LOCAL>> AfroFuturistik

With the advent of Black Panther, the world discovered the concept of Afrofuturism.

Can Africa project itself into the future? Can it tell its own stories in more experimental, offbeat ways?

This program seeks to question the images that Africa has of itself in a compendium of diverse, vibrant short films made by emerging filmmakers. Indeed, ‘‘African cinema’’ has long become ‘‘African cinemas,’’ rich in their plurality, even if still too marginalized.

Curated by Franco-Burkinabè critic and journalist Claire Diao, this program includes five short films:

So What if the Goats Die (Morocco) by Sofia Alaoui (Sundance Grand Jury Prize 2020), in which a shepherd finds a village deserted following a supernatural occurrence;

We Need Prayers: This One Went to Market (Kenya) by Jim Chuchu, in which a visual artist comes up with a sly plan to take over the art world abroad;

Ethereality (Rwanda) by Kantarama Gahigiri, in which an astronaut returns to Earth after being stranded in space for 30 years;

Hello Rain (Nigeria) by C.J. Obasi, in which a scientist-witch creates wigs that grant supernatural powers; and

Zombies (Democratic Republic of Congo) by Baloji, which questions the almost carnal relationship we have with our phones.

English subtitles