Press Release: Berlinale 10 February – 20 February 2011

Berlin, 9 February 2010. With the Berlinale just one day away the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Germany would like to point out this year’s South African contribution to the film festival in Berlin.

“Mama Africa”, a German-South African- Finnish coproduction, is a film about South Africa`s musical legend Miriam Makeba who was affectionately called ‘Mama Africa’. The internationally famous singer was born and raised in Johannesburg and was the first artist from South Africa to popularise African music in the U.S. and around the world. She recorded and toured with many popular artists such as Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon as well as her former husband fellow South African Hugh Masekela. During the apartheid period Makeba travelled and worked in the United States and had her citizenship revoked by the government for testifying before the United Nations against apartheid. She returned to South Africa after Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and he persuaded her to come back to her home country. Apart from the many prizes she won for her music she was also awarded with prizes for her social engagement and charitable work. Miriam Makeba died on 10 November 2008 at the age of 76.

The film “Mama Africa” will premiere on 12 February 2011 at 5pm at the International Cinema in Berlin. The director, Mika Kaurismäki and the grandchildren of Miriam Makeba will be in attendance.    

The second contribution from South Africa is “Afravision: History Uncut”, produced by South African, Brian Tilley.

Afravision was a video collective set up to document the struggles that swept South Africa in the 1980s. Most of their images were not seen on television at the time and were distributed within the country through activist youth groups, trade unions and community organisations. Afravision worked closely with underground political organisations. Their archive is the most comprehensive and in-depth video record of the resistance period. History Uncut is a series of 13 episodes. They take footage from the Afravsion archive and show the images as they unfolded for the camera with as little editing or intervention as possible.

Brian Tilley, together with Laurence Dworkin and Mokoenyana Moletse, was a founding member of Afravision. He is currently a producer on the global documentary project WHY POVERTY.

“Afravision: History Uncut” will be shown on 13 February at 5.30pm at Arsenal 2 followed by a talk with Brian Tilley. A second chance to see the films is on 15 February at 6pm also at Arsenal 2 (films only).

The films are divided into two: Crossroads and Mannenberg and were co-curated by Darryl Els und Claus Löser:

Episode 1: Crossroads
In May and June 1986 bands of vigilantes wearing strips of white cloth to identify themselves moved into Crossroads - Cape Town’s oldest informal settlement – attacking residents and burning shacks. Crossroads had for years been a stronghold of the resistance movement. The attacks left 60,000 homeless and 60 dead. It was widely alleged that the men with the white cloths or the ‘witdoeke’ were receiving police support and weapons. Afravision was at Crossroads for two days when comrades aligned to the democratic movement resisted the second major Witdoek attack.

Episode 2: Manenberg
In Cape Town 1989 a defiance campaign had been launched targeting segregated apartheid institutions and protesting against the nationwide state of emergency which amongst other things, banned all photographs or recordings of ‘unrest’ or police action. As this campaign built, the state responded with its usual vehemence. In September of that year, elections for the racially segregated parliaments were scheduled and organizations aligned to the democratic movement called for a stay-away, a boycott of the elections as a protest against the racially exclusive electoral system. Afravision’s cameras were in Mannenberg witnessing what was never shown on television.

The third contribution is a British-South African co-production “Street Kids United” and will run in the category Generation – a special section for children and youth. The director Tim Pritchard and the main cast are expected to be in attendance.  The Chargé a.i. of the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa, Ms Cassandra Mbuyane-Mokone will also be present at the event to meet the cast.

The film “Street Kids United” will run on 17 February 2011 at 3 p.m. at Haus der Kulturen der Welt.

The last contribution from South Africa for this year’s Berlinale is a film called “State of violence”. It is a thriller that looks at violence and how much fear violent crimes cause in South Africa`s population. The director, Khalo Matabane is originally a documentary filmmaker and traces of this influence can be found in his fiction film.

State of Violence can be seen on:
16.2.2011 at 9.30am Cinemaxx 6
16.2.2011 at 7.30pm Cinemaxx 4
17.2. 2011 at 10.30pm Cubix 9
18.2.2011 at 11am CineStar 8
20.02.2011 at 4.30pm CineStar 8

In addition to these valuable contributions, Denis Lillie the CEO/Film Commissioner for the Cape Film Commission based in Cape Town and representing the Western Cape and Cape Town will be at the Berlinale.

For further information please check the website for the Berlinale on www.berlinale.de or contact Sarah Poehlmann at the Communication & Marketing Department at the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Berlin on Poehlmanns(at)dirco.gov.za

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