This year's Pan African Film Festival featured an African Artists Shorts Series. There were four films: "African Cowboy", "Maffe Tiga", "Papa" and "Try". Two of the films are set in Namibia and two are set in the United States.
The presentation of these films as part of the Pan African Film Festival brought together people who either worked on the films or support them in some way, and there was a palpable sense of pride in the theatre, even as the hosts faced technical difficulties.
The films varied in quality, likely due to budget restrictions, and in acting caliber. They all, however, had much in common and presented themes that are universal. The audience responded to this, and everyone was clearly glad to be there to support the African Artists Association and their friends and colleagues.
But, moreover, they seemed proud to represent the issues that Africans face at home and abroad. The respect for one another's work, the sense of community, and the perceived desire of all of these individuals to inspire empowerment definitely left an impression on me. By these standards, all of the films screened were a success.
"African Cowboy" - directed by Rodney Charles
Filmed in Namibia, this short film centers on the story of rural farmers facing harassment and threats by a local gang. The gang threatens the farmers' livestock and attacks a local woman. The victims of these acts eventually stand up and face their attackers.
The film depicts the dynamics between victims and abusers in which the abuse inspires the victims to stand up for their rights. The acting in the film was poor and the plot was unexciting. However, the scenes of the African tundra were gorgeous.
"Maffe Tiga" - directed by Mohamed Dione
The film's title, "Maffe Tiga", means peanut butter stew. It takes place in the United States, and addresses how African immigrants attempt to connect to home, but often remain disconnected as they struggle to make a life in their new country.
The story follows a young college student in the United States as she tries to survive financially and emotionally. She feels disconnected from her grandmother, who has recently passed away, until she takes her grandmother's advice and uses her peanut butter stew recipe help her take control of her life. The story was amusing, the crowd enjoyed it, and it simply expressed how one can feel discouraged in a foreign land, but how a change in outlook can affect events. The film encourages people to stay culturally connected and seek inspiration from new settings.
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"Papa" - directed by Bambadjan Bamba
The third film also deals with the struggles of immigrants in the United States, but specifically with the generation gap in families as they adapt differently to settling in a foreign land. The film was by far the audience favorite.
The story shows the struggle of a teenage son, Pepe, who is trying to assimilate in the United States, and his father who is angry, abusive and resistant to change. The actors are convincing, and the most moving among them is the mother. A turning point in the film is when Pepe runs away and the mother demands that the father find him and resolve the problem, yelling, "This is not Africa!" The audience cheered during this scene.
The father realizes that he must let go of some of his traditional expectations of his family in order to keep them in his life. Even though the family is African, the message of the film resonates across many cultures. I felt a great deal of empathy for the son and his mother, but also for the father who had to awaken to the reality that change is inevitable and adaptation is sometimes necessary to preserve the relationships that truly matter.
"Try" - directed by Joel Haikali
Set in Namibia, "Try" also deals with contemporary issues facing Africans. The film is a strange drama that follows the lives of different individuals who are struggling with issues of income inequality and unequal access that even middle class families face.
The film shows how individuals in Namibia are denied vital health care if they cannot pay the prices set by doctors or hospitals. Like the other films in the series, this story also represents people who are disenfranchised.
