Africa and its diaspora are rich in diverse and powerful film cultures, despite the heavy legacy of colonialism on the structuring of their cultural industries and the significant challenges faced by artists in producing cinema on the continent. Yet, these cinemas remainlargely unknown – an injustice that a new season of films coming to London this summer hopes to begin to rectify. Originally launched in France, before touring across the African continent, Tigritudes: A Pan-African Film Cycleis a subjective and chronological anthology of Pan-African cinema taking place at BFI Southbank throughout June and July, withfurther selected screenings at Tate Modern andThe Garden Cinema.Tigritudeswas developed by curators and filmmakers Dyana Gaye and Valérie Osouf, who chose 128 films from 42 countries to make up the vast project. The season at BFI Southbank will present a selection of 30 of these feature-length and short films, including several restorations, and will offer an insight into the range, inventiveness, and vitality of a moving image culture afflicted by chronic international under-distribution.
Tigritudeswill feature works from critically acclaimed directors such as Julie Dash, Med Hondo and Souleymane Cissé, as well as artists whose names are less recognisable, but whose work makes a vital contribution to the many richly diverse and powerful film cultures across Africa and its diasporas. Screenings in the season will include the scathing political satireRhodesia Countdown, Sarah Gómez’s One Way or Another which was the first film to be directed by an Afro-Cuban woman,cult Algerian film Nahla, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s semi-autobiographical debut Bye Bye Africa, Coming Forth by Daya film shot amid the turmoil of revolution in Egypt, tough prison drama The Night of Kings, and many more.
As well as film screenings, Tigritudes will include a number of introductions, Q&As and discussions with experts in Pan-African cinema, including season programmers Dyana Gaye and Valérie Osouf, Tony Warner of BFI African Odysseys and Black History Walks, and Keith Shiri of Film Africa. This opportunity to see these rare cinematic works, on the big screen, in such prestigious and popular venues mark a step towards the widespread recognition of Pan-African cinema.
Tigritudes takes place at BFI Southbank from 1 June – 31 July
Further screenings from the series take place at Tate Modern on 5 and 7 June; and at The Garden Cinema on 8, 17 and 25 June
