African Movie Night
MARCH 10 - MAY 12, 2021
The University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong is pleased to collaborate with Alliance Française de Hong Kong and with the support of Institute Français on presenting this cinematic outreach programme to complement the exhibition Colours of Congo: Patterns, Symbols and Narratives in 20th-Century Congolese Paintings.
Highlighting the contemporary struggles of individuals across the continent, this series of African films presents a broad array of people working to achieve their beliefs and dreams while searching for their own distinct identities. Throughout these works, the vibrant lens of African cinema shatters the colonialist perspectives that have long masked Africa’s inherent beauty.
Venue: 1/F T.T. Tsui Building, 90 Bonham Road, University Museum and Art Gallery, HKU (Please enter the museum via the Fung Ping Shan Building.)
Audience: Age 18 or above for screenings | No age limit for guided tours
Limit: 32 for screenings | 15 for guided tours
Free admission. Registration required. No walk-ins are allowed.
Enquiry: musnews@hku.hk.hk / 2241 5500
Twenty years of African cinema (Caméra d’Afrique, 20 ans de cinéma africain)
Date: Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Time: 1:00pm
Duration: 96 mins
Please click here to register.
Documentary
Sub-Saharan Africa
1983
In French with English subtitles
Directed by Férid Boughedir
Africa has long been an exoticised land viewed through colonial eyes. With this selection of classic and contemporary films, Africans take back control of the camera and cutting room floor to provide a vibrant reworking of lives across the continent. A range of styles from straight documentary to magical realism come together to create a range of stunning modern cinemascapes.
Timbuktu
Date: Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Time: 6:30pm
Duration: 100 mins
Please click here to register.
Drama
Mali
2014
In French, Arab, Bambara and Tamashek with English subtitles
Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako
Timbuktu explores life in Mali under occupation by Islamist extremists. The story centres around the cattle herder Kidane who lives a quiet life outside the city with his wife and daughter. When his cow accidentally damages the fisherman Amadou’s nets, the fisherman kills his cow. Kidane then accidentally shoots Amadou during an argument. Based on Sharia Law, Kidane will be sentenced to death if he cannot earn the forgiveness of Amadou’s family and also pay them 40 cattle as compensation.
Dem Dem!
Date: Wednesday, 24 March 2021
Time: 1:00pm
Duration: 25 mins
Please click here to register.
Comedy
Senegal
2017
In French and Wolof with English subtitles
Directed by Pape Bouname Lopy, Christophe Rolin, Marc Recchia and Pape Lopy
What if you were given the chance to leave the place you call home and travel far away to an unknown destination? This is the choice faced by the Senegalese fisherman Matar. One day while fishing, Matar comes upon a Belgian passport washed ashore in Dakar. Torn between staying with his love Nafi and venturing to a new world, he ultimately chooses to leave the security of home in search of his identity.
The screening will be followed by a guided tour (English) of the exhibition ‘Colours of Congo: Patterns, Symbols and Narratives in 20th-Century Congolese Paintings’ at 1:30 PM. Please register separately: https://bit.ly/3soy4Y4.
Pépé le Moko
Date: Wednesday, 31 March 2021
Time: 6:30pm
Duration: 94 mins
Please click here to register.
Drama
Algeria, France
1937
In French and Arabic with English subtitles
Directed by Julien Duvivier
The charismatic Parisian gangster Pépé le Moko is a wanted man on the run in Algiers. While ruling the Casbah like a king, he is pursued by local police and the cunning detective Slimane. Caught up in a game of cat-and-mouse, Pépé le Moko longs for his old life back in Paris, and when he comes across a visiting Parisian beauty, Pépé falls head over heels. Will he leave the safety of his criminal haven for love, or remain in the Casbah’s familiar alleys?
A guided tour (English) of the exhibition ‘Colours of Congo: Patterns, Symbols and Narratives in 20th-Century Congolese Paintings’ will be offered before the screening at 6:00pm. Please register separately: https://bit.ly/3r9Vctv.
Upcoming Screening Titles:
The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun (La Petite Vendeuse de soleil)
Aya of Yop City (Aya de Youpougon)