliefs stop him from dreaming. He’s determined to fight until all his dreams come true.
SUN 27 OCT | SOUTH LONDON GALLERY, 2:00 PM | 4 minutes
Black Corporeal Breathing by Numbers by Julianknxx
With a layering of poetry, essay, documentary and music, the Black Corporeal (Breathing By Numbers) film exposes the multiple realities of Black life in London and our relationships with this built environment that holds us.
The film is anchored by the returning voice of Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, as she traces her journey to having air pollution officially listed as a cause of death of her 9-year-old daughter, Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, the first time this had happened in the UK.
TUE 29 OCT | SOUTH LONDON GALLERY, 6:00 PM | 14 minutes
Claudia by Benjamin Kuffuor
A man struggling to overcome a breakup goes to extreme lengths to bring his lover back into his life, even if it’s in the realm of fantasy. Claudia is a twisted romance drama drawing on classic textures to tell a modern story of 21st century loneliness, isolation and distortion.
WED 30 OCT | RICH MIX, 2:00 PM | 120 minutes
Dela: The Making Of El Anatsui by Oyiza Adaba
This film is a biographical documentary delving into the life of an extraordinary artist, El Anatsui, the world-renowned sculptor from Ghana. His inner musings find vivid expression in art that defies borders and limitations, reshaping the very concept of sculpture.
Oyiza Adaba’s directorial debut triumphantly acknowledges and emphasizes the importance of Africa’s rich artistic and cultural heritage in the pantheon of global contemporary art.
FRI 1 NOV| SOUTH LONDON GALLERY| 6-9pm
Queer Ghanaian Stories
Nyame Mma, 2024, Ghana (27 mins)
Following his father’s sudden death, Kwamena returns home for the funeral and closure as his father journeys to the afterworld. Nyame Mma explores how lack of space for queer men and male grieving makes their loss very isolating.
Joewackle J. Kusi is a writer, filmmaker and podcaster. His focus is on telling stories that have soul. His work includes the feature film, Lucky, and short films Boy Bo Dey Cry and Nyame Mma. Nyame Mma is currently on the festival circuit, and is featured in the Short Film Corner’s Video Library at Festival de Cannes.
Reluctantly Queer, 2016, USA (8 mins)
This epistolary short film invites us into the unsettling life of a young Ghanaian man struggling to reconcile his love for his mother with his sexuality.
Akosua Adoma Owusu is a filmmaker, producer, and educator. Owusu’s work has been screened extensively at festivals and venues worldwide, including the New York Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Locarno International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, BlackStar Film Festival, CCA Wattis Institute, Flaherty Seminar, Studio Museum in Harlem, Anthology Film Archives, Museum of Modern Art, and African Film Festival, Inc. in New York.
Dzifa, 2022, UK (19 mins)
An intimate drama following Esther and Chioma as they navigate the nuances of their relationship. They find themselves at a Ghanaian naming ceremony where they are invited to reconnect in a rhythmic celebration of diasporic Black queer joy.
Savannah Acquah is a writer, actor and director. Acquah’s short film Dzifa has screened at festivals in the UK and US, including Encounters Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Leeds Queer Film Festival, and EFN Short Film Festival.
Waterlily, 2022, USA (12 mins)
When a phone call triggers a young Ghanaian immigrant woman, she must move through the conflict of the desires of her inner and outer selves.
Ami Tamakloe is human unravelling and reconstructing. Originally from Ghana, they are currently a PhD candidate in the department of Anthropology at Cornell University. Tamakloe is a multi-modal artist who creates work that tells stories around accessibility, Blackness, gender, sexuality and culture. They utilise their body, voice, material and immaterial world around them as conduits for stories that are moving and impactful.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Joewackle Kusi, Savannah Acquah & Lady Phyll and moderated by guest curator Adwoa Owusu-Barnieh.
This screening is a special Dine & View event. All ticket prices include a plate of food to enjoy during the screening.
SAT 02 NOVEMBER | CINÉ LUMIÈRE, 4:00 PM |
Join filmmakers Sir John Akomfrah and Abderrahmane Sissako in a conversation moderated by film curator June Givanni.
Exploring their extensive bodies of work that have spanned over three decades, this exciting event provides a unique opportunity for audiences to gain insights into the creative processes and artistic visions of these two renowned filmmakers.
The conversation promises to delve into their individual journeys as filmmakers, the evolution of their works, and their perspectives on the changing landscape of global cinema.
Attendees will have the chance to hear first-hand about the challenges and triumphs these two visionaries have faced throughout their careers, making it an unforgettable experience for cinephiles and aspiring filmmakers alike.
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