R&A Shorts: African Express

Curated in collaboration with Think Africa and Ubuntu Film Club, this screening presents a collection of recent films connected in one way or another to various African countries.

A Black Fairytale transports the viewer to the heart of a utopia, where a princess travels through time and dimensions. This experimental work, which draws on fairy-tale elements, lulls the viewer into a thought-provoking slumber.

Taxi Moto, the winner of the Teddy Award for Best Queer Film at the Berlinale, is a film about filmmaking. The director was not permitted to shoot his film – which tells the story of love between two men – in his home country. With a new location and lead actor, a powerful dimension of resistance emerges.

Obi, who is gender-nonconforming, returns to the family home after a long absence for a funeral. They are met by a traditional family unit, silence and a host of taboo subjects. Obi is a boy is a poignant yet hopeful portrayal of standing by one’s true self.

The screening concludes with Dëmm, a film that plays on the fringes of the horror genre, depicting 17-year-old Mati as he tries to come to terms with his mother’s death. On a night-time walk, he encounters mythical soul-eating women, an encounter that proves to be a turning point.