Playlist
In 2017, Angola launched its first satellite into space... and got lost. "The Adventures of Angosat" is a retelling of this dream. An indie musical film written and performed by Isis Hembe, one of the most renowned Angolan urban artists. It brings together upcoming artists from the streets of Cazenga (Luanda) in a unique one-shot fiction film.
This tender story not only celebrates family bonds and cultural pride but also sheds light on Black and African equestrians, honoring the rich and often overlooked history of African horse riders. By blending tradition and contemporary experiences, the film pays tribute to a legacy of strength, resilience, and connection through horseback riding.
In 2018, Filmmaker/Producer, Louise Dente began working on the documentary, AJASS: Pioneers of the Black is Beautiful, which chronicles the group later known as the African Jazz-Art Society & Studios (AJASS) from its founding in 1956 to the present.
After the Long Rains is an exquisite coming-of-age story about Aisha (Electricer Kache Hamisi), a ten year-old girl who dreams of becoming an actress.
In Watamu, a beautiful coastal town in Kenya, children are expected to follow in the footsteps of their parents, but Aisha wants something different for herself and dreams of moving to Europe to become an actress. Through her imaginative spirit and charm she convinces Hassan, a local fisherman, to teach her how to navigate the waters so she can one day, sail away to fulfil her dreams. Then a homework assignment sets her off on an adventure of self-discovery. In this intimate and formally freehand portrayal, we are introduced to the colourful and saturated world of Aisha, her beautiful family and a tight-knit community where neighbours, teachers and the local fisherman function as extended family members.
After the Long Rains is the third feature film from Swiss-Kenyan director Damien Hauser, a cinematic Renaissance man and piano player who not only wrote and directed, but produced, edited and created the film's sound design.
– Lyse Ishimwe Nsengiyumva
Arte Congo...Artists Journey on the Congo Coast of Panama is a documentary film that depicts a unique "insider's" view of a new Afro-centric Panamanian art movement that was born at a metaphoric crossroad in the village of Portobelo, Panama when Congo elder Virgilio "Yaneca" Esquina, photographer/author Sandra Eleta and artist/cultural investigator/educator Arturo Lindsay met. Along with a group of artists from Portobelo and the Spelman College Summer Art Colony, they established the painting workshop of Taller Portobelo.
Responding to a particularly turbulent chapter in Haiti's history, marked with political unrest and gang violence, a group of fearless theatre artists choose to resist the climate of insecurity around them through live performance, showcasing the courage and resilience of the Haitian people.
Mamadou and Junior would have everything it takes to be the best friends in the world if only their two grandfathers, a famous photographer and a novelist who used to be good friends, got along again. But because of an unfinished film they wanted to make together, they broke off their relationship, and their two families hold a bitter grudge. But Junior has an idea: what if he and Mamadou found their film and finished it themselves….
A seemingly regular visit to a dealer in the slums of Lagos takes an unexpected turn and forces this anxious stoner on a different kind of trip.
When Sanda shows up at her front door years after their breakup, Amina plays the perfect host. As the conversation unfolds, they acknowledge the things that time has made plain. But do they have the courage to confront the elephant in the room? Bege (Yearning) shines a light on the oft-unspoken emotional toll that comes about when love falls out of bounds for medical reasons, and examines what happens when the body betrays the heart.
Within modern Benin City lies a masterpiece of ancient urban planning. This striking documentary takes a look at the vast earthworks—extensive lengths of moats and ramparts once towering 18 meters high and stretching over 1,200 kilometers—that protected the Benin Kingdom's capital, shaping its spiritual and political core. Through expert insights and local perspectives, the film touches on the challenges of preserving these structures amid current development. A powerful view of the legacy of innovation in West Africa.
Traditional iconography and contemporary fashion meld in the music video award-winning film director and multidisciplinary artist Mai Elgizouli made for a song by her sister, Sudanese singer-songwriter Hiba Elgizouli, with creative direction and costume design by sister Sally Elgizouli. "Bidaya" ("Beginning") was written just before the start of the revolution in Khartoum, when people in the city were desperate and helpless but held onto hope, and the visual style envisions a brighter future for Sudanese women in particular.
Aya, a young Ivorian woman in her early thirties, says no on her wedding day, to everyone's astonishment. After emigrating to Asia, she works in a tea export shop with Cai, a 45-year-old Chinese man. Aya and Cai fall in love but can their affair survive the turmoil of their past and other people's prejudices?
A powerful and visually striking allegory, Blinded by the Lights explores the insatiable greed of the African leader and the devastating cost of betrayal. Set against the backdrop of a nation trapped in the cycle of neocolonialism, the film unpacks the illusions of power, the corruption that festers behind closed doors, and the silent suffering of a people forgotten by those meant to lead them. With bold symbolism and a haunting narrative, Blinded by the Lights is a chilling reflection on leadership, legacy, and the price of selling one's soul for power.
Through poignant interviews and storytelling, Collins Akpapunam demonstrates how Nigerian immigrants are leveraging their international experience, networks, and expertise to create jobs, stimulate investment, and foster development after returning home from their years of sojourn in the UK, Canada and the United States in search of greener pastures. From technology and healthcare to education and the arts, "Brain Gain" showcases the diverse ways in which the diaspora Nigerians are giving back to their country of origin.
Set in Lagos, Nigeria, and based on a short story by Pemi Aguda, Breastmilk follows a new mother, Aduke, who struggles to breastfeed her baby while navigating her tense relationship with her husband and managing her family's expectations. In order to support her newborn child, she must confront her past.
To this day, Ìgùn Street of Benin City remains renowned as the mercantile center for the Ìgùn Ẹ́rọ̀nwwọ̀n (brass-casting guild). Captured through vivid cinematography, this documentary intimately follows a specialist who continues the tradition of lost-wax casting to produce an array of metalworks for royal and commercial clients. A visually compelling portrait, the film shows the delicate interplay of tradition, innovation, and community identity at the heart of West Africa's celebrated brass-casting heritage.
A bright and charming presenter invites you to explore all that the Cape Town Royalty Programme has to offer wealthy European investors in glamorous Cape Town, South Africa.
The extraordinary story of Eshete, a refugee who escaped war in Ethiopia as a young man and is now a devoted caretaker of a feral cat colony in New York City. Eshete has become the heart of a close-knit community while living on the streets. Together with neighbours who help feed the cats and look out for him, Eshete's story reveals a moving portrait of grassroots community care.
Children of the Waves captures the beauty and fragility of childhood dreams before they are overshadowed by reality. The film highlights the richness of Marseille's cultural diversity, reflected through the stories of these three friends from Comorian and Senegalese diasporas. It offers a glimpse into a city often misunderstood, revealing its human warmth and the hopes that resonate within it.
Aluta infiltrates a crew of party girls who are hustling Johannesburg's rich and powerful using charm and deception, but what the crew doesn't know is Aluta is on a secret mission to find her missing sister. But when a job goes wrong, she's betrayed and needs to stay one step ahead, or she'll be the next target.
Yasmine Djédjé-Fisher-Azoumé's Dédé (Ancestor) delves into diasporic female identity. Featuring animated copper relief engraving, the film is a journey into the feminine cosmology and folkloric traditions of the Ivory Coast and the Bété tribe, guided by feminine icons such as fertility carvings, masks, sculptures, mythological fables and deities.
This film tells the story of the president of a fictitious African nation who spends a sleepless night playing checkers with a pot-smoking vagabond who claims to be the all-round champion. However, the rules of the game entail the opponents howling vulgar and foul obscenities at one another. The champion proceeds to insult, and trounce, the President. His reward, and his fate, will not surprise anyone.
Before he became Africa's first Nobel Prizewinner in Literature, a small campus bungalow at the University of Ibadan played an outsized role in the life of a man, Wole Soyinka, his family, his university, and the nation. Here's the story. How do we preserve not just what we remember but the physical markers of such transient memory?
In a small community on the shores of Lake Poopó, fourteen families of the Uru ethnic group embody the consequences of an extractive world that demands more resources to support an ever-expanding way of life.
Touda is a Sheikha, a traditional Moroccan singer. Performing in the bars of her provincial town under the gaze of men, she plans to leave for the lights of Casablanca, to gain recognition and ensure a better future for her son.
Inspired by true events, Abi has arrived in Sierra Leone to help her mother, Mama Amy, search for her missing sister in Freetown. When it's time for Abi to carry the weight of the two, both women realize that they are not on this journey alone.
A traditional Ghanaian fisherman forced into retirement teams up with a bougie talking fish and his quirky associates on a whimsical adventure to Accra, chasing their dream of owning a boat while learning to navigate the modern world without losing touch with their roots.
A start-up faces unfavorable government laws and police harassment, causing a ripple effect in the lives of nine individuals, setting them on a collision course.
This powerful social drama from director Fatou Cissé, daughter of legendary Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé, explores the impact of forced marriage on young women in Mali. The film follows Tou, who is pressured to marry an older man after becoming pregnant, and Ami, who resists village pressure to wed in favor of her independence. Through these parallel stories, Furu examines the complex and often painful choices young women face when their futures are shaped by tradition rather than personal agency. The film confronts the enduring practice of forced marriage and its psychological consequences, offering a poignant and urgent reflection on gender, autonomy, and resistance within a patriarchal society. Preceded by a clip from Cissé's 2022 documentary A Daughter's Tribute to Her Father, an intimate portrayal of the life and career of Souleymane Cissé.
Gboroka is a heartfelt and thought-provoking cinematic journey diving into the rich tapestry of the Bondo culture.This touching film sheds light on the struggles faced by women, highlighting the pressures of tradition while advocating for their empowerment. Through poignant storytelling, it portrays the beauty of our culture alongside the pain endured by women of all backgrounds. It's a raw depiction of the insecurity woven into the experiences of women, as they navigate the complexities of tradition and identity. "Gboroka" aims to foster understanding and appreciation for diverse perspectives while advocating for the end of this harmful practice.
Mere hours after burying her husband, a newly widowed mother is given an ultimatum: she must leave her matrimonial home and start a new life with her brother in law. Faced with financial obscurity and pressure from her own family, she must reconcile her catholic beliefs with this demand. In God's Wife, Dika Ofoma explores the clash between religion and custom as a woman grapples with her personal and cultural quandary.
Introduced to storytelling at a young age from her own grandmother, Nduduzo Shandu crafted a story of a lifetime bond between a grandmother and her grandson.
While living in isolation, Mona and her young son await the birth of a new baby while still carrying the weight of the grandma's recent death. When her son begins listening to her pregnant belly, convinced his grandmother's spirit exists inside and wants to return, Mona is unsettled by his quiet certainty. As she struggles to comfort him, she confronts her own fears of failing as a mother, of being unable to fill the absence left behind, and of opening herself to the unknown. With each passing moment, the fragile balance between grief and hope threatens to collapse, forcing her to face the life growing inside her and the love she's afraid she can't give.
Adapted from the novel by esteemed Angolan author Ondjaki, this coming of age tale brings us into the multilayered world of Jaki, a young boy from a small coastal African village living in a cousin-filled house headed by his spunky grandmother Agnette. Jaki spends his days with best friends Pi and Charlita and they discover that a local construction site of a huge mausoleum guarded by Russians threatens to demolish their entire neighborhood. Their spirited efforts to foil this plan are met with the unanticipated involvement of a secretive Soviet.
Great Zimbabwe, the largest medieval stone complex in sub-Saharan Africa, is a remarkable feat of engineering. Through striking cinematography, meet the masonry team responsible for maintaining the Great Zimbabwe complex—constructed from dry stone masonry—and hear from specialists committed to preserving the surviving archaeological landscape.
Green Bay is an experimental dance film that explores themes of survival, cosmic ritual, and the transcendent cycle of life through immersive visuals and visceral choreography. Set beneath a surreal green sky on a distant, crumbling world, the film captures the last survivors of a dying civilization—women who perform a synchronized ritual dance to summon an ethereal extraterrestrial presence from another realm.
People congregate at a well on the southern edge of the desert. In a brutal drought, the vast majority of livestock have died. The nearest village used to be spotted with grass huts along the horizon, but these have been taken apart to feed cattle.
An eager young girl embarks on a culinary journey to recreate her grandma's special recipe. Unfortunately, she ends up in a kitchen disaster. Reliving cherished memories, she eventually manages to create the perfect dish.
On a remote volcanic island that everybody wants to leave, little Nana learns to stay. Her mother, Nia, went into exile right after she was born and Nana grows up in the family of her father. One day, the family learns that Nia is ill. Nana begins to develop high fevers and is sent to the foot of a volcano for treatment. There she encounters a world steeped in magical realism, between dreams and reality. Later, when Nana is a teenager, her mother Nia finally returns to the island.
Off the coast of present-day Tanzania, Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara are testament to centuries of global cultural exchange and maritime wealth. Built from coral stone and shaped by Swahili, Arab, Persian, and Indian influences, the architectural remains of these cities have endured continuous erosion from rising sea levels, wind, and sand. Through powerful visual storytelling and thoughtful local perspectives, this documentary shares the initiatives to preserve these historic mosques and palaces for future generations.
After the loss of her father, Akua Shabaka and her mother, Rebecca Henry—the visionary duo behind the fashion label House of Aama—find solace and inspiration in their creative bond. Drawing from the Free Jazz movement, they craft a captivating new collection, Sun Records, which they debut at New York Fashion Week. As Akua recalls her father's lineage from the Caribbean to Ghana, this evocative short documentary delves into their journey of resilience, and renewal, revealing the profound artistry that emerges from archives and ancestral reverence.
In Mwezé Ngangura's modern comic fairy tale, Mani Kongo, King of the Bakongo, embarks on a trip to Belgium to find his beloved daughter, Mwana, whom he has lost touch with. Dignified and outfitted in full regalia, the African king walks into a society that neither respects his title nor values his humanity. On arriving in Belgium, he has to cope with the very best and the very worst of the Black diaspora, as well as with prejudices rampant in European society, and finds good friends amongst the poor, lower-class whites—showing that nothing is ever black or white.
In the whimsical Pan-African society of Alkebulan, the brilliant yet overlooked scholar Dr. Constance Moumie discovers that her fiancé, Sèyí Àjàyí, is engaged to Princess Ada, throwing the town into a frenzy. With her bestie Bibi, Constance devises a daring plan to expose her unfaithful lover at his engagement ceremony, seeking both revenge and the recognition she has long deserved.
Kavaa has travelled upcountry to bury her grandfather, who disowned her when she was born out of wedlock 22 years earlier. At that awkward family reunion, she finds acceptance with the village madman, who catapults her into a liminal realm, where she can face off with her grandfather and rise above his rejection to find new self-esteem.
When Cape Town encounters an extreme stretch without water, things get desperate. Perhaps it's a little boy who returns us to our humanity.
In Nairobi's bustling streets, hardworking mother Wangari, haunted by trauma, discovers empowerment in a local boxing gym. Her unexpected journey sparks a transformative rebirth, fostering resilience and a thriving spirit amid life's fiercest battles.
Detached from his soul in a surreal journey through a forest, an artist clad in traditional attire navigates the chaos of his inner world and the war-torn reality of Sudan. As a member of the Sudanese diaspora, he mentally escapes the brutal truths of his homeland's conflict. Through a series of visually striking and symbolic scenes, he expresses his inner turmoil and the profound impacts of war on all Sudanese people, regardless of their ethnicities and affiliations.
The nostalgia of an African student in Paris for Africa. Graduation film by Paulin Soumanou VIEYRA, one of the pioneers of African cinemas.
Michelle, a 10-year-old survivor of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, attempts to escape both her past and her new home when she learns that her "new" family is not what it seems.
Jeanne Duval, the mixed-race muse and partner of Charles Baudelaire, has been forgotten by time and erased by history, but she refuses to remain silenced. In this short we see April 27, 1842: a day in the life of Duval and Baudelaire. As the day goes on, the weight of Baudelaire's words and needs becomes increasingly difficult for Duval to bear.
Award winning short documentary by Ibrahim Snoopy, tracks the journey of the MTC martial arts team, which decides after a civil revolution that occurred in Sudan (2018-2019). Facing of lack of the state support and weak financial means, ambitious athletes found themselves forced to travel by land from Sudan to Kenya through Ethiopia to participate in an international championship "LionHeart 2019 Nairobi Open" in Nairobi, Kenya. A journey filled with determination, resilience, hope, and full of difficulties and challenges in order to raise the name of Sudan high in international sports forums and to solidify the art of Jiu-Jitsu in Africa.
Kongo lives in Brussels, in the « Matongé » district on which he is writing a book. His editor wants a kind of traveller's book spiced with ethnic ingredients. However, the writer is inspired by the vision of the complex and tormented souls that he meets anywhere, night and day. Kongo Congo follows invisible threads connected to Congolese history and its ghosts. How is it possible to hold on in this chaotic history? By having «juju», selfconfidence, and Beatrice's love.
Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions, is an adaptation of Shakespeare's timeless and universal tale Macbeth. Rendered in black and white, the film picks up after a failed conspiracy against the crown, when King Pazouknaam names his cousin Katanga as head of the armed forces. Pushed by his ambitious wife, Katanga kills the king and takes the throne—and then there is no deed too low to keep his power.
Simon visits his grandmother, who is living with Alzheimer's, at her nursing home. When he plays her an audio cassette he found, memories of her past in the West Indies resurface—taking her back to the night when her lover had to tell her he was being forced to leave for the Algerian war.
Forced to flee Sudan for East Africa following the outbreak of war, five citizens of Khartoum — a civil servant, a tea lady, a resistance committee volunteer and two young bottle collectors, re-enact their stories of survival and freedom through dreams, revolution, and civil war.
Tasked with what appears to be a simple abduction for hire, two hapless kidnappers find out that it's anything but and end up in the middle of a political conspiracy.
Director and co-writer Bruno Mourral's explosive debut feature is a darkly funny but deadly serious political thriller set in one of the kidnapping capitals of the world. Kidnapping Inc. follows desperate criminals Doc (Jasmuel Andri) and Zoe (Rolaphton Mercure) on an irreverent, high-speed misadventure through the mean streets of Port-au-Prince, finding danger and intrigue at every hairpin turn. The film's outrageous slapstick violence and furious pace are fueled by a deeper outrage at the widespread corruption, class inequality, and insecurity in Haitian society. Unlike his bumbling protagonists, Mourral takes no prisoners, populating this vivid, vulgar landscape with a motley assortment of crooked cops, scheming politicians, and freelance assassins. Anchored by Andri and Mercure, who bring warmth and charisma to their roles as would-be mercenaries, Kidnapping Inc. is also an affectionate buddy comedy that finds moments of grace and humanity amid the flying bullets.—MC
After five hundred years of Portuguese colonial rule, Mozambique was one of the last African countries to gain independence. President Samora Machel's first cultural act was to establish the National Institute of Cinema, which produced weekly newsreels—Kuxa Kanema—for and about the people. Mobile cinema units reminiscent of Aleksandr Medvedkin's cine-trains, traveled around the country to engage people with what it means to be free in an independent nation. When filmmaker Margarida Cardoso visited the institute, it was already in ruins, but she discovered newsreel footage in an abandoned building. Interviews with filmmakers who were involved with the institute—including Licínio Azevedo, Jose Cardoso, and Ruy Guerra—and sequences from the newsreels bear witness to the birth of Mozambique's cinema in concert with the birth of the nation.
Wildres Wood, an Indigenous biologist, explores the mysterious Río Plátano. – Anita Raswant
A poetic journey of rediscovery that routes us through shifting landscapes and waterways is guided by narrative reflections of a seeker who is mystically guided by Oshun, the venerated orisha of water and destiny.
In January 2017, a video of a young Gambian man drowning in Venice's Grand Canal went viral. From the shore, onlookers shouted insults instead of offering help. He was 22 years old. His name was Pateh Sabally. Now, 2,500 miles away, the people who knew and loved him share the story behind the footage—the life, dreams, and heartbreak that led to that tragic moment.
It's a hot day, as is often the case in Ouagadougou. It's also a very special day for this group of women. A long-awaited getaway, a moment of discovery and a break from the hustle and bustle of the world and their lives.
This biography tells the story of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, a Puerto Rican of African descent who dedicated his life to studying African history and collecting Black-related materials from the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa. His collection forms the core of the collection found today at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research center of the New York Public Library.
An unnamed narrator uses found footage from his childhood in an attempt to paint a portrait of his father and their painful relationship.
A father tells his son a story from his past, where he ventures through various African countries, with unexpected encounters, to the heart of the Congo jungle in a Mercedes Benz.
WESHHH.The Collective's Film Debut, "Making Manifest: A WESHHHSIDE TALE" is a nod to the group's origin and the importance of community spaces. With a non-linear storytelling style, various cinematic languages are used in this collective-oriented story. Underscoring the group's individuality in tandem with its cohesion, all group members shine in their own right - individually and collectively.
Malcolm X: Struggle for Freedom was praised by directors like Chris Marker and Joris Ivens for its up-close portrayal of the radical civil rights leader, directed by Jamaican-American filmmaker Lebert Bethune.
Based on the harrowing prison memoir by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, "The Man Died" is a powerful tale of resistance, courage, and the unyielding human spirit. Set against the backdrop of Nigeria's civil war, the film chronicles Soyinka's imprisonment without trial by a brutal military regime determined to silence his voice. Through solitary confinement, torture, and deprivation, Soyinka's resolve to fight against tyranny and injustice only grows stronger. Interwoven with flashbacks to his earlier life as a writer and activist, the film reveals the profound inner strength and unbreakable spirit that drive Soyinka's resistance. As he documents his experiences on scraps of paper smuggled out of his cell, his writings become a beacon of hope and a call to action for others living under oppression. "The Man Died" is not just a personal story but a universal testament to the enduring power of truth and the necessity of standing up against tyranny. It is a poignant reminder that in the face of oppression, silence is not an option, and the human spirit can never truly be extinguished.
For the past 50 years, a man has been planting baobab trees every year in his village located in western Burkina Faso. At the age of 80 today, he has planted over 3,000 baobab trees that stretch as far as the eye can see. El Hadj Salifou Ouédraogo has spent 2/3 of his life planting baobabs. It's been a struggle and, above all, a life dedicated to ensuring the existence of these trees despite prevailing prejudices. El Hadj Salifou Ouédraogo was misunderstood by the inhabitants of his village when he started planting these majestic and millennia-old trees, which are rare and endangered in the African savannah.
Filmed by Mohamed Challouf in 2022, this conversation between director Jean-Pierre Dikongué Pipa and cinema critic and filmmaker Férid Boughedir was made to accompany a Criterion Collection restoration of Pipa's celebrated 1975 feature, Muna Moto.
Visual Memory of a joyful and bygone era, Maurice Bidilou Pellosh (1951-2023), photographer - portraitist, in Pointe-Noire (Congo Brazzaville), is looking for his former clients. Focus on youth, that of lovers, sappers and dancers, in love with freedom in this bubbling period of acquired independence. Studio Pellosh, an unmissable place, has seen the entire Pontenegrine society parade for 4 decades and offers an exceptional heritage.
On April 24th, 2002 Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine's car broke down in the small town of Mbirizi, Uganda. While waiting for the car's repair he stumbled upon a small photo studio and met photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo, whose work spanned from the late 1950's up till 2006 when he passed away. This chance encounter turned into a 22 year journey documenting and exploring Kibaate's life and photography and the profound impact it had on Ntare's life and the lives of the entire community he documented.
Filmmaker and writer Milisuthando Bongela was born in Transkei, which was then an "independent" Black republic in South Africa. At the time, she didn't realize that the territory's freedom was embedded in apartheid—beyond its borders, inhabitants had to deal with harsh discrimination and inequality.
In this personal and poetic documentary, Bongela explores the different worlds in which she grew up: her childhood in the former Transkei, the small coastal city of East-London in the 1990s and post-apartheid Johannesburg. At the same time, she recounts the history of her native country during and after apartheid.
Intense music and Bongela's voice accompany the extraordinary archive footage, as she reflects on complex issues of power, fear, intimacy, friendship and love, and her relationship with her white friends, who struggle with intergenerational guilt. We also see friends, family and historical figures. Together they highlight the subtler sides of racism. Milisuthando is both an honest and poignant self-portrait, and a portrayal of a torn country.
Mueda was a massacre. The name is that of the village in Northern Mozambique where in 1960 it took place. The Portuguese colonial regime did the killing. In independent Mozambique, those inhabitants of Mueda who survived regularly re-enact the massacre in situ. They themselves play the roles of victims, assassins, and spectators. Ruy Guerra, now a Brazilian but born in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo, the capital of Mozambique), filmed this extraordinary creation of liberated popular culture, intercutting it with first-hand interviews on the massacre. The mix is compelling, and the grave yet joyous spectacle unique.
David-Pierre Fila's documentary on Mwezé Ngangura—the visionary Congolese director of Kin Kiesse; Life Is Beautiful; Changa Changa; The King, the Cow and the Banana Tree; Pieces d'identités; and The Governor's New Clothes—unfolds as a meditation on history, politics, cinema, image, and time. Shot in Kinshasa, Ouagadougou, and Brussels, it is not a biography but an introspective exploration of Mweze's life today in Belgium, where he has settled with his family. What emerges is a self-portrait conceived by Mweze himself, a collage of images layered with sound impressions. From the very first frames, the film presents itself with an understated elegance and subtle charms, its subject less concerned with intellectual discourse and more with stirring the heart.
Nawi is a Kenyan film that explores the intricate themes of love, identity, and cultural heritage, set against the vibrant backdrop of modern-day Kenya. The narrative centers on a young woman who is caught between the traditions of her upbringing and the pressures of contemporary life. As she confronts the weight of familial expectations and the pull of her own dreams, she embarks on a transformative journey of self-discovery.
Ndar, the original name of Saint-Louis, an island located at the mouth of the Senegal River, was the port of colonial penetration in West Africa four centuries ago. An economic, cultural and political crossroads, it served as a model for the "civilizing mission". Trade, urban planning, education and crossbreeding were the instruments to assimilate populations, establish themselves in the country and exploit the wealth. If some cannot deny history and keep intact their Saint-Louisian art of living, others on the contrary want to put an end to the colonial legacy. For some young people today, it is time to think about history differently. However, all have managed to preserve their keen sense of living well together. Saint Louisians and historians tell a rich and complex saga of Waalo.
Inadelso Cossa visits his grandparents' village in Mozambique, where he grew up during the civil war. Back then, his grandmother kept the war out of sight for him. Now the film shines a careful light into the darkness of the past.
In a diligent attempt, Thomas seeks to find a final resting place for his only child, but he is surprised that today is not the right day to do so.
Nteregu is a visual and sonic journey through the music of Guinea-Bissau. From the rhythms of the Tina (traditional Guinean drum) and the communal spirit of the "mandjuandadi," to the "tabancas" of the "griots" and the dance floors of Europe, the film traces the evolution of Guinean music across centuries. Featuring ancestral instruments and rare testimonies, it shows how music serves as a bridge, passing down values and knowledge between generations. The film also highlights how women, through the Tina, laid the cultural foundation of the nation and helped unify diverse ethnic groups through music.
Nwa is a candid, emotional, coming-of-age film about Frantz, a first-generation Haitian-American boy, torn by the decision to get the haircut he knows his strict immigrant father would approve of, or a trendy cut connecting him to the Black American culture he's warned him not to embrace.
The Ọṣun-Òṣogbo Sacred Grove is a vibrant center of Yorùbá spirituality and creative expression in southwestern Nigeria that welcomes thousands of worshipers and visitors each year. In this documentary, striking cinematography brings you among the shrines and sculptures produced during the New Sacred Art movement of the 1960s that form a living cultural monument. Meet the artists responsible for transferring their traditions to a new generation dedicated to preserving the site's artistic heritage.
Paulin Soumanou Vieyra captures Ousmane Sembène, one of the greatest African filmmakers, during the filming of Ceddo. The Making of Ceddo was completed after four years of production, while Ceddo itself was censored by the Senegalese authorities under the Senghor regime until 1983.
Compromised by a corporate scandal, will he jump over the edge or can he find redemption? Folarin is a Lagos based investment banker with something to hide. Plagued by an alcohol problem and intermittent panic attacks, his life is turned upside down when his ethics are compromised over a controversial rail construction project. As his relationship with his glamourous society wife Jumoke unravels he finds himself sinking deeper into an illegal high stakes business deal. When his actions lead to the death of a colleague in an environment where corruption is the name of the game, he is plunged further into crisis facing pressure on all fronts. Narrated with suspense and intrigue, Over the Bridge is a rare treat from Nigeria, depicting the west African metropolis, Lagos as never seen before on the big screen.
In a world of endless victories on the track, Pa'Lante tells the story of Afro - Latina twin siblings who dominate every race except the most elusive one: navigating the complexities of being human.
"In 1974," the filmmaker recalls, "My 20-year-old parents and uncle Andy built their own canoes, launched them into the Pacific, and became some the first people in modern history to canoe from Washington to Alaska up the Inside Passage." He continues, "My brother and I grew up paddling those wooden canoes in the Virginia rives and the 1974 adventure became legend in our family — shaping who we've become, how we view our parents, and how our parents view themselves. In the summer of 2017, we renovated those canoes and with our aging parents completed their 1974 journey. The Passage is a story about the dreams of aging brothers, fathers and sons, and the wild places that define us."
In the near future, humanity—obsessed with saving water while destroying its own planet—faces a devastating environmental crisis. Humans begin to explore space in search of water, and in their absence, the Earth regenerates itself.
Price of a Dream is a poetic and deeply personal short documentary that examines the sacrifices and emotional cost of migration through the story of two Senegalese emigrants who tragically lost their lives while pursuing the American Dream. Told through the lens of the filmmaker's brother, the film combines reflective imagery, heartfelt voicemails, and interviews with key voices, including an immigration lawyer, the president of the Senegalese Association, and a journalist. Together, these perspectives explore the harsh realities of leaving home, navigating a complex system, and enduring the pain of separation. The documentary raises profound questions about the price of ambition, the meaning of family, and the lasting impact of dreams left unfulfilled.
In Marseille, a city of rich cultural diversity that still carries the deep scars of segregation, three childhood friends reunite after years apart, but what begins as a joyful gathering takes a tragic turn due to racial profiling.
Providence Island holds a significant place in the histories of the United States and Liberia. This small island is the site of connection between the island's original residents and formerly enslaved and freeborn American settlers who first arrived in 1822. In this documentary, experts explain how social tensions dating to that beginning led to a devastating civil war in more recent history and neglect of this important cultural heritage site. The film centers insightful personal narratives and highlights the efforts currently underway to preserve Providence Island as an urban park, and how the site promises to play a role in furthering national reconciliation.
When the leader of a secessionist group in south-eastern Nigeria is jailed, his loyalists mandate a compulsory "sit-at-home' on Mondays in protest. Siblings Kamnonu and Ogbonna face danger when they defy the Monday restrictions.
Rachid, a 21-year-old young man of Moroccan descent, has one goal: to find a job. He confidently applies to be a dishwasher in a restaurant, which to him seems like a job anyone can do. But it soon turns out that it's not as simple as he imagined.
In a city clinging to tradition, a young dreamer named Azlan dares to break free from the rigid expectations of his older brother and a life devoid of joy. But when a woman from across the ocean awakens his sense of wonder, Azlan must choose between the safety of home and the uncertain call of destiny.
Darkness falls over Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and its 17 million inhabitants. It is just before Christmas and people are struggling to gain access to electric light. Kudi is mobilising the residents of his Kisenso neighbourhood to collect money for a new power cable. On Mount Mangengenge, a holy place overlooking the city, Pastor Gédéon delivers a sermon about the light of Christ as the path to life and truth. Davido is searching for a place to stay after his house was flooded by the Congo River. Together with other young men, he kills time by working out and dreams of a better future.
Tongo Saa is a sensitive portrait of the residents of Kinshasa as they face the challenges of life in an environment plagued by violence and coloured by the uncertainty of tomorrow.
Carved directly from volcanic rock, the eleven wondrous churches of Lalibela are monumental expressions of devotion and symbols of Ethiopia's spiritual heartland. Visually captivating and rich with personal insights from priests entrusted with care of the churches, this documentary reveals how these sanctuaries—both magnificent and fragile—face the constant threat of erosion. Meet the dedicated guardians balancing conservation and sacred duty, ensuring that Lalibela's living pilgrimage tradition thrives for generations to come.
High in Ethiopia's Northern Highlands, the rock-hewn churches of Tigray stand as breathtaking sanctuaries of faith carved into sandstone cliffs. For centuries, some 120 such structures, along with the paintings and artifacts preserved within their walls, were protected by their remote locations. However, during the 2020—22 war in Tigray, some churches were targeted, and the use of heavy weapons resulted in vibrations that caused cracks in the stone. Through evocative imagery and intimate testimonies, this documentary explores the endurance of these remarkable sites of devotion, as local priests reflect on the spiritual and cultural legacies at risk.
In a conservative neighborhood in Cairo, The life of Mona -a single mother with hypersexuality- is turned upside down after her brother threatens to accuse her of adultery If she refuses to forfeit her ownership of their deceased father's house.
Set atop Madagascar's Central Highlands, the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga has long stood as a sacred fortress for the Merina monarchy and a sanctuary revered by generations. Blending stunning cinematography with thoughtful local reflections, this documentary immerses viewers in a living landscape that continues to resonate with contemporary Malagasy who visit seeking blessings, protection, and renewal from royal ancestors. Narratives from Malagasy historians illuminate how Ambohimanga's legacy endures, shaping contemporary identities and serving as a powerful connection between past and present.
It's the 2012 London Olympics and the whole world is going crazy for the fastest man on the planet: Usain Bolt. Everyone apart from Alvin, an awkward 14 year-old who hates sports and constantly disappoints his Jamaican father, Lester, an ex-athlete who can't understand why his son is "so soft". So when Alvin is unexpectedly nominated to represent his class in the upcoming school sports day, it could be his last chance to make his dad proud and prove that he can be just like Bolt.
Bayo, 70, and his son Franck in Yaoundé navigate Bayo's increasing memory loss. Franck hires Rachel, a student facing health issues, to help. Despite initial challenges, Rachel forms a special bond with Bayo. As they navigate Bayo's condition, Franck comes to terms with the diagnosis, and Rachel finds support in their bond.
A beauty salon in Khartoum hides a secret and doubles as a space for women escaping violence.
After surviving multiple attempts on his life in a dangerous village, 13-year-old Mmusi sets out to find his father in the township but is taken in by a strict Jehovah's Witness. Homeless and judged by society, he struggles to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world. On his journey to reunite with his mother in Johannesburg, Mmusi faces discrimination but discovers hope and strength through unexpected friendships. Just as his life begins to improve, he receives a scholarship to go to the United States, but without a fixed address, his future remains uncertain.
To stay with her daughter and her husband, a young Malian woman living in France in the 1980s has to abide by one condition.
Sirius, a lone star in the form of a dark-skinned man, has collapsed to earth. What little space he found on his host planet, he works to provide food and shelter for him and his wife, Angèle. One winter's day, the firmament calls him back, Sirius takes the long way leaving his wife behind. Their journey tells of the fertility of this sojourn for Sirius. The story that's often overlooked, that of how the earth fed the sky.
When an asexual double dutcher's religious father forces her to get married, she enlists her friends and fiancé to stop the wedding and free her older sister whose soul is trapped on their father's land.
An unmarked grave, a dilapidated cinema on the premises of a government ministry: this is what remains of Sita Bella's passage on earth. And yet she was the first woman journalist, the first airline pilot, one of Africa's first filmmakers, whose film 'Tam Tam à Paris' was shown at the first edition of FESPACO in 1969.
Ramatoulaye is the mother of seven children and the headmistress of a primary school in Dakar. She has been married to Modou for 30 years and is shocked when he decides to take a second wife – 20-year-old Binetou. A merciless battle between tradition and modernity ensues, opposing very different views of women's roles in contemporary African society.
In 1960, United Nations: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe denouncing America's color bar, while the U.S. dispatches jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to the Congo to deflect attention from its first African post-colonial coup.
Director Johan Grimonprez (Double Take, 2009) returns to Sundance with this magnificent essay film that vibrantly embodies the historic and continually evolving colonial machinations that underpin what author and Congolese writer In Koli Jean Bofane refers to as an ever-evolving "algorithm of Congo Inc."
Speakn' Trane is a visual conversation exploring the revolutionary spirit behind John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme." Through themes of meditation, nature, and Black musical cosmologies, the film honors Coltrane's spiritual journey and his deep connection to Philadelphia—returning home to reclaim lost parts of himself, in the spirit of Sankofa.
The Taste of Palm Wine follows Ariane, the wealthiest woman in France, who escapes her gilded prison after being locked away by her family for lavishing gifts on a young lover. Fleeing with her longtime chauffeur, Aristide, a quiet and observant African man, the two embark on a meandering journey through Paris. For the first time, Ariane begins to see Aristide—not just as a driver, but as a man with a rich history, culture, and voice. Through his stories, flavors, and memories, Africa gently reveals itself as an unexpected path to freedom and healing. What begins as an escape becomes a surreal odyssey toward reconnection, dignity, and unlikely friendship.
Inspired by childhood experiences of women-only ceremonies and family Polaroids from the 1950s to the 1970s, Temple Road recreates the spiritual and ritualistic preparation of a woman. Weaving a dreamlike narrative, it blends rituals from Kenyan Indian heritage with diverse Kenyan cultures, reflected in a multicultural cast and interwoven ceremonies. Emphasizing the reverence women deserve as the pillars of society, the film is both a tribute to the past and a call to recognise women as bearers of culture, tradition, and life amidst rising violence against women in Kenya.
30 years after the genocide that tore apart their mothers' worlds, a group of young Rwandans confront the family secrets and the wounds their generation is carrying. They are led by therapist Emilienne, to break cycles of intergenerational trauma together.
Khalilou has been fighting toxic beauty standards ever since his mother developed skin cancer from using bleaching products. Dressed as Leila, he enters the "Miss Students" pageant, where light skin reigns supreme, to give darker-skinned girls a chance to shine.
As she clocks 30, Tina's faced with the sudden pressure to get married. By exploring the stories of three unconventional Nigerian-Canadian women, she decides to tune out the society and traditions that try to dictate what life should look like.
Photographer and visual artist Sammy Baloji's fascinating film essay explores the Democratic Republic of Congo's colonial history and its ecological significance. Drawing on research from the 1930s, the film highlights the Congo Basin's vital role in consuming carbon dioxide and shaping global environmental balance over a century.
Amid the sweeping landscapes of Botswana's Tsodilo Hills, this visually arresting documentary shares one of the world's oldest artistic legacies. Through the insights of experts and the lived experiences of a San guide, the film takes a look at rock paintings that have endured for more than 75,000 years—evoking a deep cultural continuum between past and present. With careful attention to the interplay of art, environment, and meaning, the film offers a rich meditation on heritage, resilience, and the stewardship of an ancient site shaped by millennia of human expression.
Underground Railroad Ride follows John "Bobby" Shackelford and his team on an 1,100-mile cycling journey through the American South. What begins as a physical challenge becomes a test of grit, resilience, and self-discovery. Facing extreme weather, mechanical failures, and racial realities, they find strength in each other. This gripping documentary explores endurance, freedom, and the power of reclaiming space.
In Sierra Leone, best friends Aya and Boi decide to marry each other in an attempt to escape society's pressures to conform.
'When I Say Africa' unpacks the myths of the white savior complex. African storytellers, changemakers and thinkers talk back to Western volunteers and journalists, exposing the power dynamics behind these portrayals. Sparked by a filmmaker's reckoning with her role in perpetuating Western stereotypes about Africa, 'When I Say Africa' challenges viewers to confront the true cost of these misrepresentations, while showing how new generations are engaging with each other in more meaningful ways.
In a fictional situation, three artist friends debate how to spend one of their few remaining Saturday nights in New York. Interpreted by artist and documentary filmmaker Maliyamungu Gift Muhande, artist and researcher Akeema-Zane, and Christian Nyampeta, their dialogue is centered around life's little annoyances in the face of a world ablaze with unjust wars and cruel exterminations. Through improvisation and collaboration with theater maker and director Adrian Alea, their conversation draws from the works and ideas of Black and African writers and film makers who reflected on exile, social life, and urgent cultural action in the society of their time.
While Sherif, a 14-year-old Senegalese adolescent student in the U.S., watches international cinema, George, his 11-year-old American host, disrupts his bouts of escapism. Both characters have an issue: Sherif misses home and George has nothing to do. They solve this problem by watching movies together, but George can't keep quiet.
An undocumented Fulani delivery man in Paris faces the dangers of urban nightlife while trying to support his family in Senegal. Entangled in a smuggling ring, he must make tough choices to secure their future. Among indifferent customers and struggling workers, he forms an unexpected bond with a lonely elderly Parisian, whose friendship offers him a rare connection, reshaping his perspective on belonging.
A folklore love story about a Nguni goddess who must find and convince her former mortal lover to return to the eternal world with her, before she destroys the earth.
Centering around Yoruba cosmology, specifically the symbol of the Yowa cross, this personally imagined folk-lore follows two sisters, Jupiter and Saturn, as they travel to a hidden ancestral world and free their mothers spirit.
While Dad is distracted at the window, Mom tries to put her baby to sleep. She decides to take the opportunity to make her baby say their first word, so when Dad hears Mom, he joins them. A competition then arises between the two parents to make their baby say their first word.
December 1976, a three-day revolt erupts in the small town of Majunga, Madagascar. Ali (Soeuf Elbadawi), a widower, is caught in an abrupt and violent turmoil between communities. His first and only preoccupation is how to protect his young daughters.
With the close collaboration of non-professional Comorian and Malagasy actors from Majunga, Hachimiya Ahamada invites us to bear witness to an untold and disquieting conflict that left an indelible mark on the inhabitants of Majunga.