by WILFRED OKICHE
It has been quite the solid start to the cinematic year with African films making strong showings at the world’s most prestigious film festivals.
From Sundance to Berlin, Cannes to Fespaco, African films have received critical acclaim and buzzworthy prizes. The Africa Report takes a survey of the year in film so far, across the theatrical and streaming landscapes and presents 10 of the strongest titles to emerge, plus where to stream them.
African Folktales Reimagined (Kenya/Mauritania/Nigeria/South Africa/Tanzania/Uganda)
In partnership with UNESCO, streaming giant Netflix selected young filmmakers from six different African countries for this anthology series of short films taking multiple spins on folktales common to their respective communities.
The filmmakers were mentored and handed decent budgetary provisions to execute their projects in their local languages. The six interesting shorts make a case for preserving oral traditions through the visual medium.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Banel & Adama (Senegal/Mali/ France)
Senegalese-French auteur, Ramata-Toulaye Sy was the sole debutante feature filmmaker to be named in a main competition stacked with heavyweights at the Cannes film festival this year.
Sy’s feature debut Banel & Adama is an assured and often troubling love story — think Romeo and Juliet in a rustic Senegalese village — suffused with gorgeous imagery as well as commentary on community, tradition and the climate crisis.
The Africa Report for more