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10 Important African Films About Gender

10 Important African Films About Gender

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African filmmakers have long tackled difficult issues with their work, such as the effects of colonialism, corruption, slavery and race. The topic is not new, but now more and more filmmakers are choosing to discuss women and gender in their films, evidencing a shift in thinking and priority when it comes to females in African society. Here are 10 important African films about gender.

Sources: Entertainment.NG.MSN.com, SpectraSpeaks.com, Wikipedia.org, IMDB.org, TopTenz.net, Edition.CNN.com, TheGuardian.com

Proyectacine.Wordpress.com
Proyectacine.Wordpress.com

‘Moolaadé’ (2004) directed by Ousmane Sembène

“Moolaadé” deals with the difficult subject of female genital mutilation, which is no surprise coming from Sembène, a director with a reputation for tackling difficult subjects. A group of girls attempt to defy their village custom of undergoing the potentially life-threatening operation, and receive the protection of an ancient magical protection known as “moolaadé” from the film’s heroine, Colle. The story invokes strong female protagonists and discusses the often tense relationship between tradition and progress.

IndieScope.com
IndieScope.com

‘Virgin Margarida’ (2013) directed by Licino Azevedo

Licino Azevedo’s 10th film is set in post-colonial Mozambique, where a young woman is among the prostitutes rounded up by security forces attempting to eliminate all residual aspects of colonialism. The protagonist is actually a virgin, and the film deals with society’s preconceptions of what women should be and the role of women in a post-colonial society.

Blog.IndieFlix.com
Blog.IndieFlix.com

‘Sinking Sands’ (2011) directed by Leila Djansi

Director Leila Djansi tackles domestic violence in her 2011 film, “Sinking Sands,” and delves into a woman’s psyche as she suffers at the hands of her abuser. The acting is top notch, but Djansi’s narrative is the driving force of the film as she follows the story from pain, blame and guilt to forgiveness. It’s a difficult film, but a must-watch.

Agenda.Au-Senegal.com
Agenda.Au-Senegal.com

‘Moi Zaphira’ (2013) directed by Appoline Traoré

“Moi Zaphira” follows a woman and her daughter in Burkina Faso as they buck the traditional norms of their community. Refusing to abide by the harsh traditions, the daughter becomes interested in modeling, and her attempts to pursue outside interests are a constant source of tension between the women and men in her community. Established convention is turned on its head, and “Moi Zaphira” presents a compelling and interesting narrative.

ForrestHillsConnection.com
ForrestHillsConnection.com

‘Ladies’ Turn’ (2012) directed by Hélène Harder

This documentary film follows a group of women in Senegal who start a nonprofit known as Ladies’ Turn, dedicated to getting women involved in football. Though the sport has long been considered one played by primarily males, they attempt to empower women and girls through sport and give them new role models to look up to.

En.Wikipedia.org
En.Wikipedia.org

‘Cairo Station’ (1958) directed by Youssef Chahine

This film, though majority slasher film/murder mystery, takes a look at suppressed sexual desire and the dangerous forms it takes. It looks at the social injustice a disfigured man faces and his fixation on a beautiful woman. “Cairo Station” makes an interesting narrative about gender as well, particularly impressive given the year it was released.

BlackFilm.Tumblr.com
BlackFilm.Tumblr.com

‘Sambizanga’ (1973) directed by Sarah Maldoror

“Sambizanga” is unique for its time in that it follows a female protagonist as she searches for her revolutionary husband, who has been arrested among other Angolan militants. As she goes from prison to prison, searching in vain, the film deals with her loss, incredible aesthetics, and overlying tones of feminism throughout.

JourneyMan.tv
JourneyMan.tv

‘The Witches of Gambaga’ (2010) directed by Yaba Badoe

Another documentary, Yaba Badoe’s film, “The Witches of Gambaga,” follows a group of women in Ghana who have been sent to a “witches” camp in the northern part of the country. Those accused of witchcraft must pay for protection from the head chief, but have begun to form women’s rights groups and work to better their own lives as well as those of Ghanaian women across the country.

LondonFeministFilmFestival.com
LondonFeministFilmFestival.com

‘KungFu Grandma’ (2012) directed by Jeong-One Park 

Given the common violence against elderly women in the Kenyan community of Korogocho, a group takes matters into their own hands and learns self defense to protect themselves and one another. Park’s documentary follows these elderly women as they empower themselves, and deal with the daily violence prevalent in their community. is one of the largest slum neighborhoods of Nairobi, Kenya. Korogocho is home to about 200,000 people living in 1.5-square kilometers.

TeachWithMovies.org
TeachWithMovies.org

‘Sarafina!’ (1992) directed by Darrell Roodt

Though “Sarafina!” is largely a film that tells the story of the Soweto riots, it also shares a feminist narrative of Sarafina’s role as an instigator among her peers, who refuses to accept the status quo. It deals with bucking the traditional female position of domestic servant, addresses racial tensions, and tells an important story juxtaposed with a critical point in South African history.