German Premiere: "The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo" with Yaba Badoe in Attendance
The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo explores the artistic contribution of one of Africa’s foremost woman writers, a trailblazer for an entire generation of exciting new talent. The film charts Ama Ata Aidoo’s creative journey in a life that spans 7 decades from colonial Ghana through the tumultuous era of independence to a more sober present day Africa where nurturing women’s creative talent remains as hard as ever.
Over the course of a year the film follows Aidoo as she returns home to her ancestral village in the Central Region of Ghana, launches her latest collection of short stories in Accra, and travels to the University of California, Santa Barbara to attend the premier of her seminal play about the slave trade, Anowa.
With contributions from Carole Boyce Davies, Nana Wilson-Tagoe and Vincent Odamtten, The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo celebrates an acclaimed Pan-African feminist, poet, playwright and novelist and provides a fascinating insight into her life. The film is an important resource for students and teachers of African literature, as well as lovers of African women’s writing everywhere.
“Once in a while I catch myself wondering whether I would have found the courage to write if I had not started to write when I was too young to know what was good for me.” Ama Ata Aidoo, To be a Woman
The film screening will be followed by an open discussion with director Yaba Badoe (Moderation by Peggy Piesche) and a small reception in the foyer.
With financial support by Brot für die Welt (EED).
Media Partners: Africiné, Adefra, SEV-Magazin, Zentrum Moderner Orient, Club der Freunde von RFI, Berlin Poche, rendez-vous-cine.de, Exberliner, multicult.fm, Art Labour Archives, Planète Métis, Contemporary &, Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland, Centre for Research and Documentation Chile-Latin America (FDCL), Terre des Femmes Stiftung.
Trailer: http://vimeo.com/105223124
Press Reviews
"The art of Ama Ata Aidoo is a very thrilling exploration of the vast universe that is Ama Ata Aidoo’s mind and it’s phenomenal expression in her literary works which have so shaken up the very foundations of literature in Ghana and Africa. Traversing her life from the inception of her art to its explosion, the documentary gives quite a vivid insight into the cultural, societal, and familial influences that, in many ways, were the inception of the great literary mind that was Ama Ata Aidoo’s." Nana Akosua Hanson, citifmonline.com
“What a tour de force! I have enjoyed and been moved by Ama and her work though this brilliantly crafted film.” Salem Mekuria, Filmmaker and Artist
“A wondrous journey and a beautiful tribute.” Wangui Wa Goro, Writer, translator, activist
“I am thankful to Ama Ata Aidoo for her pride, honesty and audacity as an African writer, in particular for Our Sister Killjoy, which gave me the standard to which I aspire.” Sefi Atta, Playwright and prize winning author
“I got to meet and speak with Prof Ama Ata Aidoo when she was Guest of Honour at the Femrite Week of activities in 2000. Her message to us was clear; ‘Write your story as it flows in your heart. Women kill their stories through self-censorship.’ That is perhaps what I love most about her writing. She writes from the heart.” Hilda Twongyeirwe, Femrite Uganda Writers Association
Yaba Badoe (Director/Producer)
Yaba Badoe is a BBC-trained, award-winning documentary film maker and writer with many years experience in broadcast television. She has made arts and culture based documentaries for the main terrestrial channels in the UK. In 2003 she directed a one hour documentary about the life and work of Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison, for BBC4. Her latest film, The Witches of Gambaga (Fadoa Films, 2010), won the 2010 Best Documentary Award at the Black International Film Festival and 2nd Prize, Documentaries at FESPACO 2011.
Amina Mama (Executive Producer)
Amina Mama is one of Africa’s leading activist feminist scholars. A former Chair in Gender Studies at the University of Cape Town’s African Gender Institute for 10 years, she founded the journal Feminist Africa, has taught courses in African cinema and co-produced The Witches of Gambaga. She is currently on the faculty of Women and Gender Studies at the University of California, Davis.
Film Credits
Fadoa Films 2014
Interviewer: Abena P.A. Busia
Director: Yaba Badoe
Executive Producer: Amina Mama
Cinematography: Darren Hercher
Sound Recordist: Jeremiah Dogbe
Film editor: Rashid Davari
Veranstaltungsort und Adresse
Hackesche Höfe Kino, Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, 10178 Berlin
- Mi11.03.201520:00
11. März 2015
German Premiere: "The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo" with Yaba Badoe in Attendance
Diese Veranstaltung in Berlin (Bezirk Mitte) wurde von AfricAvenir International veröffentlicht. German Premiere: "The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo" with Yaba Badoe in Attendance ist der Rubrik Kino zugeordnet.
