May 11, 07:45 PM
Movie Madness
The Kampala International Film Festival offered such a variety of thought-provoking and quality films that we wanted to highlight a few for you. Here’s a list of the ones that were among our favorites:
- Moolaade, a Senegalese film that documents a village’s opposition to female genital mutilation. An empowering film, showing what women can do when they come together for a common cause. I saw this film in Chicago with my good friend, Lesley, back in 2004 when it came out, but watched it again with Mark. We both loved it!
- The Hero, a 2004 Angolan film that tells the story of the struggle for everyday people to overcome the difficult circumstances after Angolan’s 40 year war.
- Refusing to Die, by young filmmaker Murad Rayani, is a 2004 documentary, that highlights the struggle for democracy in Kenya since independence and the fight against continued corruption.
- In a Soldier’s Footsteps, by a Danish filmmaker, made in 2005, depicts the story of Steven Ndugga, a Ugandan refugee in Denmark, who claims to have been a child soldier. Highlights a very disturbing side of the Ugandan government that is important for everyone interested in international human rights to know and consider.
- Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog’s 2005 film about amateur grizzly bear expert, Timothy Treadwell, who lived unarmed among grizzly bears in the state of Alaska, for 13 summers. This is a really disturbing movie, ultimately about a young man who never truly figures out who he is before it is too late.
- GITMO: The New Rules of War is a truly powerful Swedish documentary, made in 2006, that attempts to uncover what is really going on in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A great expose on the United States government; this movie addresses issues that every American should really be aware of and concerned about.
Alert: Crazy Coincidence! While watching the movie, Refusing to Die, among the films in the list above, I noticed a familiar name in the credits. The name was one of Amit Sharma, the cousin of my friend from Chicago, Radhika. Amit took us on our first trip in E. Africa to the Rift Valley when we first arrived in Kenya back in March. When I saw his name in the credits, I poked Mark and said, “Could that be the Amit Sharma? I mean, it was filmed in Kenya.” That would be way too coincidental, we both agreed.
Yet, the next day, when Mark was ordering a beer at the festival, he ran into the filmmaker, Murad, at the counter. Congratulating him on his film, Mark happened to ask him about Amit; could it be the very same person!? The answer was YES! Not only was it the same person, but Amit happens to be one of Murad’s closest friends whom he went to high school and university with. Needless to say, we’re attempting a get together with Murad, Amit, and Amit’s wife when we get to Nairobi next week before we leave the continent. How small can the world possibly be?
Actually, Timothy Treadwell was not exactly a “young man” when he was killed. He was a forty-six year-old man who new very well who he was.
— Luther Hood Jan 19, 05:43 PM #