black.womyn.:conversations is a documentary that explores a range of Black lesbian experiences from activism, racism, gender roles, coming out, marriage, patriarchy.
Excellent
Links: black.womyn.:conversations blog
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Lesbian
Black Women
Goodbye Uncle Tom - One of the most shocking aspects of this unashamedly racist film full of gratuitous violence and frankly disgusting, is that it was made not in the 1930s or 40s but in 1971 by Italian directors, Gualtiero Jacopetti Franco Prosperi. The directors claim the film’s stated aim was to expose the horrors of slavery and racism but it is crude and only succeeds in reinforcing racism and making a mockery of Blackness as the slaves are presented without voice or agency and are completely dehumanized.
This is part one and lasts only 40 minutes. For those living in London the whole film is to be shown on 3/11 followed by a discussion - venue: NFT as part of the London Film Festival.
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Thanks to African Writers for the link to SayItLoud
Sphere: Related ContentMaveric ——– [listen to very cool musik for slow dancin on MP3]
and Aura Msimang ——-[more musik here]
provided the sound track to Joburg Rising
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Maveric
Aura Msimang
Joburg Rising
South Africa
Joburg Rising has been sitting in my head for the past two weeks since the film’s opening on 13th July. The film is special because it was made by my dear sister friend Lindiwe Nkutha (writer, poet, photograher and film maker)
The film is a 48 minute documentary called Jo’burg Rising, and follows three men,a beggar, a vendor and a car guard, as they try to earn a living off of the streets of our beloved Jozi
and because, of my little bit of participation with the making of the film especially exploring the streets of Bree and Jeppe looking for shots, asking for permission to film people and places and watching the clips from the first days shooting before I left.
Some props from Rista of Cool Breeze
The one poem I learnt in high school that continues to echo in my mind is ‘building the nation’ by henry barlow.
It resonated anew at a private viewing of the documentary “Jo’burg Rising” which premieres tomorrow (Friday) at NuMetro in Hyde Park.
Yep, we’re all building the nation, one dream at a time. And props to Sokari who contributed along the arduous path of the documentary conceptualization.
I am only sad that I wasnt able to be there through the whole process and especially for missing the film’s opening.
Wally Serote’s poem “City Johannesburg” on the beauty, vibrancy and horror as he passes through the city that is his but not his, pass in hand.
This way I salute you:
My hand pulses to my back trousers pocket
Or into my inner jacket pocket
For my pass, my life,
Jo’burg City.
My hand like a starved snake rears my pockets
For my thin, ever lean wallet,
While my stomach groans a friendly smile to hunger,
Jo’burg City.
My stomach also devours coppers and papers
Don’t you know?
Jo’burg City, I salute you;
When I run out, or roar in a bus to you,
I leave behind me, my love,
My comic houses and people, my dongas and my ever whirling dust,
My death
That’s so related to me as a wink to the eye.
Jo’burg City
I travel on your black and white and roboted roads
Through your thick iron breath that you inhale
At six in the morning and exhale from five noon.
Jo’burg City
That is the time when I come to you,
When your neon flowers flaunt from your electrical wind,
That is the time when I leave you,
When your neon flowers flaunt their way through the falling darkness
On your cement trees.
And as I go back, to my love,
My dongas, my dust, my people, my death,
Where death lurks in the dark like a blade in the flesh,
I can feel your roots, anchoring your might, my feebleness
In my flesh, in my mind, in my blood, And everything about you says it,
That, that is all you need of me.
Jo’burg City, Johannesburg,
Listen when I tell you,
There is no fun, nothing, in it,
When you leave the women and men with such frozen expressions,
Expressions that have tears like furrows of soil erosion,
Jo’burg City, you are dry like death,
Jo’burg City, Johannesburg, Jo’burg City.
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Lindiwe Nkutha
Joburg Rising
African Film
Johannesburg + South Africa
Watching this film I began to see some similarities between Haiti and Palestine. The fact that a democratically elected government has been subverted by the US and it’s allies because the winners were not acceptable as leaders. In Palestine it was Hamas and in Haiti it was Aristide - both winning with huge majorities - Aristide at 92%. The film covers the period 1990 to 2006 - the election of Aristide the US back coup of 1991, Aristides re-election up to the forced removal of Aristide following an intense campaign by the US, Canada and France of disinformation and destabilisation by stopping loans to Haiti and using thugs to terrorize the people. Once Aristide was literally forced out by the US marines, UN troops [MINUSTAH] were sent in following a UN resolution that the film implies was decided well before Aristide’s forced removal. The film reveals how the UN (with the backing of the US, Canada and France) and the Haitian police systematically rounded up members of the Lavalas (Arstide supporters) murdered and imprisoned them. Thousands of ordinary poor citizens were killed by the UN forces (led by Brazil and including Jordan) in a period of 22 months alone. The film directed by Kevin Pina is a powerful documentation of UN abuses in Haiti shown through the eyes of the Haitian people who despite the brutality and atmosphere of fear continued to protest against the unelected government and demand the return of the Aristide.
I caught the tail end of the Zimbabwean debate and again very rushed notes. The debate was very polarised between those that supported Muagabe and felt he was essentially a victim of Western lies and disinformation because of his land policy and Western neo-liberalism policies. On the other side were those who felt very strongly that we as Africans must condemn not just Mugabe but other African leaders who are denying their citizens democracy and justice. We Africans need to care more about democracy and freedom.
Instead of speaking about socialism or any other ideology there needs to be more focus on democracy, freedom, accountability. We need to be more critical of our own governments and civil society / social movements must become more vocal at challenging the present status quo. This is especially in the case of the African Union which is at the early stages of discussing how to implement a United States of Africa. Whose US of Africa is it to be - civil society needs to get in there now and campaign for transformational change which is citizen centered and underpinned by human rights. Otherwise the AU and the US of Africa will be a mirror image of the US neo-liberal and neo-conservatism. One person stood up at the end of the session and said that we need to wake up. That if she had believed the US on Cuba or Venezuela etc she would have been wrong and that we need to stop believing US propaganda about Zimbabwe. The response to that is was we don’t need to listen to the US just listen to the voices of Zimbabweans. What do they have to say!
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