Cinema is a Woman* Short Film Program
The short film programme CINEMA IS A WOMAN* presents a curated collection of short films that celebrate different female narratives and perspectives.
BURKINA BABES
Kagho Idhebor
Nigeria 2023, 7 minutes, colour
English
A filmmaker visited Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, and was inspired not only by the aesthetics of the motorbikes and bicycles that give the city a unique cultural beauty, but also discovered through his camera the remarkable independence of women in Burkina Faso.
Kagho Idhebor's journey into the film industry began at the National Film Institute Jos, where he graduated in film production. His career as a cinematographer was born out of his love for photography during his film studies, where his keen interest in the properties of light on subjects and contrast was awakened. His most recent film project King Boy - The Return of the King is currently streaming as a Netflix original series on Netflix.
THE DANCE OF THE CRUTCHES
Yoro Lidel Niang
Senegal 2021, 21 minutes, colour
Wolof with English subtitles
Penda lives in a suburb of Dakar and goes into the city centre every morning to beg, as her mother is dependent on this income. As she has a passion for dance, she joins choreographer Balla's troupe, but finds it difficult to fit in due to her limited mobility. Her mother urges her to quit, forcing Penda to choose between her love of dance and family obligations.
Yoro Lidel Niang, born in Dakar, began his film career in 2017 as an actor in the short film Perception. He made his directorial debut in 2012 with the documentary Vers une societé inclusive. In 2019, he developed his first short film, La danse des bequilles, which was produced by Cinekap in 2020.
THE ENVOY OF GOD
Amina Mamani Abdoulaye
Niger, Burkina Faso, Rwanda 2023, 23 minutes, colour
Haoussa with English subtitles
A female suicide bomber is chosen at random and subjected to funeral rites to carry out the work of God. Fatima, twelve years old, is dropped off at a village market wearing an explosive belt labelled ‘Ten minutes to kill the enemies of God’. For nine minutes, it is an inner journey that takes her from the present to the past. Fatima discovers that this is the market where her mother sells.
Amina Abdoulaye Mamani, Nigerian director and producer at Diam Production in Burkina Faso, made her debut at the African Documentary Film Forum in Niamey. In 2018, she completed her feature film In the Footsteps of Mamani Abdoulaye, which was broadcast on TV5 Monde. Her short fiction film The Envoy of God premiered at Fespaco 2023 and won several awards.
MERMAIDS
Sarah Malléon
Martinique 2024, 15 minutes, colour
French and Martinique Creole with English subtitles
Daniel is a widowed father who lives with his 8-year-old daughter Soraya in the north of Martinique. As a fisherman and restaurateur, he tries to make ends meet in a town hit by a severe economic and social crisis. His everyday life is turned upside down when his daughter decides to summon mermaids with the help of a lambi shell. When the little girl simply wants to make friends, Daniel sees his new obsession as a risk of a dangerous invasion ...
Sarah Malléon graduated from the CEEA in 2015, she writes episodes of several series such as Sam or Mercato, she wins the jury prize Sopadin junior, co-director Doubout. She recently co-wrote the TV film ‘Le Fantôme des Saintes’ for France 3 and is currently working on Black Musketeer, a new Disney+ series, as well as the biopic La Waspe for LincolnTV and developing her first series for Aux Singuliers.
MIRROR MIRROR
Sandulela Asanda
South Africa 2022, 9 minutes, colour
English, isiXhosa with English subtitles
Mirror Mirror is a comedic coming-of-age story set during a video call between adorable 17-year-old Luthando and her best friend Jodie as they try to master the mechanics of self-pleasure and what it means to be a woman.
Sandulela Asanda is a young filmmaker with a background in law and business. She has an Honours degree in Film from the AFDA Film School in Cape Town.
EGUNGUN
Olive Nwosu
United Kingdom 2021, 14 minutes, colour
Yoruba with English subtitles
In search of healing, a young woman returns to Nigeria, the country of her birth. Instead, she discovers a path that leads her into her past and to a new understanding of the people and experiences that shaped her.
Olive Nwosu, born in Lagos, Nigeria, is a BAFTA Pigott 2020 Scholar, Alex Sichel 2020 Fellow at Columbia University School of the Arts and one of four ‘African Promises 2020’ directors selected by the Institut Français.
THE ARCHIVE: QUEER NIGERIANS
Simisolaoluwa Akande
United Kingdom 2024, 22 minutes, colour
English language
Followed by an audience discussion with Simisolaoluwa Akande, moderated by Nadia Denton
After Nigeria's queer history was erased from Nigeria's national narrative, queer Nigerians are coming together in the UK to tell their stories and document their experiences so that they can never be erased again
From Nigeria to England, Simisolaoluwa Akande's fascination with the art of storytelling crossed continents before finding expression in film. Today, she is a multi-award-winning filmmaker whose films take a deeply collaborative and intimate approach to storytelling, giving black stories the space to be told and retold.