AFRICAN JUBILEE FILM FESTIVAL: ‘From a Whisper’
Fifty years ago, 17 African countries won their independence from European colonial rule. Ever since that time, 1960 has been known as the Year of African Independence. With political independence came new struggles, like the struggles for economic justice, gender justice, cultural renewal and peace. African filmmakers and the African film industry have played a key role in representing these struggles, as well as comedy, romance and Afro-futurism.
The African Jubilee Film Festival, curated by Lynette Jackson and Floyd Webb, and co-sponsored by Portoluz, The DuSable Museum of African American History, the African American Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies departments at UIC and The Public Square, will mark this important milestone with films by African filmmakers, from founding fathers like Ousmane Sembene and Djibril Mambety of Senegal, to rising young women filmmakers like Jihan El Tahri and Wanuri Kahiu of Egypt and Kenya respectively. The African Jubilee Film Festival will hold film screenings and discussions on select Sundays, between June 27 to December 5, 2010.
July 18 – From a Whisper
Director: Wanuri Kahiu
Country: Kenya
This film by celebrated, young Kenya filmmaker, Wanuri Kahiu, is an award winning drama about the real life events surrounding the twin terrorist bombings of the US Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on August 7, 1998.
Kibera Kid
Director: Nathan Collette
Country: Kenya
This film is about an orphaned street boy named Otieno who lives in Kibera, one of the world’s largest slums, located just outside of Nairobi. Otieno lives a life of crime with a notorious gang until, one day he is forced to make a crucial choice.
Discussant: Evan Maina Mwangi, Northwestern University.