Directing
In 1997, six African women pledged that in the first year of the new millennium they would tell their stories, stories by African women. They called their series "Mama Africa" and drew their tales from the depths of their hearts. The result is a groundbreaking initiative bringing together the incredibly fresh talents of six female directors from the vast and diverse continent of Africa.
The 1970s in the former Rhodesia, today Zimbabwe: The native people is going against the white suppressors. As the war reaches the most distant villages as well the two friends Florence and Nyasha join the fighters and assume new names: Flame and Liberty. But the war is not as easy as they thought...
The lives of three extraordinary African women from different social levels and origins determined to bring about radical transformations in their day to day realities: Kenyan attorney and reputed lawyer Njoki Ndung'u, Puthi Ragophala the committed school principal of a remote South African village and Zimbabwean housewife-entrepreneur, Amai Rosie.
“Film questions whether the encouragement of very low paid jobs and schemes - both in general and specifically how they function in the area affected by the closure of the Consett steelworks in 1980 - is a sufficiently visionary response to the question of survival in post-industrial Britain. Local people talk about their experiences, an escapologist performs and a drag act sings. Plus drama sequence in which Bill tells Rose that making a fortune is easy.” - BFI.
The port of Maputo in Mozambique is a natural outlet for goods and products from Botswana and Zimbabwe. The railway line that links these countries was built to decrease their reliance on South Africa's transportation system. Though first destroyed by the Rhodesian army and since then under constant attack from the Renamo rebels, attempts are now being made to reconstruct the Limpopo line.
Documentary which looks at the history of the welfare state in Britain, from the point of view of women. Using 1940's newsreels to examine the picture portrayed of women in the welfare state, the reality of the 1980s is discussed by women from Tyneside. The reality of their lives contrasts sharply with the hopes and aspirations of the 40s and 50s, shown through films and songs of the period when the welfare state was first established.
Documentary drama.
The tender love between father and child portrayed through a passionate dance of trust and innocence, set against archive footage of the violence of Zimbabwe today. This is a short plea for peace in Zimbabwe, especially for children.
Several years ago Bawren Tavaziva was an unemployed teenager dancing on the streets of Zimbabwe's townships to earn enough money to eat. Today, his UK-based contemporary dance company, Tavaziva Dance, performs at London's premier dance venues.
