{"id":11905,"date":"2021-05-20T14:36:56","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T12:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=11905"},"modified":"2021-05-20T14:36:58","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T12:36:58","slug":"celebrate-africa-day-by-exploring-the-continents-rich-film-history-on-showmax","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2021\/05\/20\/celebrate-africa-day-by-exploring-the-continents-rich-film-history-on-showmax\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate Africa Day By Exploring The Continent&#8217;s Rich Film History On Showmax"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Showmax_black.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Showmax_black.jpg?w=750\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3061\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, and it\u2019s coming up this Tuesday, 25 May 2021. While pan-African travel remains a distant dream for now, it\u2019s never been easier to explore our beautiful continent, thanks to Showmax\u2019s catalogue of record-breaking and award-winning local content. There\u2019s no single story that captures the diversity and wonder of Africa, but whatever you\u2019re in the mood for, Showmax has a movie or a show for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NOUGHTS&nbsp;+&nbsp;CROSSES&nbsp;S1&nbsp;<\/strong>| Alternative history series&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Noughts&nbsp;+&nbsp;Crosses<\/em>&nbsp;was named one of \u201cthe 10 best British TV shows of 2020\u201d by&nbsp;<em>Mashable<\/em>, who called it, \u201ccrucially important&#8230; a kind of drama\/thriller\/romance hybrid, mixing&nbsp;<em>Game of Thrones<\/em>-style political backstabbing with a very human story of discrimination&nbsp;and&nbsp;systemic oppression. The end result? A stunningly-crafted epic that&#8217;s every bit as tense as it is impactful.\u201d<br \/><br \/>South African Masali Baduza (<em>Trackers<\/em>)&nbsp;and&nbsp;BAFTA winner Jack Rowan (<em>Born To Kill, Peaky Blinders<\/em>) play Sephy&nbsp;and&nbsp;Callum, two star-crossed lovers in the tradition of Romeo&nbsp;and&nbsp;Juliet, in an alternate universe where Africa colonised Europe, rather than the other way round.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on Malorie Blackman\u2019s multi-award-winning novel\u00a0and\u00a0shot largely in Cape Town with Film Afrika, the series also stars South African actress Bonnie Mbuli (<em>Invictus, Wallander<\/em>) as Sephy\u2019s mom, Jasmine. Koby Adom &#8211; who is from Ghana, was born in Cote d\u2019Ivoire,\u00a0and\u00a0grew up in London &#8211; is one of the two directors, while\u00a0South African costume designer Dihantus Engelbrecht earned a Costume Design \u2013 Drama nomination from the 2020 Royal Television Society Awards in the UK for his work on the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Noughts &amp; Crosses S1 | Full Trailer | Sci- Fi Series on Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t0B0YUUuzQQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TIME TO CELEBRATE AFRICANS ON A GLOBAL STAGE?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>YVONNE&nbsp;ORJI: MOMMA, I MADE IT!&nbsp;<\/strong>| Nigerian comedy special<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In her first HBO comedy special,&nbsp;Nigeria\u2019s&nbsp;Yvonne&nbsp;Orji, better known as Molly from&nbsp;<em>Insecure<\/em>, has the audience rolling with laughter as she brings her razor-sharp wit and confidence to the stage. Both celebrating and poking fun at her strict, formative Nigerian-American upbringing,&nbsp;Yvonne&nbsp;shares her unique journey from pre-med to comedy, talks about parental pressures to get married, and takes us along to Lagos to meet her family and friends.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Entertainment Weekly\u00a0<\/em>calls\u00a0<em>Momma, I Made It!<\/em>\u00a0\u201can hour of joy\u201d,\u00a0<em>IndieWire<\/em>\u00a0hails it\u00a0as\u00a0\u201ca rip-roaring standup special,\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Fast Company<\/em>\u00a0says it\u2019s \u201cthe laugh the black community needs right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2020, Yvonne also recently earned her first Emmy nomination and her fourth Black Reel nomination in a row as Molly in\u00a0<em>Insecure<\/em>, while <em>Momma, I Made It<\/em> was nominated for a 2021 Image Award for Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Yvonne Orji - Momma I Made It | Comedy on Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/38bsAKB3jR0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BEEN SLEEPING ON AFRICA\u2019S NEXT SUPERSTAR?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IS\u2019THUNZI&nbsp;<\/strong>| South African teen drama<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africa\u2019s Thuso Mbedu is making headlines globally right now as the star of <em>The Underground Railroad<\/em>, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead\u2019s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins (<em>Moonlight<\/em>, <em>If Beale Street Could Talk<\/em>). Even Oprah is a fan, saying on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CO4Bp2CBKXH\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\">Instagram<\/a> that, \u201c@thuso.mbedu gives the performance of a lifetime. Great things are coming for her and everyone will be saying her name after watching her as the superhero that is Cora.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But celebrating Thuso Mbedu is stating the obvious for Mzansi Magic fans, who\u2019ve already seen her earn back-to-back Best Actress nominations at the International Emmy Awards in 2017 and 2018 for her role as Winnie in the isiZulu teen drama <em>Is\u2019thunzi<\/em>. The show also picked up South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) for Best Actress and Actor for Mbedu and S\u2019Dumo Mtshali (<em><u>Isibaya<\/u><\/em>, <em>iNumber Number<\/em>) respectively, not to mention nominations for the all-star cast of Pallance Dladla (<em>DAM<\/em>, <em>Shadow<\/em>), Thulane Shange (<em>Uzalo<\/em>, <em>iNumber Number<\/em>), and Zikhona Bali (<em>DiepCity<\/em>). &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if you\u2019ve been sleeping on Mbedu, rather than wait for her next starring role, opposite Oscar winner Viola Davis (<em>Fences<\/em>, <em>Ma Rainey\u2019s Black Bottom<\/em>) in <em>The Woman King<\/em>, jump into her back catalogue on Showmax, which also includes roles on <em>Isibaya S3 <\/em>and <em>MTV Shuga: Down South S2<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Trailer - 2017 International Emmy Thuso Mbedu in &quot;Is&#039;thunzi&quot;\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DMk2LsCocg4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RAFIKI&nbsp;<\/strong>| Kenyan romance<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wanuri Kahiu\u2019s <em>Rafiki&nbsp;<\/em>was named Outstanding Film &#8211; Limited Release at the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards, which recognise and honour media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives.&nbsp;<em>Rafiki&nbsp;<\/em>beat out the likes of Pedro Almod\u00f3var\u2019s&nbsp;<em>Pain and Glory<\/em>, nominated for both Oscars and Golden Globes; 2020 Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee&nbsp;<em>Portrait of A Lady On Fire<\/em>; Sundance audience award winner&nbsp;<em>Brittany Runs a Marathon;&nbsp;<\/em>and South African favourite&nbsp;<em>Kanarie<\/em><em>,&nbsp;<\/em>starring Schalk Bezuidenhout. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives,&#8221; but Kena (Samantha Mugatsia, who won Best Actress at Carthage 2018 and FESPACO 2019 for the role) and Ziki (Sheila Munyiva) long for something more. When love blossoms between them, the two girls are forced to choose between happiness and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Winner of 17 international awards, the Kenyan romance has a 93% critics rating on\u00a0<em>Rotten Tomatoes<\/em>, with\u00a0<em>Variety<\/em>\u00a0calling it \u201cimpossible not to celebrate\u201d;\u00a0<em>RogerEbert.com<\/em>\u00a0\u201ca lyrical ode to finding a kindred spirit amidst an uncaring majority\u201d;\u00a0<em>AV Club\u00a0<\/em>\u201cbursting with life\u201d; and\u00a0<em>Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0\u201ca small revelation, not least because it marks the breakthrough of a filmmaker of such exhilarating, cheerfully courageous vision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rafiki | Romance | Drama | Trailer | Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kISInuukrGg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>WANT A REMINDER OF THE POWER OF STORY?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LIYANA <\/strong>| Kingdom of Eswatini documentary<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Winner of 35 awards, <em>Liyana<\/em>\u00a0is a genre-defying documentary that tells the story of five children in the Kingdom of Eswatini who, with some guidance from South African storyteller Gcina Mhlope, turn past trauma into an original fable about a girl named\u00a0Liyana, who embarks on a perilous quest to save her young twin brothers. The film weaves\u00a0Liyana\u2019s animated journey together with poetic documentary scenes to create an inspiring tale of perseverance and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Liyana<\/em>&nbsp;is the directorial debut&nbsp;of&nbsp;Swaziland-born and raised Aaron&nbsp;Kopp, with his wife Amanda. Before moving into directing, Aaron&nbsp;shot the Oscar-winning documentary&nbsp;<em>Saving Face<\/em>&nbsp;and the Oscar-nominated&nbsp;<em>The Hunting Ground<\/em>.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/><em>Liyana&nbsp;<\/em>is executive produced by Emmy winner Thandiwe Newton (<em>Westworld<\/em>), produced by Oscar winner Daniel Junge (<em>Saving Face<\/em>), and edited by Davis Coombe (<em>Chasing Coral<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>Chasing Ice<\/em>). Nigerian Shofela Coker created the stunning animated artwork, while South African Philip Miller composed the score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em>\u00a0hailed <em>Liyana <\/em>as \u201cGorgeous. Unlike any documentary you\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d while\u00a0<em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em>\u00a0praised it as \u201cA lyrical work, as bright and captivating as it is poignant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LIYANA TRAILER\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CjT9RtV9gs4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FEEL LIKE A SHARP SATIRE AND FEMINIST ALLEGORY?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I AM NOT A WITCH <\/strong>| Zambian satire&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a minor incident in her village, nine-year-old Shula is exiled to a travelling witch camp where she is told that if she tries to escape she will be transformed into a goat. As she navigates through her new life with her fellow witches and a government official who exploits her innocence for his own gain, she must decide whether to accept her fate or risk the consequences of seeking freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Winner of 15 international awards, including the BAFTA for Best Debut for Zambian-born, Wales-raised director Rungano Nyoni, <em>I Am Not A Witch<\/em> has a 96% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As <em>Variety<\/em> put it, \u201cIt\u2019s rare and exhilarating that a new filmmaker arrives on the scene so sure of herself and so willing to take bold, counter-intuitive chances\u2026 Invigorating, intriguing and provocative.\u201d <em>I Am Not A Witch<\/em> is at #5 on <em>The Guardian<\/em>\u2019s list of <em>The 20 Best African Films, Ranked.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nyoni was inspired by a spate of witch accusations aimed at women, which took place over a particularly dry summer in Zambia, and by her month-long stay at a 200-year-old witch camp in Ghana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"I Am Not a Witch Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Indie\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ag7TDwj-kEI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READY FOR A HOLIDAY IN THE MOUNTAINS?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM <\/strong>| Lesotho-set drama<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atang (Zenzo Ngqobe from <em>The River<\/em>, <em>Tsotsi<\/em>) returns to a mountain village in Lesotho to bury his father. Expecting to return to the city quickly, he instead befriends an orphan herd-boy, is stirred by memories of his youth, and falls for a childhood friend, Dineo (Nozipho Nkelemba).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Forgotten Kingdom <\/em>won 15 international awards, including seven Audience Awards from American festivals, and Best Cinematography, Sound and Child Actor (Lebohang Ntsane) at the Africa Movie Academy Awards, where it earned another six nominations, including Best Film and Best Actor for Nqobe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Guardian<\/em> called <em>The Forgotten Kingdom<\/em> a \u201cpleasingly cinematic mini epic\u2026 combines classic realism with colourful characters, breath-taking vistas and a light dusting of the supernatural\u201d while <em>Radio Times<\/em>, in their four-star review, praised the film as \u201cheartfelt and touching\u2026 so genuine it&#8217;s hard to resist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Forgotten Kingdom | Official Trailer | Showmax\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9kRzGyc4jN8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>GETTING TO KNOW \u2018THE FATHER OF AFRICAN CINEMA\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LA NOIRE DE\u2026 (BLACK GIRL) <\/strong>| Senegalese drama<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ousmane Semb\u00e8ne\u2019s debut 1966 film, <em>La Noire De\u2026<\/em> (<em>Black Girl<\/em>), is the story of a young Senegalese woman who is employed as a governess for a French family in Dakar and moves with them to the Riviera, where her comfortable duties as a nanny in a wealthy household are replaced by the drudgery and indignities of a maid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Black Girl <\/em>won the Tanit d\u2019Or at Carthage in 1966, among other prizes, and was hailed by Oscar winner Martin Scorcese (<em>The Irishman<\/em>) as \u201can astonishing movie.\u201d It\u2019s at #3 on both the Tarifa-Tangiers African Film Festival\u2019s list of the 10 best African films of all time and <em>The Guardian<\/em>\u2019s list of <em>The 20 Best African Films, Ranked.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Black Girl<\/em> has a 97% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with <em>The Village Voice<\/em> saying its \u201cdense with cold fury\u201d and <em>NPR<\/em> adding that the film <em>&#8220;<\/em><em>feels<\/em><em> <\/em>as timely today as it did half a century ago.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Showmax is also home to Semb\u00e8ne\u2019s Cannes winner\u00a0<em>Moolad\u00e9,<\/em> his Venice winner\u00a0<em>Camp De\u00a0Thiaroye<\/em>;\u00a0and his Berlin winner\u00a0<em>Emita\u00ef.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Black Girl - Trailer\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bPx68M_T4u8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FEEL LIKE A CRIME CLASSIC?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CAIRO STATION <\/strong>| Egyptian crime film<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1958 classic <em>Cairo Station, <\/em>Youssef Chahine both directs and stars as Qinawi, a crippled newspaper vendor who falls for a lemonade seller, Hanouma, who is engaged to another station worker, Abu-Serih. As Abu-Serih tries to unionise the station workers, Qinawi\u2019s fixation on Hanouma crosses the line from innocent crush to dangerous obsession.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Cairo Station <\/em>screened in competition at Berlin and was included in <em>The Story of Film<\/em>, the definitive history of cinema, while Chahine went on to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Cannes in 1997.&nbsp;The movie has a 100% critics rating on <em>Rotten Tomatoes. Time Out <\/em>praised it as \u201ca great overlooked masterpiece\u201d, <em>The Guardian <\/em>as \u201cunmissable\u201d, <em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em> as \u201ca jewel of a film\u201d and <em>BBC<\/em> as \u201can excellent thriller, and one that anticipates the serial killer genre that Hitchcock&#8217;s <em>Psycho<\/em> kick-started a few years later\u2026 a cinematic triumph.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s at #4 on both <em>The Guardian<\/em>\u2019s list of <em>The 20 Best African Films, Ranked<\/em> and <em>Taste of Cinema<\/em>\u2019s list of <em>20 Essential African Films You Need To Watch<\/em>. Showmax is also home to Chahine\u2019s<em>Alexandria Why?, <\/em>whichtook home the Special Jury Prize and the C.I.D.A.L.C. Diploma at Berlin in 1979.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Trailer:  Cairo Station (1958)\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bOJpiUZphTE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A TRIP BACK IN TIME?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>YAABA (GRANDMOTHER) <\/strong>| Burkina Faso drama<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Late Burkina Faso filmmaker Idrissa Ouedraogo \u2013 hailed by <em>Variety <\/em>as \u201ca towering figure of African cinema\u201d &#8211; came to international attention in 1989 with <em>Yaaba <\/em>(<em>Grandmother<\/em>), the story of two children who make friends with an old woman who has been outcast as a witch by her village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Cannes that year, <em>Yaaba<\/em> shared the FIPRESCI Critics\u2019 Prize with Steven Soderbergh\u2019s&nbsp;<em>Sex, Lies and Videotape<\/em> and also took a Special Mention from the Ecumenical Jury. <em>Yaaba <\/em>has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with <em>The Los Angeles Times<\/em> saying, \u201c<em>Yaaba\u2019s<\/em> power sneaks up on you\u2026 Flawless\u2026 Told in terms of the greatest elegance and simplicity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Yaaba<\/em> is at #12 on both <em>The Guardian<\/em>\u2019s list of <em>The 20 Best African Films Ranked<\/em> and <em>Taste of Cinema<\/em>\u2019s list of <em>20 Essential African Films You Need To Watch<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Yaaba\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z2swWIqEA3s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A TREASURE TROVE OF AFRICAN CLASSICS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, this one film per country approach is just a sampling, and misses out on Showmax Originals like the record-breaking Nigerian reality show, <em>I Am Laycon,<\/em> and the critically-acclaimed Kenyan crime drama <em>Crime and Justice<\/em>, not to mention classics like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Akin Omotoso\u2019s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/gnDtobo8daU\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Ghost and The House of Truth<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Urbanworld and Best Editing at the 2020 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Set in Makoko, Nigeria, the crime drama stars BAFTA Breakthrough Brit winner Susan Wokoma (<em>Enola Holmes)<\/em> and AMAA Best Actress winner Kate Henshaw (<em>Chief Daddy<\/em>)<\/li><li>Mugambi Nthiga\u2019s drama <em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/By8rzg1NrGo\">Lusala<\/a>, <\/em>winner of the Rimbaud award at the 2020 Les Rimbaud du Cin\u00e9ma, held in France at the oldest active cinema in the world, starring Brian Ogola (<em>Crime and Justice<\/em>, <em>18 Hours<\/em> and <em>Poacher<\/em>) and child star Stycie Waweru (Jo in <em>Supa Modo<\/em>)<\/li><li>Sara de Gouveia\u2019s multi-award-winning <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HRoheAB_LIQ\" target=\"_blank\">The Sound of Masks<\/a><\/em>, set in Mozambique and described by <em>POV<\/em> as \u201ca wicked cool arts doc about the power of dance.\u201d<\/li><li>HBO\u2019s 2019 Emmy-winning documentary, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/0snwQau5Ez4\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Stolen Daughters: Kidnapped By Boko Haram<\/em><\/a>, which follows the story of one freed group of the Chibok Girls, who were kidnapped in Nigeria in 2014 by Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram.<\/li><li>The heart-rending Kenyan superhero film <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sK6JwllJTRY\" target=\"_blank\">Supa Modo<\/a><\/em>, winner of over 50 international awards, including Best European Film For Children at the 2019 European Children&#8217;s Film Association Awards and a Children&#8217;s Jury Special Mention in the Generation 14Plus category at Berlin in 2018<\/li><li>Njue Kevin\u2019s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/DqTAsS-wwFs\" target=\"_blank\"><em>18 Hours<\/em><\/a>, based on the true story of a rookie paramedic and his driver who spent 18 hours fighting to save the life of a road accident victim who was denied admission at multiple hospitals in Nairobi. In 2018,<em> 18 Hours <\/em>became the first Kenyan film to win Best Movie Overall at the Africa Magic Viewers\u2019 Choice Awards.<\/li><li>Mbithi Masya\u2019s <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ORXo9AtKqEk\" target=\"_blank\">Kati Kati<\/a><\/em>, about a young amnesiac who wakes up in the middle of the wilderness with no idea how she got there. The Kenyan film won the the FIPRESCI Critics Prize at Toronto in 2016,\u00a0among other accolades.<\/li><li>Leila Djansi\u2019s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/9AKgApSQohI\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Like Cotton Twines<\/em><\/a>, named Best Film at Savannah Film Festival in 2016, stars four-time Black Reel nominee Jay Ellis (aka Lawrence in <em>Insecure<\/em>) as an American teacher in Ghana trying to save one of his students from religious slavery<\/li><li>The Kenyan crime drama <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jF5HdlI84g8\" target=\"_blank\">Nairobi Half Life<\/a><\/em>, which\u00a0won the Breakthrough Audience Award at AFI in 2012 and four Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards in 2014. Lead actor Joseph Wairimu also picked up Best Actor at Durban and Most Promising Actor at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.<\/li><li>The Ghana-set <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/lnqtk776-the-perfect-picture\" target=\"_blank\">The Perfect Picture<\/a><\/em>, winner of Best Director for Shirley Frimpong-Manso, Best Actress for Jackie Appiah and Best Supporting Actor for Adjetey Anang at the 2010 Africa Movie Academy Awards. Also look out for Frimpong-Manso\u2019 hit new telenovela, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/789aekp8-dede\">Dede<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>FESPACO Grand Prize winners like Mweze\u00a0Ngangura\u2019s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/wyg5lets-pieces-de-identities\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Identity Pieces |\u00a0Pi\u00e8ces\u00a0d&#8217;identit\u00e9s<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em>(DRC, 1999), Gaston Kabore\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/kkp3lpon-buud-yam\"><em>Buud Yam<\/em><\/a> (Burkina Faso, 1997), Roger Gnoan M\u2019Bala\u2019s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/ldurrfwg-au-nom-du-christ\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Au Nom Du Christ<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>(Cote d\u2019Ivoire, 1993) and Kwah Ansah\u2019s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/pp397aj3-heritage-africa\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Heritage Africa <\/em><\/a>(Ghana, 1989)<\/li><li>Dani Kouyat\u00e9\u2019sBurkina Faso-set <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/li2pvwnp-keita\" target=\"_blank\">Ke\u00efta! l&#8217;H\u00e9ritage du griot<\/a>, <\/em>which won a Special Mention and the OCIC Award at Amiens and the Oumarou Ganda Prize at FESPACO 1995<\/li><li>Abderrahmane Sissako\u2019s Mali-set <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Dw9wnztETMo\" target=\"_blank\">La Vie Sur Terre \/ Life on Earth<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>which won 10 international awards, including the Grand Prix at Fribourg 1999, and is ranked joint fifth on the Tarifa-Tangiers African Film Festival\u2019s list of the 10 best African films of all time.<\/li><li>Flora Gomes\u2019 <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zTdKO6cl1lU\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Po Di Sangui \/ Tree of Blood<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>set in a Guinea-Bissau village where the trees planted upon the birth of each child begin falling rapidly and mysteriously. <em>Tree of Blood <\/em>competed for the Palme D\u2019Or at Cannes in 1996 andwon a Silver Tanit at Carthage, among other honours.<\/li><li>Djibril Diop Mamb\u00e9ty&#8217;s 1992 classic <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FqO9FFwIAGA\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Hy\u00e8nes \/ Hyenas<\/em>,<\/a> nominated for the Palme d\u2019Or at Cannes in 1992 and was ranked joint fifth on the Tarifa-Tangiers African Film Festival\u2019s list of the 10 best African films of all time.<\/li><li>Raoul Peck\u2019s\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/mhledner-lumumba-death-of-a-prophet-aka-la-mort-dun-prophete\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Lumumba: Death Of A Prophet,<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em>about the\u00a0assasination\u00a0of the first prime minister of the post-colonial Democratic Republic of Congo. Lumumba won the\u00a0Procirep\u00a0Award at Cinema du Reel in 1992, among other international accolades, while Peck went on to earn an Oscar nomination for\u00a0<em>I Am Not Your Negro<\/em>\u00a0in 2017.<\/li><li>Moussa Sene Absa\u2019s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/6lpleezv-madame-brouette\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Madame Brouette<\/em><\/a>, about a single mother in Senegal who sells goods from a wheelbarrow but dreams of opening a canteen. <em>Madame Brouette<\/em> won four international awards, including Best Music at Berlin.<\/li><li>Flora Gomes\u2019 Cape Verde-set <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZTvM9s7rbSM\" target=\"_blank\">Nha Fala \/ My Voice My Voice<\/a>, <\/em>which won six international awards, including the Laterna Magic Prize at Venice in 2002, and was the only film from Africa to compete at Berlin that year.\u00a0Grammy-nominated Cameroonian star Manu Dibango, who tragically passed away from Covid-19 in March 2020, wrote and produced the film\u2019s music.<\/li><li>Haile\u00a0Gerima\u2019s\u00a0Ethiopia-set <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/bpw8wqe8-harvest-3000-years\" target=\"_blank\">Harvest: 3000 Years<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0which won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the Silver Leopard at Locarno in 1976.\u00a0Oscar-winner Martin Scorsese (<em>The Irishman<\/em>) presented a restored version of <em>Harvest: 3000 Years<\/em> at Cannes in 2006 and at Tribeca in 2008. As he wrote for Tribeca, the film \u201chas a particular kind of urgency which few pictures possess. This is the story of an entire people, and its collective longing for justice and good faith. An epic, not in scale but in emotional and political scope.\u201d The Tate Modern also honoured the film with a special screening in 2015.<\/li><li>Gaston Kabore\u2019s Burkina Faso-set <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/v95mm47g-zan-boko\" target=\"_blank\">Zan Boko<\/a><\/em>, winner of Best Screenplay at FESPACO 1989 and a Special Jury Award at Amiens 1988:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LOOKING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF AFRICAN FILMMAKERS?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Launching on Showmax on Africa Day, the MultiChoice Talent Factory Colours of Africa series features 16 short films made by 60 students from 13 countries across the continent, where you can be the first to discover the next Thuso Mbedu, Wanuri Kahiu or Ousmane Semb\u00e8ne. For more info on the MultiChoice Talent Factory, visit www.multichoicetalentfactory.com.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, and it\u2019s coming up this Tuesday, 25 May 2021. While pan-African travel remains a distant dream for now, it\u2019s never been easier to explore our beautiful continent, thanks to Showmax\u2019s catalogue of record-breaking and award-winning local content. There\u2019s no single story that captures the&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2021\/05\/20\/celebrate-africa-day-by-exploring-the-continents-rich-film-history-on-showmax\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Celebrate Africa Day By Exploring The Continent&#8217;s Rich Film History On Showmax<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[110],"class_list":["post-11905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-online","tag-showmax","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11905\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}