With over 40 curated releases showcasing the
best in African and international cinema from over 16 countries, the second
edition of the Joburg Festival wrapped up after a successful 9-day run in
Rosebank this past weekend.
Following an amazing week of film screenings in Alexandra, Braamfontein,
Soweto, Sandton, Maboneng and Rosebank, the festival offered an opportunity
for over 2000 local and international creatives to network through its Film
Industry programme produced in partnership with Discop Africa. The
festival concluded on Saturday evening with an awards ceremony to celebrate
the among the films in competition.
The 2018 Joburg Film Festival films in competition was overseen by a team
of world class jurors. They included industry giants Nadia El Fani, Pervaiz
Khan, Sara Blecher who deliberated over some of Africa’s top films, finally
settled on splitting the Nguni Horn between two films this year.
Both features, one a documentary and the other a feature film, share a
commonality of immersing the viewer into the unknown to creating awareness.
The two top features selected were *‘Freedom Fields’* by Nazhia Arebi and *‘The
Day I Lost My Shadow’ *by Soudade Kaadan’.
*‘We have a watched a wide range of great movies that have made us almost
jump out our seats but ultimately we decided that we had to split the
prize’* stated the juror post the announcement and added *‘These two prize
winning films demonstrate that although filmmaking is not becoming any
easier, filmmakers continue to make cinema that can be powerful,
informative and inspiring’.*
*‘Freedom Fields’* recently premiered at the Toronto International Film
Festival, is a film about hope and sacrifice in a land where dreams seem a
luxury. The documentary follows a courageous and determined group of women
in Libya who against all odds pursue their passion for playing football.
While struggling to gain cultural acceptance, the film is a mix of everyday
life in a very uncertain political climate. Through their difficult journey
we see a country in turmoil and transition. The film gives a deeply
personal insight into the lives of these extraordinary women. This is
Nazhia Arebi’s second film.
Having picked up the Lion of the Future Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a
Debut Film earlier this year at the Venice Film Festival, this epic
feature *‘The
Day I Lost My Shadow’* is set in 2012 Damascus. A desperate mother goes in
search of a gas bottle so that she can feed her 8-year-old son. Her journey
takes her through a world of uncertainties, conflict, hopes, hunger, death
and callous betrayal. What keeps her going is her determination to return
to her son. The use of the hand-held camera transports us into the centre
of a brutal zone. The film gives an insight into how war slowly and
imperceptibly steals the humanity of those who live through it. This is
Soudade Kaadan’s first feature film.
