The Making Of Nollywood
On: Tuesday, 1 April 2008 at 21h00
The Making of Nollywood tells the story of the Nigerian film industry - a revolution enabling Africans with few resources to tell African stories to African audiences. Despite all odds, Nigerian directors produce between 500 and 1,000 movies a year. The disks sell wildly all over the continent - Nollywood actors have become stars from Ghana to Zambia.
We experience the world of Nollywood through acclaimed director Bond Emeruwa's quest to make a feature-length action film in just nine days. Armed only with a digital camera, two lights, and about $20,000, Bond faces challenges unimaginable in Hollywood and Bollywood.
Electricity goes out. Street thugs demand extortion money. The lead actor doesn’t show. During one crucial scene, prayers blast from loudspeakers atop a nearby mosque, making shooting impossible. But, as Bond says, “In Nollywood we don’t count the walls. We learn how to climb them.”
TVSA goes behind-the-scenes at the recent announcement of the 2008 African Movie Awards nominees: African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)
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Iduma Elingopiyo (The Wound That Does Not Bleed)On: Tuesday, 8 April 2008 at 21h00
Filmed on and off over a period of two years, this documentary explores the world of children and youth living on the streets of Cape Town, “strollers” as they call themselves.
Though some profess to enjoy the freedom the life gives them, many choose the streets simply because their home lives were not bearable any more, the result of poverty, physical abuse, alcoholism and neglect.
Of course for most of them their new circumstances are not much of an improvement. Forced to survive on handouts and petty crime, they are subject to the vagaries of weather, disease, substance abuse, harassment by officialdom, rape and various forms of exploitation by older gangsters.
What street life does offer them is some sort of companionship, with many forming substitute families giving them a sense of belonging. They tend to look after one another even though violence amongst themselves is high.
The camera is intimate with the children and youth and accompanies them on their daily routines to many various locations. A visit is also paid to Philippi, an informal settlement where many of the children come from.
A tearful mother describes her hardships in bringing up children alone under deprived circumstances and her heartache at having her young daughter living on the street. “Iduma Elingopiyo” is a tribute to the talent and resourcefulness of youth surviving and coping on their own.
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Families Under AttackOn: Tuesday, 15 April 2008 at 21h00
Families Under Attack is a documentary that explores how substance abuse affects families and what we need to do as families and individuals to combat the spread of this scourge amongst our homes, neighborhoods as well as our society.
The film follows one family that has family members dealing with substance abuse, as it seeks to explore the hard times they have and are facing because of drug abuse.
The family suggests ways on what they need to do help themselves as well as others who are in the same shoes as they are. The documentary presents us with well-documented comments (sound advice) from experts in the field of substance abuse.
The documentary also has perspectives from the South African Police Services, Psychiatrists, School Principal, Church leader, and Social Services.
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Glow Of White WomenOn: Tuesday, 22 April 2008 at 21h00
TVSA Glow Of White Woman mini-site.
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Paying Lobola For My FatherOn: Tuesday, 29 April 2008 at 21h00
Mandla Nkuna is a musician and producer. His grandmother pointed out to him that despite all the work he does, he is not financially stable. She said that this could be because he is not following tradition.
His father did not finish paying lobola to his mother’s family and because he has now passed on it is Mandla duty to make sure that the process is completed. So Mandla sets out to prepare for this ceremony and that is how the film unfolds.
He talks to elders about what is expected of him and asks for guidance. He also consults an expert, in matters concerning tradition from the Wits University. The film is narrated in SiSwati and subtitled in English.