A series of African films and an accompanying lecture provide glimpses into the diversity of African cultures through issues such as gender and class.

March 5, 2008

Two Wheaton professors have teamed up to develop the African Film and Lecture Series on campus this spring, providing glimpses into the diversity of African cultures through films from the past few decades.

Curated by professor of English Sue Standing and Professor of Anthropology Donna Kerner, the series covers a range of topics that include oral traditions, love, gender, economics and urban life. All of the movies were filmed and produced in Africa by Africans, offering unique perspectives on African life, which Professor Standing characterizes as an "inside-out look, rather than outside-in."

Having organized similar viewings at Wheaton in the past--and in light of the newly created African, African American, Diaspora Studies major and related courses--Standing and Kerner thought that it was time again to offer the Wheaton community a venue to view and explore the creations of African cinema.

Standing explains that "African films still aren't widely shown and distributed in the U.S., particularly outside African film festivals, so we wanted to give Wheaton and the Norton community a chance to see more of these vibrant productions." American access to these films is limited, and the delay in their transfer from VHS to DVD also inhibits their recognition here. All of the films in this series are part of the Madeleine Clark Wallace Library's collection.

Many of the films in the series deal specifically with issues of women and gender relations, tying the series into the celebration of March as Women's History Month. Other campus events concerned with African studies this spring include West African dance classes on Monday evenings and Ethiopian improvisational dance on Wednesday nights. Both classes have open attendance.

The next film on the schedule is Faat Kiné, the story of female perseverance toward personal and economic success in the face of male domination and relationship struggles. The film will be screened at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 6. Made in 2000 by the acclaimed director Ousmane Sembene in Senegal, the film is in French and Wolof with English subtitles.

After spring break, the series will resume with a documentary called Women's Olamal on Thursday, March 20 at 6 p.m. This film, directed by Melissa Llewelyn-Davies, was made in 1984 and is in Maasai with English subtitles. It focuses on women of East Africa and fertility as a measure of social value through a study of the origins of the Olamal fertility ritualistic ceremony.

The theme of East African women will continue on Thursday, March 27 at 3:30 p.m. with guest speaker Agnes Mwang'ombe of the University of Nairobi in Kenya. The event will begin with a tea and discussion about African women leaders, followed by the screening of Mwang'ombe's documentary on agricultural sustainability and the challenges faced by East African pastoralist girls. Pastoralism, the dependence on livestock for subsistence, is the primary lifestyle for many rural Africans. The film addresses the details and hardships faced by pastoralist girls, such as poverty and the lack of education and health care.

The final film in the series, Moolaadé, illustrates how a village is torn apart after a woman saves a group of girls from painful female circumcision. Moolaadé was made in Senegal in 2004 and is in Bambara with English subtitles. It was also directed by Ousmane Sembene, and was his last film. The inclusion of two of his films in the series serves as homage to his memory and his outstanding contributions to African cinema. This film will be shown on Thursday, April 3 at 6 p.m.

The African Film and Lecture series presents an opportunity for members of the Wheaton Community to see how topics such as feminism, race and language are perceived through the lens and discourse of African cinema. All films will be shown in the Media Center located in Balfour Hood and are open to all free of charge. For more details, see the Wheaton online calendar.