African Film Festival Inc, Doc Watchers', and Maysles Cinema Presents: Creation In Exile

Saturday, May 4th, 1:00pm   

Creation In Exile

Daniela Ricci, 2013, 53 min, France

This documentary follows the personal and artistic paths of five major African filmmakers in exile from Paris to Washington, from Ouagadougou to London, via Uppsala.

Post-Screening Q&A with Director Daniela Ricci.


Sifuna Okwethu: We Want What's Ours

Bernadette Atuahene, 2011, 19min, South Africa

Under Apartheid, the Ndolila family’s ancestral land was stolen. Years later, with their descendents trying to regain ownership of the land, the family is still battling apartheid and its lingering effects. And much to the dismay of the middle-class black mortgage holders who now own their ancestral land, the Ndolilas have built shacks on the disputed property.

Dear Mandela

Dara Kell & Christopher Nizza, 2012, 90 min, South Africa

When the South African government promises to 'eradicate the slums' and begins to evict shack dwellers far outside the city, three friends who live in Durban's vast shantytowns refuse to be moved. Dear Mandela follows their journey from their shacks to the highest court in the land as they invoke Nelson Mandela's example and become leaders in a growing social movement. By turns inspiring, devastating and funny, the film offers a new perspective on the role that young people can play in political change and is a fascinating portrait of South Africa coming of age.




Jeppe On A Friday

Arya Lalloo & Shannon Walsh, 2012, 85 min, Quebec/South Africa

The directors and a team of local filmmakers spent a single day following five distinct characters, creating a portrait of a community pulsing with life. The result is an astonishing work that stands as a fluid exploration of the complex and fascinating spectrum of South African society.

Skype post-screening Q&A with filmmakers.




Saturday, May 4th, 8:00pm   

You Laugh But Its True

David Paul Meyer, 2011, 84 min, US/South Africa

In South Africa’s emerging world of stand-up comedy, comedians of color have only recently started performing on stage. With the opportunity to finally command the attention of a large audience, they go beyond just settling for easy laughs and confront the legacy of apartheid head on in their material. Against the backdrop of this volatile environment, 25-year-old Trevor Noah ambitiously pursues his passion to entertain. Yet his fledgling career as a comedian is largely relegated to headlining at corporate events due to the country’s comedy scene being so small. Determined to pursue his dream of performing all over the world, Trevor decides to produce his first one-man show, despite his lack of experience performing on stage. Based on the size of the proposed venue alone, it will be the most ambitious debut ever attempted by a comedian in South Africa. To prepare for the show, Trevor revisits his past, creating material from memories of growing up in the township under apartheid. As the child of an interracial couple, a union that was illegal in South Africa at the time of his birth, Trevor’s life reveals the story of an outsider who has somehow figured out a way to relate to everyone through his comedy. Despite this progress, the preparation for the show becomes increasingly difficult as Trevor faces a multitude of challenges: an underdeveloped comedy scene, criticism from other comics, strained personal relationships, lingering racial tension, and a shocking family tragedy. They combine to form a crisis that threatens not just the success of the show, but Trevor’s dreams of lifting himself and the South African comedy scene to the global stage.

Post-Screening Skype Q&A with Director David Meyer to follow screening.