Lesotho | Liberia | Madagascar | Malawi | Mali | Mozambique | Namibia | Niger | Nigeria | Rwanda | Senegal | Sierra Leone | Somalia | South Africa | Sudan | Swaziland | Tanzania | Togo | Uganda | Zaire | Zambia | Zimbabwe | Audiotapes |
General/Overviews | Angola | Benin | Burkina Faso | Burundi | Cameroon | Chad | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Egypt | Eritrea/Ethiopia | Gabon | Gambia | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Ivory Coast | Peoples of the Kalahari Desert | Kenya |
Ancient & Classical Civilizations
Middle East and North Africa videography
African cinema videography
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- African film & video resources outside of UCB (via U. Pennsylvania)
Films and Documents About Women in Africa (via UCB African American Studies Dept.)
- Destination--Lesotho.
- Describes daily life in Lesotho as experienced by Peace Corps volunteers and the families with whom they work and live with patricular emphasis on the importance of water to the culture. 1995. 20 min. Video/C 4737
- Highlights of the Morija Arts & Cultural Festival, 1-3 October 1999: Celebrating 175 Years of Lesotho's Diverse Cultural Heritage
- Coverage of the first major cultural festival in Lesotho, celebrating 175 years of Lesotho's cultural heritage. Includes various forms of Sesotho music, horsemanship, traditional dances, local musical instruments, famo and jazz presentations and a Morabaraba sports competition. 59 min. PAL format. Video/C 9265
- Lesotho, Water, Water Everywhere(Africa: Search for Common Ground; 8)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. Focuses on the Lesotho Highlands Dam Project which seeks economic development for this poor nation. Here community and government leaders meet to discuss how all those concerned can benefit from the endeavor. 1997. 26 min. vhs Video/C 5351
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Liberia
- Between War and Peace.(Life; 4)
- Commencing in the late 1980's over half of the population of Liberia fled their homes in terror during a long and bloody civil war. After 14 years of anarchy, the international community has arrived in force in an attempt to stabilize the country. Many see this as Liberia's last chance. This program reports on Liberia's attempts to find a way of engaging the combatants (many of them children) in rebuilding their country -- to sustain the peace. 2005. 23 min. DVD 3971
- Liberia: A Fragile Peace
- Tells the history of Liberia and a war weary people's struggle to rebuild their nation after fourteen years of civil war. Focuses on the period from the departure of [dictator] Charles Taylor to the election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first African woman head of state, and the difficulties of rehabilitating a nation destroyed by war. A film by Steven Ross. 2005. 60 min. DVD 5280
- Liberia: An Uncivil War
- Provides an in-depth case study of one of the many brutal civil wars that have sprung up across Africa. It is also an exciting example of war-time journalism--harrowing reporting with bullets ricocheting just feet from the camera--placed in a historical context stretching back nearly two hundred years. Reporter Jonathan Stack is besieged in the Liberian capital of Monrovia where President Charles Taylor says he will not leave until peacekeepers are in place. James Barbazon, embedded with The LURD (Liberians United For Reconcilation and Democracy) who have pledged to pillage the country until President Taylor leaves, introduces General Cobra, Col. Black Diamond and other soldiers, slightly more than children. On August 5th 2003 - with the rebels at the bridges leading to Monrovia, the Nigerians are at last persuaded to send 750 peacekeepers and the U.N. soon follows with 14,000. But what remains in the viewer's mind is President Bush's empty promises of help during the darkest days of Liberia's civil war. Produced and directed by Jonathan Stack. 2004. 102 min. DVD 4337
- Liberia, Arming the Peace Process (Africa: Search for Common Ground; 5)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. Profiles the work of ECOMOG, which West African neighbors of Liberia have sent to help stabilize the country. After a dismal start, the Nigerian-led ECOMOG has been getting the job done. In this film General Malu, leader of ECOMOG, talks about Nigeria's role in rebuilding Liberia. 1997. 26 min. Video/C 5348
- The Liberia Tragedy
- A documentary which examines the recent political history of Liberia, from the 1980 military coup led by Samuel Doe to the l989 rebellion which ousted him from power and led to civil war. The film features extensive archival footage and interviews with Liberian journalists and former government officials, rebel leader Charles Taylor, and the U.S. Asst. Secretary of State for African Affairs. Dist. Cinema Guild. 1991. 59 min. Video/C 5219
- Returning Dreams. (Life; 4)
- Fourteen-year old Jemoh has been living in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone for three years. This program follows her on her return journey home to Liberia, and the mixed picture she finds there. Jemoh is just one of millions of children caught up in the world's conflicts. Some are forced to fight and kill; others are used as slaves and "wives." Those that do survive are left brutalized and traumatized. How, this program asks, can these children be rehabilitated who have gone through such experiences? Directed by Emily Marlow. 2005. 23 min. DVD 3976
- The Word Universe: A Journey to West Africa
- An American travels to West Africa in search of his refugee friend. This human rights documentary -- featuring music by Bob Marley -- takes us on a journey to the edge of the shattered nation of Libera.
1995. 91 min. Video/C 4278
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Madagascar
- Angano...Angano: Tales from Madagascar.
- Contemporary storytellers recount the founding myths of Malagasy culture, the creation of man and woman, the origin of rice cultivation, the reason for animal sacrifice. 1989. 64 min. Video/C 3771
- Madagascar: A Land Like No Other
- Presents an extensive ecotour of Madagascar's rainforests and wildlife perserves and offshore islands in search of its wide variety of chameleons and other fauna and flora including insects, snakes and lemurs. 1997. 110 min. Video/C MM40
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Malawi
- Malawi: A Nation Going Hungry(What in the World? People of the Developing Nations)
- Documents economic and social conditions in Malawi, where 3 million of a 12 million population live in abject poverty. During the 1990s, non-governmental organizations such as the World Food Program distributed seeds and farm tools to the poor, and the government allowed them to live and farm on public land. The program's subsidies supported the farmers during poor growing seasons. The World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund have forced the Malawi government to stop the subsidies, starving millions. AIDS is so pervasive in Malawi that many widows prefer starvation for themselves and their families to seeking a new mate. Due to AIDS and food shortages, there are more than one million orphans in Malawi. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2004. 26 min. DVD 5447
- The Tree of our Forefathers(Developing Stories)
- Film follows a refugee family who has spent 10 years living in a refugee camp in Malawi as they make the return journey to their homeland in the Tete Province of Mozambique where they at last can pay proper respects to their dead under the village tree. 1994. 50 min. Video/C 3872
- Up in Smoke(Life; 42)
- Part of a series examining the issue of glabalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the country of Malawi in Southern African where tobacco is the major export crop, responsible for 70% of all export earnings. But dependence on tobacco crops and manipulation by the tobacco industry has stunted the economy of Malawi, and despite the diminished returns from tobacco growing, the government has increased the land under cultivation. c2002. 27 min. Video/C 9851 (for other installments of series, see
- Whose Agenda is it Anyway?(Life 4 ; Millennium series 10)
- To fulfill the Millennium Development goals, many poor countries are now implementing Poverty Reduction Strategy Programs (PRSPs). But in Malawi, PRSPs are viewed by many as merely a new version of old World Bank policies, with decisions ultimately made in Washington, rather than by the country's own citizens. This report investigates the PRSP process and its effectiveness in Malawi with interviews with citizens in rural communities, government officials, civil society campaigners, World Bank economists and critics of World Bank policies. Directed by Chris Walker. 23 min. DVD 3961
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Mali
- Femmes Aux Yeux Ouverts = Women with Open Eyes (Library of African Cinema).
- Profiles contemporary African women in four West African countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Benin. We meet a woman active in the movement against female genital mutilation, a health care worker educating women about sexually transmitted diseases, and businesswomen who describe how they have set up an association to share expertise and provide mutual assistance. 1994. 52 min. Video/C 3728
- Guimba: Un Tyran, Une Epoque
- An epic set in the legendary past of Mali (West Africa) to provide a biting allegory of present-day African politics. Through the story of the downfall of Guimba the tyrant, the filmmaker foretells a similar fate for the many dictators who still pillage the continent. He frames his film with the appearance of a griot, a traditional African storyteller who passes down the "wisdom of the ancestors", looking to the values and legends of the African past for inspiration and guidance in reconstructing well-governed, self-sufficient nations. 1995. 93 min. Video/C 4466
- Keita!: L'heritage du Groit.
- Based on one of the most important works of African oral literature, the Sundjata epic. When a djeliba, a master griot or bard, arrives mysteriously at the home of Mabo Keita to teach him "the meaning of his name," the boy and griot are inevitably brought into conflict with his Westernized mother and schoolteacher, who have rejected African tradition. The griot reveals to Mabo the story of his distant ancestor, Sundjata Keita, the 13th century founder of the great Malian trading empire. 1994. 94 min. Video/C 4116
- Mali, Bearing the Flame of Peace(Africa: Search for Common Ground; 8)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. The first film visits with Mali's A. T. Toure, one of only two military rulers in Sub-Saharan Africa to have voluntarily turned his nation over to democratic governance. Increasingly seen as a key leader, peacemaker and role model for a new generation of African leaders, he shares his hopes for democracy in Mali. The second film focuses on the Lesotho Highlands Dam Project which seeks economic development for this poor nation. Here community and government leaders meet to discuss how all those concerned can benefit from the endeavor. 1997. 26 min. Video/C 5351
- Mastering a Continent (Africa series).
- Looks at two important developments in early African society, the growth of cattle keeping and agriculture. Focuses on the activities of three communities, the Pokot in Northern Kenya, Sukor in Nigeria and the Dogon of Mali. 1984. 60 min. MM452
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Mozambique
- Africa Dreaming.
- Contents: Sophia's homecoming / directed by Richard Pakleppa ; produced by Bridget Pickering (28 min.) -- Sabriya / written and directed by Abderrahmane Sissako; produced by Dora Bouchoucha Fourati (28 min.) -- So Be It / written, directed and produced by Joseph Gai Ramaka (28 min) -- The Gaze of the Stars / directed by Joao Ribeiro; produced by Pedro Pimenta
Four television shorts produced in four different African countries to be shown on the African television series Africa Dreaming. In Sophia's Homecoming (Namibia) a woman who has worked as a domestic returns home to a terrible discovery: the ruptures caused by apartheid can never be repaired. In Sabriya (Tunisia) a modern woman disrupts the patterned mosaic of male Maghrebi society. So Be It (Senegal), based on a play by Wole Soyinka, follows the destruction of a well intentioned foreign doctor confronting fear, rage and powerlessness in a remote Senegalese village. The Gaze of the Stars (Mozambique) is a story about machismo in Mozambique, so powerful that it drives away whatever it loves. 1997. (112 min.) Video/C 5400
- Chopi Music of Mozambique; Banguza Timbila.
- Two short documentary films which depict performances of the timbila (marimba) music of the Chopi people who live in the village of Banguza, in the province of Zavala, in Mozambique. The procedures and techniques employed in making the musical instruments are shown in detail and the stories of the dances performed to the music are explained. Dist.: Flower Films. 1989. 60 min. Video/C 3560
- Cleansing the Past(Africa: Search for Common Ground; 4)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. Examines the results of the civil war in Mozambique through one former soldier in the rebel FRELIMO army as he seeks to rejoin the community he left behind. The village puts him through a rite of exorcism, so he is able to resume his life as a fisherman. 1997. 26 min. Video/C 5347
- Farewell, GDR (South series)
- In the 1980's many young people left Mozambique in search of work and better lives in Germany and were met with hostility and racism. However, as they repatriated, they found themselves outsiders in their own homeland and they must still face the economic hardships which they fled in the first place. 1991. 25 min. Video/C 3035
- Hopes on the Horizon
- Chronicles the rise of pro-democracy movements in six African countries during the 1990s: Benin: a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy -- Nigeria: a human rights movement challenges the military -- Rwanda: Historians build a platform for dialogue -- Morocco: Women's rights activists reform the traditional religious family code -- Mozambique: Agricultural cooperatives advocate economic reform and land rights -- South Africa: A township unites to promote quality education. 2001. 115 min. Video/C 7855
- In Search of Stability (The Africans)
- Gives an overview of the several means of governing in Africa. Examines new social orders to illustrate an Africa in search of a viable form of government in the postindependence period. Compares African military regimes, one-party states, Marxism in Mozambique and the styles of the presidents of Tanzania and Zaire. 1986. 58 min. Video/C 945:6
- Little Heroes.
- An expose of the lives of the child soldiers who were kidnapped and forced to fight as guerrilla soldiers during the peasant revolt in the 1980's in Mozambique. A film by Ole Gjerstad. 1994. 49 min. Video/C 3738
- This Magnificent African Cake (Africa series).
- Traces the major developments of African history between the 1800's and 1945. Looks at the different ways colonial rule was established and the emergence of nationalist movements, focusing on Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Mozambique. 1984. 60 min. Video/C MM454
- Mozambique, Farmers on the Frontier(Africa: Search for Common Ground; 7)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. Deals with white Afrikaner farm families who are moving north to Niassa, causing fear and suspicion among peasant farmers in the region. In this film two farmers, one a white Afrikaner, the other a Mozambican villager, meet to discuss how they can live together in an integrated society which benefits both. 1997. 26 min. Video/C 5350
- Mozambique: The Struggle for Survival
- Documents the effects of 25 years of armed conflict and the resulting famine on the people of Mozambique which is under seige from RENAMO, a terrorist group supported by South Africa. This film explores the political and racial background of the fighting and accuses South Africa of waging a campaign of destabilization and terror. Dist. Cinema Guild. 1987. 57 min. Video/C 5216
- Tchuma Tchato.
- A film by Licinio Azevedo. On the South bank of the Zambezi river, where the borders of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia meet, the first Mozambican experience in community management of natural resources has transformed furtive native hunters into game wardens. 1997. 56 min. Video/C 4910 (a second copy in PAL format Video/C 6683)
- The Tree of our Forefathers
- Film follows a refugee family who has spent 10 years living in a refugee camp in Malawi as they make the return journey to their homeland in the Tete Province of Mozambique where they at last can pay proper respects to their dead under the village tree. 1994. 50 min. Video/C 4910; also Video/C 6683 (PAL format)
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Namibia
- Africa Dreaming.
- Contents: Sophia's homecoming / directed by Richard Pakleppa ; produced by Bridget Pickering (28 min.) -- Sabriya / written and directed by Abderrahmane Sissako; produced by Dora Bouchoucha Fourati (28 min.) -- So Be It / written, directed and produced by Joseph Gai Ramaka (28 min) -- The Gaze of the Stars / directed by Joao Ribeiro; produced by Pedro Pimenta
Four television shorts produced in four different African countries to be shown on the African television series Africa Dreaming. In Sophia's Homecoming (Namibia) a woman who has worked as a domestic returns home to a terrible discovery: the ruptures caused by apartheid can never be repaired. In Sabriya (Tunisia) a modern woman disrupts the patterned mosaic of male Maghrebi society. So Be It (Senegal), based on a play by Wole Soyinka, follows the destruction of a well intentioned foreign doctor confronting fear, rage and powerlessness in a remote Senegalese village. The Gaze of the Stars (Mozambique) is a story about machismo in Mozambique, so powerful that it drives away whatever it loves. 1997. 112 min. Video/C 5400
- Le Malentendu Colonial (A Colonial Misunderstanding)
- The filmmaker looks at European colonialism in Africa through the lens of Christian evangelism as the model for the relationship between Africa and western countries today. The history of German missionaries in Namibia in the 19th and 20th centuries is discussed by African and German historians and theologians, revealing how colonialism destroyed African beliefs and social systems and replaced them with European ones. A film by Jean-Marie Teno. 2004. 73 min.
- Namibia: Africa's Last Colony.
- Outlines the exploitation of Namibia by occupying countries, and explores the poverty of indigenous peoples. 1985. 52 min. Video/C 941
- Namibia: Rebirth of a Nation.
- After twenty-three years of armed struggle against South African occupation forces, Namibia gained its independence in 1990. This film documents the challenges facing Namibians in rebuilding a nation dispossessed by a lifetime of colonial domination and devastated by decades of occupation. Directed by Kevin Harris. Dist. Cinema Guild. 1990. 45 min. Video/C 5221
- Namibia, No Easy Road To Freedom.
- Examines Namibia's long history of colonial occupation by South Africa, including the armed conflict between South African troops and the Namibian resistance organization SWAPO, negotiations of a peace plan in 1978, and discussions of the nation's independence that was finally declared in 1990. Dist. Cinema Guild. 1988. 58 min. Video/C 5222
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Niger
- Deep Hearts
- An ethnographic portrayal of the Bororo people of Niger, showing an annual ritual dance, which symbolizes their beliefs about containing and controlling their feelings of love. Photography, Robert Gardner, Robert Fulton; editors, Robert Gardner, Robert Fulton. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 1979. 58 min. DVD 5508
- Herdsmen of the Sun (Wodaabe les bergers du soleil)
- A documentary film of the Wodaabe people of the Sahara/Sahel region with a focus on the courtship rituals of the tribe. Once a year in what amounts to a beauty pageant, the young men dress up and parade in front of the women. Each woman must then chose and spend the next few nights with the man she finds most beautiful. Directed by Werner Herzog. 1988. 54 min. Video/C 9557
- Les Maitres Fous.
- A film by Jean Rouch. This film documents the Haouka cult, a religious movement which was widespread in Niger and Ghana from the 1920's to the 1950's. Shows them living and working in Accra and participating in a primitive tribal ceremony. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 1986. 29 min. DVD 3911; vhs Video/C 3460
- Missing Out.(City Life; 17)
- Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, and less than a third of the population has access to any health care. Malnutrition remains the main cause of maternal and infant mortality, and over half of all pregnant women suffer from iron deficiency anemia. In Tanzania, malaria is blamed for the increase in anemia. UNICEF believes that the solution is providing micromultinutrient pills which contain iron folate and other vitamins. This program follows two traditional birth attendants as they try to persuade women to take iron folate supplements and visit hospitals. It also looks at what could happen when donors pull out of distribution programs. 2001. 30 min. Video/C 8945
- School's Out! (Life; 5)
- Explores the issue of private versus public schools in Makoko, a shantytown in Lagos, Nigeria. Average income in Makoko is about fifty dollars a month. The people of Makoko appear to have a choice: Children can go to the free state school, or they can pay at one of a growing number of small, private schools that have opened there. Research into how and why these private schools have emerged in such unlikely circumstances has been organized by a team from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Their research reveals that in communities like Makoko, parents are voting with their feet. They think the state system has failed, and a new and interesting grass roots movement in education seems to be the result. Produced and directed by Dick Bower. 23 min. DVD 8386
- Women of Manga (Niger).
- Program is devoted to the women of a warrior tribe whose origin is ancient but unknown and which lives today in eastern Niger. Focuses on the traditions including the complicated painting, hairstyles, facial scars and jewelry. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1992. 12 min. Video/C 3025
- Zulei.
- Zulei, a 14-year-old girl about to be married, is the focus of this program, which documents the life of a people whose ancestors were nomads and whose customs and habits have changed very little across millennia. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1992. 52 min. Video/C 3026
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Nigeria
- Ache Moyuba Orisha: Sabre la Santeria Cubana.
- An indepth examination of the Syncretism religion, an amalgum of Catholic symbolism and Yoruban African piety, as it is practiced in Cuba. 1990. 42 min. Video/C 4286
- Behind the Mask.
- Examines some of the carved ceremonial masks of the Dogon tribe of Nigeria. Shows how these artifacts are created and explains how they are used in the Dogons' sacred rituals. 1976. 52 min. Video/C 176
- Chiefs and Strongmen. (Struggle for democracy; 3)
- This program done in 1989 looks closely at three African nations where western-style democracy has not taken root; Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. 1989. 57 min. Video/C 1888
- Chinua Achebe (A World of Ideas with Bill Moyers).
- Moyers interviews Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe who discusses the West's often inaccurate portrayal of Africa and how it is the African storyteller's obligation to be the collective memory of the African people. 1989. 28 min. Video/C 1575
- Daura and Katsina, Nigeria. The Hausa Woman.
- Daura and Katsina, Nigeria is a historical tour of two townships in Northern Nigeria, which were both ancient seats of Islamic culture and learning. The Hausa Woman is a demonstration of techniques used by Hausa women to beautify their bodies. 1990. 64 min. Video/C 4326
- Delta Force.
- A documentary of the environmental and social effects that the oil drilling by Shell International has had in the 1990's, on the Ogoni people of the Niger Delta. Also includes commentary and interviews with the political activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa. Director/producer, Glenn Ellis. 1995. 50 min. DVD 9276 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 5061
- Doctors of Nigeria.
- Demonstrates the interrelation of traditional herbal medicine and orthodox Western medicine in Nigeria. 1981. 57 min. Video/C 308
- Hopes on the Horizon.
- Chronicles the rise of pro-democracy movements in six African countries during the 1990s: Benin: a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy -- Nigeria: a human rights movement challenges the military -- Rwanda: Historians build a platform for dialogue -- Morocco: Women's rights activists reform the traditional religious family code -- Mozambique: Agricultural cooperatives advocate economic reform and land rights -- South Africa: A township unites to promote quality education. 2001. 115 min. Video/C 7855
- The King and the City (Africa series).
- Explores the structure of medieval African kingdoms and visits Kano in Nigeria, where a king still holds court in his 15th century palace, and ancient rituals continue to command the respect of the people. 84. 60 min. Video/C MM453
- Kingdom of Bronze.
- Traces the development of skillful bronze casting techniques practiced by the Beni tribe of Nigeria 1976. 52 min. Video/C 180
- Konkombe: Nigerian Music.
- An extraordinary journey into the Nigerian pop music scene including juju, Afrobeat, highlife, reggae, afro-pop and Lagos street music. Includes performances, interviews, and recording sessions with Sunny Ade, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, I.K. Dairo, Sonny Okusun, Lijadu Sisters, and others. 1988. 50 min. DVD 981; also VHS Video/C 3264
- Lagos.
- The film follows noted architect Rem Koolhaas during his research in Lagos over a period of two years are he wandered the city, talking with people about the problems of city life. But instead of judging the city doomed, he is able to interpret the "culture of congestion" positively. 2003. 55 min. DVD 3537
- Mammy Water: In Search of the Water Spirits in Nigeria.
- Film features Mammy Water (a water deity worshipped in Nigeria) rituals and interviews devotees and their leaders. 1991. 59 min. Video/C 2360
- Flores, Y. M.
"Mammy Water, In Search Of The Water Spirits Of Nigeria" Western Folklore, 1994 Jan, V53 N1:91-92.
Kasfir, S. L.
"Mammy Water In Search Of The Water Spirits In Nigeria" African Arts, 1994 Jan, V27 N1:80+.
Ottenberg, Simon.
"Mammy Water: In Search of the Water Spirits in Nigeria."
American Anthropologist v93, n1 (March, 1991):254 (2 pages).
- Mastering a Continent (Africa series).
- Looks at two important developments in early African society, the growth of cattle keeping and agriculture. Focuses on the activities of three communities, the Pokot in Northern Kenya, Sukor in Nigeria and the Dogon of Mali. 1984. 60 min. Video/C MM452
- Monday's Girls.
- Examines women's ceremony of rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood in the Island town of Ogoloma of Southern Nigeria. 1993. 49 min. Video/C 3729
- Nigeria(Human Rights & Wrongs)
- First segment: A report on the human rights situation in Nigeria, focusing on the military dictatorship in Nigeria and its efforts to prevent the imposition of U.S. sactions in response to its repressive regime. Second segment: Investigates lobbying efforts concerning Nigeria in the U.S. by various American corporations, non-profit organizations and Nigerian nationals. Third segment: Using excerpts from the films "Delta force," by Glenn Ellis and "Ken Saro-Wiwa: an African martyr," and a final interview with the Nigerian human rights activist, examines Saro-Wiwa's support of the Ogoni people whose land is being destroyed as the result of petroleum mining. Segment from the television program Rights & wrongs broadcast July 10, 1996. Video/C 6739
- Oba Koso: Nigerian Music and Dance Drama.
- Excerpts from the famous Yoruba folklore drama about a wicked man who tries to overthrow the king. Features intricate dance steps, brilliantly colored costumes, and Yoruba instruments and singing. Dance-drama with Yoruba music based on the play by Duro Ladipo. Commentary by Margaret Croyden ; performance by the National Theater of Nigeria. 1996. 28 min. Video/C 5967
- The People Will Dance.
- In Nigeria a village chieftain tries to convince his villagers to locate a missing canoe but all they want to do is dance. A drama designed to highlight the dance and music of the people of the Benue State. 1993. 120 min. Video/C 4327
- The Preferred Sex...The Desired Number.
- In many societies, a woman is valued according to her reproductive efficiency. Her status in family and community depends on her ability to bear children of the desired number and of the desired sex. Film investigates the condition of women in Nigeria and India through interviews with husbands, wives, clergy and family planning personnel. 1995. 53 min. Video/C 4011
- This Magnificent African Cake (Africa series).
- Traces the major developments of African history between the 1800's and 1945. Looks at the different ways colonial rule was established and the emergence of nationalist movements, focusing on Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Mozambique. 1984. 60 min. Video/C MM454
- Welcome to Nollywood
- After the U.S. and India, the world's third largest producer of feature films is Nigeria. Barely a decade old and already generating over $286 million for the Nigerian economy, this documentary explores this burgeoning industry, from its unique challenges to its diverse array of films that both mirror and comment upon the social issues of the continent. Directed by Jaimie Meltzer. Dist.: Cinema Guild. 2007. 57 min. DVD 8681
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Rwanda
- Burying the Machete. Children of War. [Sound Recording]
- Side A. Burying the Machete (32 min.) -- Side B. Children of war (32 min.)Burying the Machete examines how Rwandans are trying to come to terms with the 1994 genocide. The survivors are still mourning their dead, but the call for justice is mounting while Rwanda's judicial system is incapable of dealing with the staggering case load of 150,000 suspected of involvement in the genocide. Children of War is the story of Angola's children. The displaced, amputees, orphans, child prostitutes and trauma victims tell how 30 years of war has affected them. 1995. 62 min. Sound/C 1278
- The cultural Music of the People and Church of Eastern Africa
- A look at songs, hymns and dances by performers from various countries in East Africa, particularly Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya. 2004. 34 min. Video/C MM985
- Forsaken Cries: The Story of Rwanda
- A documemtary film that examines the 1994 genocide in Rwanda as a case study in the human rights challenges of the 21st century. The film incorporates historical footage of the colonial period, interviews with genocide survivors and analyses of such issues as the international laws of genocide, the failure of the international community and non-governmental organizations, the refugee crisis, womens' human rights violations, the war crimes tribunal and the International Criminal Court. With 85-page Instructional Guide. [Washington, D.C.]: Amnesty International USA, 1997. 35 min. Video/C 7915
- Gacaca: Living Together Again in Rwanda?
- In 1994, decades of politically motivated ethnic scapegoating culminated in a wholesale slaughter of the Rwanda's Tutsi minority, along with many Hutu moderates. Today, Rwanda is rebuilding, but its most difficult task is addressing the emotional trauma and fostering reconciliation between the Hutu and Tutsi. This film follows the first steps in one of the world's boldest experiments in reconciliation: the Gacaca Tribunals. These are a form of citizen-based justice based on ancient traditions of judgement, aimed at unifying this scarred nation. 55 min. c2002. Video/C 9708
- Genocide: The Horror Continues
- The late 20th century produced a sinister euphemism: 'ethnic cleansing.' This program presents a comprehensive survey of genocide by looking at the most recent examples in Iraq, Iran, and Turkey; Burundi and Rwanda; the former Yugoslavia; Indonesia and East Timor; and Chechnya. The role and efforts of the United Nations are discussed as well as what the future holds in trying to prevent genocide. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2002. 57 min. Video/C 8745
- Ghosts of Rwanda
- Through interviews with key government officials, diplomats, soldiers, and survivors, this documentary examines the state-sponsored genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Explores the reasons why the international community and the United States did not intervene as Hutu extremists killed some 800,000 Tutsis. Written, produced and directed by Greg Barker. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television program Frontline, April 1, 2004. Dist.: PBS. 115 min. DVD 3521
- God Sleeps in Rwanda
- The 1994 Rwanda genocide left the country nearly 70% female, handing Rwanda's women an extraordinary burden and an unprecedented opportunity. This film captures the spirit of five women as they struggle to rebuild their lives and redefine women's roles in a country torn apart by war. Written, directed and produced by Kimberlee Acquaro and Stacy Sherman. 2004. 28 min. DVD 5112
- Healers Without Borders. Children of the Genocide.[Sound Recording]
- Side A. Healers without borders (32 min.) -- Side B. Children of the genocide (47 min.)Healers Without Borders looks at the work of the humanitarian organization, Medecins sans frontieres in Katale Camp, in Burundi. Medical relief workers discuss frankly the motivation of staff members, the challenges and difficulties and joys of their work. Children of the Genocide are Rwanda's children: separated from their parents they saw, heard, felt and sometimes participated themselves in the massacres in their homeland. This documentary examines what is being done to assist these child trauma victims. 1995. 79 min. Sound/C 1276
- In the Tall Grass: Inside the Citizen-based Justice System Gacaca
- Focuses on the Hutu and Tutsi as they struggle through Rwanda's unique reconciliation process: Gacaca, a network of grassroots community courts. Shows the challenges faced by post-genocide countries as they transition from violence to peace. Written and directed by J. Coll Metcalfe. Dist.: Choices, Inc. c2006. 57 min. DVD 7259
- Keepers of Memory
- Through eyewitness accounts and gripping footage, acclaimed director Eric Kabera takes a heartfelt look at the 1994 Rwandan genocide, its survivors, the memorials created in the victims' honor, and those who keep the memories alive. Director/producer, Eric Kabera. Dist.: Choices, Inc. 2004. 52 min. DVD 4692
- The Long Wait. History Will Judge Us Harshly. [Sound Recording]
- Side A. The Long wait (31 min.) -- Side B. History will judge us harshly (32 min.) The Long Wait portrays a Rwandan family in a refugee camp near Goma, Zaire. They speak of life in the camp, of the heat, the poor food, its insufficient quantity, the Hutu militiamen, their aspirations and their refusal to return to a Rwanda ruled by Tutsis. In History Will Judge Us Harshly, Burundians speak about their country's cyclical massacres and about the complete failure of politicians in dealing with the ethnic rivalry. Documentary speculates if it is time to place Burundi under an international mandate. 1995. 63 min. Sound/C 1277
- Rwanda
- First segment: A look at what has happened since the war between members of Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups in the Central African republic of Rwanda. Despite its many problems people are beginning to rebuild their lives as evidenced by a visit to a wedding ceremony. Second segment: An interview with Kenneth Roth, Exec. Director of Human Rights Watch, on the impact war crimes tribunals have had in Rwanda and around the world. First segment: A look at what has happened since the war between members of Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups in the Central African republic of Rwanda. Despite its many problems people are beginning to rebuild their lives as evidenced by a visit to a wedding ceremony. Second segment: An interview with Kenneth Roth, Exec. Director of Human Rights Watch, on the impact war crimes tribunals have had in Rwanda and around the world. Segment from the television program Rights & wrongs broadcast May 2, 1995. 27 min. Video/C 6721
- Rwanda: A Quest for Justice. (Africa: Search for Common Ground; 3)
-
Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. The first film follows the efforts of the International Tribunal for Rwanda to bring the perpetrators of the genocide to justice, an arduous, complicated process which has not gone smoothly. The second film examines Rwanda and Burundi where hate radio has been used to incite ethnic violence. But now in Burundi, radio is also being utilized as a means of building understanding and promoting reconciliation. 1997. 25 min. Video/C 5346
- Rwandan Nightmare.
- A documentary which includes eye-witness accounts of the slaughter of tens of thousands in Rwanda, tells the story of the early days of the crisis and contains interviews with survivors including President Habyarimana's widow, Rwandan Popular Front leaders, Paul Kagami and Theogene Rudasingwa, and former French humanitarian aid minister, Bernard Kouchner. Reporter Catherine Bond investigates the possibility that the carnage may have been a calculated act of genocide by the Rwandan government against the country's Tutsi minority. 1994. 41 min. Video/C 3500
- Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire.
- Lt. General Romeo Dallaire was the commander of the UN peacekeeping troops in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide which claimed 800,000 lives. This film follows Dallaire back to Rwanda ten years after the massacre in order for him to come to terms with the atrocities he witnessed there. Dallaire describes his experiences while in Rwanda and how they have since effected him. Based in part on the book, Shake hands with the Devil by (Ret'd) Lt. General Romeo Dallaire with Major Brent Beardsley. Special features: A reading of an excerpt of his book Shake hands with the Devil by Romeo Dallaire (6 min.); an interview with director Peter Raymont (8 min.); optional audio commentary by Peter Raymont or Geoff Pevere; a 56 min. classroom version of the film; photo gallery; reading list. 2005. 91 min. DVD 4370
- Sometimes in April
- A drama of two brothers divided along political lines in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where over the course of 100 days an estimated 800,000 people were killed in a terrifying purge by Hutu nationalists against their Tutsi countrymen. Written and directed by Raoul Peck. HBO. c2005. 140 min. DVD 4060
- Through My Eyes, A Film About Rwandan Youth
- Film follows the youth of Rwanda in 2004, who use the arts to help move the country forward ten years after the genocide. By expressing themselves through dance, poetry, music and painting, the teens many of whom lost parents and family members during the conflict, are able to deal with the emotional and physical trauma they endured. Editor/director, Kavila Matu. 2004. 44 min. DVD 6180
- The Triumph of Evil.
- Eight hundred thousand Tutsis were slaughtered by the Hutu majority in Rwanda. As the U.N.'s Genocide Convention--created to make sure genocide would never happen again--marks its 50th anniversary, Frontline examines the role of Britain, France, the U.S. and the U.N. as they ignored the warnings and evidence of impending massacre. Originally broadcast as an episode of Frontline. c1999. 60 min. Video/C 6394
- Youth Interrupted.
- Addresses the need for justice and rehabilitation for juvenile participants in the Rwandan genocide through interviews with child soldiers and men who as children were forced to fight in the conflict. A production of the Witness Project which uses video technology to investigate human rights abuses. 2001. 6 min. DVD 3240
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Senegal
- Africa Dreaming.
- Contents: Sophia's homecoming / directed by Richard Pakleppa ; produced by Bridget Pickering (28 min.) -- Sabriya / written and directed by Abderrahmane Sissako; produced by Dora Bouchoucha Fourati (28 min.) -- So Be It / written, directed and produced by Joseph Gai Ramaka (28 min) -- The Gaze of the Stars / directed by Joao Ribeiro; produced by Pedro Pimenta. Four television shorts produced in four different African countries to be shown on the African television series Africa Dreaming. In Sophia's Homecoming (Namibia) a woman who has worked as a domestic returns home to a terrible discovery: the ruptures caused by apartheid can never be repaired. In Sabriya (Tunisia) a modern woman disrupts the patterned mosaic of male Maghrebi society. So Be It (Senegal), based on a play by Wole Soyinka, follows the destruction of a well intentioned foreign doctor confronting fear, rage and powerlessness in a remote Senegalese village. The Gaze of the Stars (Mozambique) is a story about machismo in Mozambique, so powerful that it drives away whatever it loves. 1997. 112 min. Video/C 5400
- Against the Tide of History: Landmines in the Casamance
- Landmines continue to kill and maime civilians in Senegal while authorities disregard their obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty to provide assistance to victims. Since 1982, a civil war has been raging in Casamance, Senegal which has made Casamance the most mine-ridden zone in West Africa. A production of the Witness Project which uses video technology to investigate human rights abuses. Dist.: Witness Project. 2004. 27 min. DVD 3248
- And What if Latif was Right! (Et si Latif avait raison!)
- "This is treason! You know what would happen to you in another African country. You're lucky I'm a democrat," is how President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal cuts down on TV a simple rational proposition for solving a regional crisis. In this razor-sharp analysis of Senegal's perverted democracy, Joseph Gaie Ramaka shows us how unlucky the Senegalese feel to have Wade as "a democrat." The film is based on journalist Abdoulatif's Coulibaly's denunciation of Wade's scandalously unmet promises for democratic change and pays homage to the victims of his regime. A film by Joseph Gai Ramaka. 2006. 120 min. DVD 6778
- Destination: Senegal
- Describes daily life in Senegal as experienced by Peace Corps volunteers who live and work there. 1996. 15 min. Video/C 5864
- Djabote.
- A spellbinding film of an Eric Serra audio recording session of Senegalese master-drummer Doudou N'Diaye Rose with his drum orchestra and singers on the Island of Goree, off the coast of Dakar. 1993. 43 min. Video/C 4338
- Femmes Aux Yeux Ouverts = Women with Open Eyes(Library of African Cinema).
- Profiles contemporary African women in four West African countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Benin. We meet a woman active in the movement against female genital mutilation, a health care worker educating women about sexually transmitted diseases, and businesswomen who describe how they have set up an association to share expertise and provide mutual assistance. 1994. 52 min. Video/C 3728
- Living Africa: A Village Experience.
- Portrays the daily experiences and concerns of the people of Wassetake, a small village on the Senegal River in West Africa, emphasizing changes taking place within and outside the community. 1984. 35 min. Video/C 728
- Names Live Nowhere (Les noms n'habitent nulle part)
- This film (whose title is a Senegalese proverb) looks at experiences of Senegalese living in Brussels, with commentary on African expatriates by a griot. A film by Dominique Loreau. Dist.: ArtMattan. c1994. 76 min. Video/C 9657
- Reassemblage: From the Firelight to the Screen
- Directed, written and edited by Trinh T. Minh-ha. Experimental documentary film centered upon the daily activities of Senegalese village women. 1982. 40 min. DVD 8992; vhs Video/C 3092
- Refuge?: The Social and Economic Condition of Refugees in Senegal
- Explores the issue of Mauritanian, Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugee rights in Senegal. A production of the Witness Project which uses video technology to investigate human rights abuses. Dist.: Witness Project. 2000. 9 min. DVD 3238
- Selbe: One Among Many.
- Due to economic constraints, women in Senegal are often left with the sole responsibility of raising their families. Depiction of one such woman's struggles under these trying circumstances. A film by Safi Faye. 1982. 30 min. Video/C 3349
- Seni's Children.
- Seni Camara lives in the Senegalese village of Bignona. While potters in her village make only useful bowls and pots Seni shocks everyone by creating clay sculptures of bizarre magnificent creatures -- her "children." A film by Philip Haas. Dist.: Milestone Film and Video. 1990. 55 min. Video/C MM516
- This Magnificent African Cake (Africa series).
- Traces the major developments of African history between the 1800's and 1945. Looks at the different ways colonial rule was established and the emergence of nationalist movements, focusing on Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Mozambique. 1984. 60 min. Video/C MM454
- Warrior Marks.
- A film by Alice Walker and Pratibha Parmar. A poetic and political film about female genital mutilation. Includes interviews with women from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gambia, the United States, and England. 1993. 54 min. Video/C 3348
- Walker, Alice. Warrior Marks: Female Genital Mutilation and the Sexual Blinding of Women / Alice Walker and Pratibha Parmar. 1st ed. New York: Harcourt Brace, c1993.(UCB Bancroft GN484 .W35 1993; UCB Grad Svcs XMAC.W18.W37 Modern Authors Collection; UCB Main GN484 .W35 1993; UCB Moffitt GN484 .W35 1993)
- Grewal, Inderpal Kaplan, Caren. "Warrior Marks: Global Womanism's Neo-Colonial Discourse in a Multicultural Context." Camera Obscura 5-11, September 1996
Hamilton, Amy.
"Warrior Marks." (includes related articles) off our backs v23, n11 (Dec, 1993):2 (5 pages).
James, Stanlie M. "Shades of Othering: Reflections on Female Circumcision/Genital Mutilation."
Signs, Summer 1998 v23 i4 p1031(1)
UC users only
Minor, Diane. "Warrior Marks: Joyous Resistance at Walker Film Debut." (documentary film by Alice Walker) National N O W Times v26, n2 (Jan, 1994):7.
Simonds, Cylena. "Missing the Mark." (female mutilation in movie 'Warrior Marks') Afterimage v21, n8 (March, 1994):3.
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Sierra Leone
- Cry Freetown
- Award-winning cameraman Sorious Samura returns to Sierra Leone to expose the horror of his country's civil war. In January 1999, the rebel forces attacked Freetown, the capital, killing thousands of civilians. Despite journalists being threatened with death, Samura filmed on the streets of the city throughout capturing extraordinary and disturbing footage of innocent victims of a civil war largely ignored by the West. Producer and director, Ron McCullagh. 2000. 28 min. Video/C 8327
- The Diamond Life.
- The Revolutionary United Front's attack on Freetown in January of 1999 was the culmination of a decade-long struggle between the RUF and the government of Sierra Leone. The rebel forces, bolstered by the former Sierra Leonean Army, which had turned on the government, swept into the city, killing, mutilating, and raping thousands in the continuing war over the control of the country's rich diamond fields. Since 1990, half the country's population of five million has been displaced. Today, Sierra Leone produces more refugees than any other country in Africa. A production of the Witness Project which uses video technology to investigate human rights abuses. Dist.: Witness Project. 2000. 7 min. DVD 3236
- The Empire in Africa
- The rebels who started the civil war in Sierra Leone 15 years ago wanted only one thing: to reclaim the richness of the country from foreign corporations in order to end the exploitation of its people. In response, the international community decided to wage a war on this country, with bombs, executions, torture, rigged elections and manipulation of the international media. This created one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 20th century. Producer/director, Philippe Diaz. 2006. 87 min. DVD 7852
- Family Across the Sea.
- Film examines how scholars have uncovered the remarkable connections between the Gullah people of South Carolina and the people of Sierra Leone and how the Gullahs incorporated many aspects of African culture including the language into the daily life of the plantations. Film concludes with a delegation of
Gullah people traveling from the United States to Sierra Leone to trace the roots of their heritage. 1991. 56 min. Video/C 3782
- The Language You Cry In: [The Story of a Mende Song]. (Library of African Cinema.)
- The film tells an amazing scholarly detective story reaching across hundreds of years and thousands of miles from 18th century Sierra Leone to the Gullah people of present-day Georgia. It recounts the even more remarkable saga of how African Americans retained links with their African past through a song, a burial hymn of the Mende people brought by slaves to the rice plantations of the Southeast coast more than two hundred years ago. In English and Mende with English subtitles. Producer/Directors: Alvaro Toepke and Angel Serrano. 1999. 53 min. Video/C 6295
- The Mende (Disappearing World).
- Documentary on the life and customs of the Mende, West African people of the rain forests of southern Sierra Leone and adjacent parts of Liberia. 1991. 51 min. Video/C 3431
- Nightmare in Paradise: The Story Behind a Military Coup
- Chronicles the recent political history of Sierra Leone, a small West African nation, rich in natural resources, which has been plagued by politically corrupt governments since its establishment as a republic in 1971. Following the 1992 overthrow of the dictatorial regime of Joseph Saidu Momoh, African journalist Hilton Fyle returned to his native country to interview a cross-section of Sierra Leoneans who comment on current conditions and recount the numerous abuses of Momoh's one-party state. Dist. Cinema Guild. c1992. 98 min. Video/C 8307
- Operation Fine Girl: Rape Used as a Weapon of War in Sierra Leon
- Documentary about the use of sexual violence against women as a weapon in the Sierra Leone civil war. The story is told through the eyes of survivors: women and girls, as well as the child soldiers and perpetrators. A production of the Witness Project which uses video technology to investigate human rights abuses. Dist.: Witness Project. 2001. 46 min. DVD 3237
- Returning Dreams. (Life; 4)
- Fourteen-year old Jemoh has been living in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone for three years. This program follows her on her return journey home to Liberia, and the mixed picture she finds there. Jemoh is just one of millions of children caught up in the world's conflicts. Some are forced to fight and kill; others are used as slaves and "wives." Those that do survive are left brutalized and traumatized. How, this program asks, can these children be rehabilitated who have gone through such experiences? Directed by Emily Marlow. 2005. 23 min. DVD 3976
- Witness to Truth: A Video Report and Recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone
- Documentary about the use of sexual violence against women as a weapon in the Sierra Leone civil war. The story is told through the eyes of survivors: women and girls, as well as the child soldiers and perpetrators. A production of the Witness Project which uses video technology to investigate human rights abuses. Dist.: Witness Project. 2004. 55 min. DVD 3252
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Somalia
- Africa: The Uncovered Continent. Part 1
- The first segment examines the wisdom and consequences of American and United Nations humanitarian intervention in Somalia. In the second segment the economic and social decay and poverty in Zaire are examined through the eyes of Zairian human rights advocate Floribert Chebeya. Segment from the television program Rights & wrongs broadcast April 11, 1993. 27 min. Video/C 6687
- Ambush in Mogadishu
- An investigation of what went wrong with the peacekeeping mission in Mogadishu. On Oct. 3, 1993, elite units of the U.S. Army's Rangers and Delta Force were pinned down on the streets of Mogadishu by forces of Somali warlord, Mohammed Farah Aidid. Eighteen American soldiers died and seventy-five were wounded. The incident caused the U.S. to rethink its response to the world's humanitarian crises. Includes new charges that Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network trained and supported the Somali fighters responsible for the attack. Originally produced for television broadcast as a segment of the series Frontline. Dist.: PBS. c2001. 60 min. Video/C 9049
- Talk Mogadishu: Media Under Fire
Documents the operation of the independent, non-partisan radio and television station, HornAfrik, in the Somali capitol of Mogadishu. The station's very popular talk shows allow marginalized groups, such as human rights advocates and women's groups, to speak out and be heard. HornAfrik is sometimes attacked by warlords angered by the show's content and the station requires armed guards 24 hours a day. Directed by Judy Jackson. 2003. 50 min. DVD 3775
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South Africa
- An Act of Faith: The Phelophepa Health Train. (Life, Part 4)
- A group of health professionals spends nine months or each year touring the poorest and most remote areas of South Africa by rail. With a full contingent of volunteer doctors, dentists, optometrists and health educators on board, the "good clean health train" delivers quality health care to deprived rural communities. (For other installments of series, see Global Issues and Events)
c2000. 24 min. Video/C 7764
- African Jim.
- Made on the eve of apartheid's inception, this is the first full length feature film made in South Africa with an all native African cast. Featuring top African singers and music of the 1950's, this is a unique record of a lost era. 1995. 51 min. Video/C 4008
- The African National Congress and the Future of South Africa.
- A conversation on South African politics and the A.N.C. between Pallo Jordan, Executive Committee, A.N.C. and Robert Price, professor of Political Science, U.C. Berkeley. Recorded May 2, 1988. 1988. 60 min. Video/C 1323
- The ANC: A Time for Candor
- A critical look at the philosophy, leaders, and activities of the African National Congress making the case that the ANC encourages violence, is a "peddler of the Soviet slant" and a communist organization. Examines links between the ANC and the United Democratic Front (UNF). [198-?] 29 min. Video/C 8087
- Alan Paton's Beloved Country
- Alan Paton -- teacher, author, politician -- was one of South Africa's most remarkable sons. This documentary reveals the man and the complex relationship he had with his country. Repelled by the racism he saw in the homeland he loved, his Christian conscience propelled him into the world of political action. He wrote Cry the Beloved Country, the novel that had the most profound impact in the world-wide struggle against apartheid. This documentary relates the author to his work and includes Paton reading extracts from his novel. [1999?] 54 min. Video/C 7677
- Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony
- Tells the story of black South African freedom music and the central role it played against apartheid. Specifically considers the music that sustained and galvanized blacks for more than 40 years. Focuses on the struggle's spiritural dimension named for the Xhosa word for "power". An uplifting story of human courage, resolve and triumph. Featuring Vusi Mahlasela, Jeremy Cronin, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Sophie Mgcina, Dolly Rathebe, Sifiso Ntuli, Abdullah Ibrahim, Duma Ka Ndlovu. Special features: Q & A with director, producer and Vusi, Vusi at Joe's pub, director and producer commentary, Dave Matthews interview, deleted scenes, sing-a-long, Amandla! production notes, theatrical trailer, and trailer gallery. 2002. 103 min. DVD 8466
- Asinamali!.
- This play, commissioned by the BBC, is written, directed, and acted by "The Committee Artists", a South African performing group. Five prisoners in a South African jail recall--through word, song, and dance--the events which have brought them there. "Asinamali" means we have no money. The men portrayed in "Asinamali" have been victimized by the laws, police brutality, unemployment, and humiliation of apartheid. Based on the play by Mbongeni Ngema. 1995. 66 min. Video/C 4012
- Belonging.(Real stories from a free South Africa; v. 3)
- Directed by Minky Schlesinger and Khetiwe Ngcobo. Born into exile as the daughter of political emigres, Kethiwe Ngcobo and her family returned to their longed-for homeland, South Africa in 1994. Now ten years later, Kethiwe, a hip, young woman with a British accent finds herself struggling to find her place in the new South Africa. Hoping to reconcile the warring strands of her identity, Khetiwe seeks healing in her Zulu traditions. At the same time, her sister refuses to participate in any ceremonies as meaningless rituals. Khetiwe is not alone in her journey to find belonging. The country is also in the process of finding itself. This is a personal and honest look at one person's quest for identity. 2004. 52 min.
- Biko: Breaking the Silence.
- Presents the story of Stephen Biko. Parts of the motion picture, Cry Freedom are shown. 1987. 55 min. Video/C 1236
- Bishop Tutu at the Greek Theater.
- Bishop Tutu's speech and program at the Greek Theater, May 13, 1985. 1985. 59min. Video/C 770
View this video online
Requires Windows Media Player or Flip4Mac - Bopha! = Arrest!
- Portrayal of the play, Bopha!, which depicts South Africa's dreaded black police force, the tool of apartheid. Through the play the audience sees the reality and effects of South Africa's apartheid. Includes additional live footage of the black force in action. A classic of the South African township theatre movement of the 1980's. The Earth Players production of Percy Mtwa's Bopha! was produced at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa. 1995. 59 min. Video/C 4006
- Breaking the Cycle. (Africa: Search for Common Ground; 2.)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. Examines the issue of domestic violence were we meet abusers and victims working to break the vicious cycle in South Africa's Alexandra Township. 1997. 26 min. Video/C 5345
- Building a Nation
- A presentation of the history of Afrikanerdom according to Afrikaner Nationalists. It traces the arrival of the Dutch in southern Africa, through the Great Trek and the defeat of the Zulu nation at the Battle of Blood River, the founding of the independent republics, the Anglo-Boer War, to the establishment of the Union of South Africa. As an expression of Afrikaner chauvinism, this epic was for several decades used as a propaganda tool by the architects of apartheid to support their racist ideology.
Originally produced in 1938. 120 min. Video/C 9464
- Celebration of Human Rights: With Bishop Desmond Tutu, Lt. Governor Leo McCarthy, Senator Alan Cranston, Reverend Cecil Williams, Lia Belli. U.C. Davis, May 14, 1985. 1985. Video/C 771
- View this video online
Requires Windows Media Player or Flip4Mac - Changing This Country: The Testimony of Four South African Workers.
- A narrative of the life and political activism of four workers in Port Elizabeth, a heavily industrialized city on the southern coast of South Africa , in 1987. Subtitles when a speaker uses a language other than English. 1988. 58 min. Video/C 1265
- Children of Apartheid.
- Walter Cronkite hosts this piece filmed in 1987 about young people in South Africa. Interviews with black and white youth, including Zindzi Mandela and Roxanne Botha, daughters of Nelson Mandela and President P.W. Botha. A look at the country's troubled present and at those who will shape its future. 1987. 49 min. Video/C 1263
- Cinderella of the Cape Flats(Real stories from a free South Africa; v. 2)
- Everyday the working class Coloured women in the garment industry of the windswept flats around Cape Town toil anonymously to make clothes so that other women will look beautiful. Invariably they cannot afford these garments themselves. But for one day a year they come out in all their glory at the Annual Spring Queen pageant. The pageant is created by the workers and their trade union to bring their families together for an evening of solidarity and fun. Set against the preparation for the 2003 pageant, this film explores the lives of working women and celebrates them as creators of beauty. Although the end of apartheid has not taken away the drudgery of repetitive factory labor, this pageant shows working class women inventing their own lively folk culture. A film by Jane Kennedy. 2004. 58 min. DVD 5264
- Come Back, Africa.
- A 1959 documentary-style film which tells the story of Zacariah, a Zulu who, after being forced off his land by the government, must then go to work in the gold mines near Johannesburg where he must confront the evils of apartheid. Starring Mariam Makeba. 1995. 83 min. Video/C 4009
- A Constitution Worth Fighting For.
- A discussion of the need to draft a constitution for South Africa that will protect the rights of every citizen and provide the framework for good government. Sponsored as a public service by The Free Market Foundation with the support of The Center for International Private Enterprise. (M-PAL format) 1996. 16 min. Video/C 4551
- Corridors of Freedom.
- Focuses on economic interdependence and collective self reliance of the Southern African states in the framework of the Southern African development coordination. 1987. 51 min. Video/C 1047
- The Cost of Living. (Life, Part 14)
- This program examines why AIDS drugs are unaffordable in developing countries, using as examples Thailand and South Africa, two countries who have applied to use compulsory licenses and parallel importing -- practices agreed under World Trade Organization guidelines -- to make their own generic versions of anti-retroviral drugs to halt the AIDS epidemic in their countries. It also asks why anti-retroviral drugs still aren't included in the WTO's essential drugs lists. (For other installments of series, see Global Issues and Events) c2000. 24 min. Video/C 7774
- Cry of Reason, Bayers Naude: An Afrikaner Speaks Out.
- Focuses on South Africa and race relations. 1988. 57 min. Video/C 1261
- Cuba/South Africa After the Battle.
- In 1975, the first Cuban soldiers went to Angola to help defend that newly independent government from invasion by South African troops. After nearly 14 years of bitter conflict, the Angolan War ended, Namibia was established as an independent state, and Cuban and South African troops have returned home. This documentary examines the politics of the war from both sides and features remarkable combat footage, archival material and interviews with Cuban and South African soldiers. Dist. Cinema Guild. 1990. 58 min. Video/C 5224
- The Debt of Dictators
- Exposes the irresponsible lending to brutal dictators by multinational financial institutions. Revealing the widespread impoverishment resulting from these debts, the film transports viewers to Argentina, South Africa, and the Philippines, where essential services have been sacrificed in order to repay these illegitimate loans. In each of the cases, the government pays more in servicing the foreign debts than it does on all essential social services combined. Makes a compelling case for the forgiveness of foreign loans accrued by some of history's worst dictators, debts that exacerbate the suffering of the victims of the dictators and the institutions that profited from their rule. Argentina (10 min.) -- South Africa (18 min.) -- The Philippines (17 min.). Written, directed and produced by Erling Borgen.c2005. 45 min. DVD 8252
- Destructive Engagement.
- Shows how the civil war in South Africa affects the neighboring countries of Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, in billions of dollars of damage to buildings and in terms of human pain and suffering of these countries' populations. 1987. 52 min. Video/C 1262
- Fruits of Defiance.
- Focuses on events in the 1989 defiance campaign from the perspective of people living in the Mannenberg area, on the Cape Flats. The film was shot over a month in August and September 1988. 1990. 46 min. Video/C 2959
- Generations of Resistance.
- Uses archival photographs, newsreel footage, and interviews to chronicle the quest by black South Africans for economic viability and individual freedom. 1980. 52 min. Video/C 934
- Gumboots
- Gumboot dancing was born out of the oppressive gold mines of South Africa. Forbidden to speak and in almost complete darkness, the slave laborers developed their own language by slapping their gumboots and rattling their ankle chains. In time it has developed into a truly unique dance form unrivaled in its energy and physicality, which celebrates the body as a musical instrument while highlighting South Africa's rich culture. Contents: Nelson Mandela Paulina -- Ta la li la le -- Joburg -- Shosholoza -- Egoli, City of Gold -- Joburg (instrumental) -- Sibiziwe -- Amazinyo Amphlophe -- Amazinyo Amhlophe -- Who's foolin who? I'm yoo sexy -- Mabele -- Bump jive -- Uqhuba Isisu -- Dronkie -- Train -- Omm ohh ho la la -- Hiyo! hiyo! -- Ukuvalwa kwe mine -- Asikhathali -- Ma-Gumede. Performers: Vincent Ncabashe, Thami Nkwanyana, Nicholas Nene, Themba Short. Choregraphy by Rishile Gumboot Dancers of Soweto and Zenzi Mbuli. 2000. 80 min. Video/C 8295
- Have You Seen Drum Recently?
- A unique social documentary capturing the scope of black South African life in the fifties and the impact of apartheid on their lives. Includes original fifties music and dance...big band, jazz, swing, kwela, penny whistle. 1990. 77 min, PAL format Video/C 3202
- Hearing on U.C. Divestment.
- April 24, 1985, Harmon Gym, U.C. Berkeley Campus. 1985. Video/C 769
- Hlanganani: A Short History of COSATU.
- This is a short history of South Africa's largest union federation. This film is historic in that it was the first program made by the democratic movement to be shown by SABC TV. It was screened on 23 July 1991- two days before COSATU's fourth National Congress. 1991. 60 min. PAL format Video/C 3203
- Hopes on the Horizon
- Chronicles the rise of pro-democracy movements in six African countries during the 1990s: Benin: a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy -- Nigeria: a human rights movement challenges the military -- Rwanda: Historians build a platform for dialogue -- Morocco: Women's rights activists reform the traditional religious family code -- Mozambique: Agricultural cooperatives advocate economic reform and land rights -- South Africa: A township unites to promote quality education. 2001. 115 min. Video/C 7855
- Hot Wax (Real stories from a free South Africa; v. 1)
- Ivy is a big, bubbly black woman who managed to run her own beauty salon surreptitiously during the dark days of apartheid. She lives in Alexandra, a restless and poor township, while her white, mostly elderly, clients live in the tree-lined suburbs of Johannesburg. In her salon she is part beautician, long-time friend, lay counselor and honest commentator to her customers. While she masks her clients' imperfections, she also peels away layers of difference separating the races. It can be easily pointed out that Ivy essentially enjoys the intimacy of a domestic servant, while her white clients maintain their economic privileges and know little about Ivy's private world. But since apartheid's end, Ivy owns her own shop and now meets her clients on an equal footing. A film by Andy Spitz. 2004. 49 min. DVD 5263
- I Talk About Me, I Am Africa.
- Filmed in the black areas of South Africa. Provides a look at the response of black culture to the system of apartheid through performances in a variety of theatrical forms. 1980. 54 min. Video/C 779
- In a Time of Violence.
- A story concerning changing values, violent cultural and political clashes and conflict among black families in Johannesburg, South Africa. 1993. 151 min. Video 999:1153
- In Darkest Hollywood: Cinema and Apartheid.
- Turns the lens on filmmakers and the South African society they so often misrepresented. Films generally supported the ethos of racial domination that led to apartheid and it was only after Africans insisted on being heard that they began to be portrayed on-screen as more than mere adjuncts of whites. Includes newsreel footage of violence in South Africa and interviews with producers, directors, screenwriters, authors and actors who expound upon films they have been instrumental in producing which explored the conditions of black South Africans. 2 videocassettes, 1993. 108 min. Video/C 4010
- Ellis, Cassandra. "In Darkest Hollywood." (motion picture) (movie reviews)Cineaste v21, n1-2 (Wntr-Spring, 1995):87 (2 pages).
- Ipi Ntombi: an African Dance Celebration
- A remake of a South African stage musical originally created by mother/daughter team Bertha Egnos and Gail Lakier titled "Ipi tombi," which opened in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1974 and then played all over the world for the next six years. Now 20 years later, this new updated version which includes some direct descendants of the original cast members, dance the story of the Johannesburg mine worker who sings of his love for the girl back home and his sense of separation from his tribal roots. 1997. 90 min. Video/C 6649
- Johannesburg: One City, Colliding Worlds
- In this lecture, Lindsay Bremner, Chair of Architecture at the University of the Witwaterstrand, South Africa, comments on her recent book which examines the rapid social transformations taking place in Johannesburg, by exploring the new identities and bonds forming in the midst of spatial enclosures in the city. CED architecture lecture series This event took place at the University of California, Berkeley on February 9, 2005. 40 min. Video/C MM633
- [Kentridge, William] William Kentridge & Handspring Puppet Company
- Woyzeck in Johannesburg (disc title: Woyzeck on the highveld) -- Faustus in Africa -- Ubu and the Truth Commission -- Confessions of Zeno. Writers, Jane Taylor, Kevin Nolans, William Kentridge ; puppet maker, Adrian Kohler ; music Kevin Volans. Internationally renowned, the Handspring Puppet Company has been in the forefront of adult puppeteering since 1985. Based in South Africa they continue to expore the boundaries of adult puppet theater within an African context. This film which explores the collaboration between artist William Kentridge and the Company presents excerpts from four productions, featuring life-size puppets, animation, live actors and documentary footage. 2003. 60 min. DVD 9248
- [Kentridge, William] William Kentridge, Artist: The End of the Beginning.
- A documentary on the work of South African artist William Kentridge, whose animated drawings largely depict the social forces of his native Johannesburg. Since the 1970s Kentridge has investigated the diseased, amnesiac consciousness of late- and post-apartheid South Africa and its history. He reflects on these issues and how traveling abroad has influenced his images. Provides insight into the artist's creative process, his charcoal drawing filmmaking techniques and includes excerpts from his films. Produced and directed by Beata Lipman. 1994. 29 min. Video/C MM340
- The Leader, His Driver, and the Driver's Wife.
- Documentary about the neo-Nazi society AWB (Afrikaner-Weerstandsbeweging), a white supremacist movement that existed in South Africa just before the end of apartheid. Focuses on interviews with the leader Eugene Terreblanche and various individuals in his entourage. We see the leader's hatred and racial nationalism exposed in the raw. A film by Nick Broomfield. 1991. 84 min. DVD 5339
- Learning About Livelihoods: Insights From Southern Africa: Film Case Studies
- Case studies of individual households in South Africa. Floods: Looks at responses and resiliency of families devastated by floods that hit Southern Mozambique in 2000. Moving on: Examines a Zimbabwean community as it battles environmental degradation and seeks to conserve an endangered water source. Home-making: A study of a minework's family in Lesotho asking who's labor sustains the home: that of the husband, the wife or the domestic worker? Pruned: An influx of foreign outlets and insecure land tenure, spells poverty for former Zambian copperbelt mineworkers. How secure is one family's alternatives; trading, farming and community networks? Legacies: Looks at youth in KwaZulu-Natal province, who inherit a long history of violent conflict, land dispossession, shrinking economic options and the highest HIV infection rate in the country. Commissioned by Disaster Mitigation for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme, University of Cape Town, filmed with with assistance of ANSA.Funded by Department for International Development of the British Government (D.F.I.D.) Oxfam GB, Southern Africa. 97 min. Video/C 9564
- The Life and times of Sara Baartman: "The Hottentot Venus"
- A documentary film on the life of a Khoi Khoi woman who was taken from South Africa in 1810 and exhibited as a freak across Britain. The image and ideas for "The Hottentot Venus" (particularly the interest in her sexual anatomy) swept through British popular culture. A court battle waged by abolitionists to free her from her exhibitors failed. In 1814, a year before her death, she was taken to France and became the object of scientific research that formed the bedrock of European ideas about black female sexuality. In English and French with English subtitles. c1998. 52 min. Video/C 6374
- Long Night's Journey Into Day
- Follows four cases over a two-year period that were brought before South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission which investigates the crimes of apartheid, by bringing together victims and perpetrators to relive South Africa's brutal history. In so doing South Africa is showing the rest of the world that even the most bitter conflicts can be addressed through honesty and communication, providing the most definitive record of one of the most ambitious and innovative attempts at social reconciliation without precedent in human history. Directors, Frances Reid & Deborah Hoffmann. c2000. 95 min. Video/C 7233
- [Nelson] Mandela Inauguration
- Coverage of the Presidential inauguration in Pretoria, S.A. of the first multi-racial democratically elected candidates in South African history. The candidates are sworn in by the Chief Justice, and Bishop Tutu gives the benediction. President Mandela's acceptance speech emphasizes reconciliation and renewal.
Licensed off-the-air recording made on 05/10/94 from a broadcast by C-SPAN. 83 min. Video/C MM436
- Mandela
- The story of Nelson Mandela, the leader of black South Africa, and his wife Winnie, who have carried on their fight for freedom and human dignity since his imprisonment more than twenty years ago. 1986. 58 min. Video/C 939
- Mandela, Nelson: Oakland, 6/30/90.
- Filmed off-air from an Eyewitness News (Channel 5) live coverage of Nelson Mandela's speech in the Oakland Coliseum. 1990. Approx. 60 min. Video/C 1309
- My Mother Built This House
- There are four million homeless people in South Africa who live in shacks in slums or squatter settlements. Government programs are building houses for these homeless, but it is a slow process. This program looks at the difference the South African Homeless People's Federation is making. The federation members, most of whom are women, save up money to add to their government grants, allowing them to build larger houses, helping women and their families live in a home of their own. Video/C 8936
- Nabantwa Bam' With my children: A Family Portrait(Real stories from a free South Africa; v. 5)
- This film is a fascinating case study of the emergence of social classes within the same Black South African family. Two brothers live with their successful and ambitious mother, a market researcher, in a comfortable, middle class Soweto home. The older brother Nhlanhla has suffered a head injury which may be debilitating and has had no time to receive an education that would let him take advantage of the opportunities offered by the new South Africa. Street-wise instead, he spends his time hanging out with his home boys and his dog. His younger brother, Miles, is a 'born free,' the first black student at his all white school and now a programmer with a promising career at Microsoft. Though fond of his brother, his life is in complete contrast to Nhlanhla's. Miles has very clear goals and deadlines for himself; his strong motivation shows what a difference it makes to know that there is no ceiling on one's ambitions. Written and directed by Victor Khulile Nxumalo. 2004. 41 min. DVD 5267
- [Nelson] Mandela: Special Report.
- Program is not complete. Filmed off-air by the Office of Media Services, UC Berkeley, February 12,1990. DVD 9111 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 1700
- [Nelson] Mandela: Nightline in South Africa. Nelson Mandela: Wednesday, February 7, 1990 & Monday, February 12, 1990
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Two broadcasts originating from South Africa. The first presents the phenomenon of Nelson Mandela and the contrast between ABC News' last visit in 1985 and the present visit in 1990. The second records Nelson Mandela's first full day of freedom after his release from prison. Both segments examine his influence on South Africa through interviews with African politicians, political prisoners, journalists, Mandela's attorney and his wife, Winnie Mandela. 1990. 66 min. Video/C 5763
- [Nelson] Mandela's Speech to Congress, June 1990.
- 1990. Approx. 60 min. Video/C 1684
- Mapantsula.
- A film about South African street gangs who are identified by their clothing. Subtitled in English. 1988. 102 min. Video/C 1450
- Schmitz, Oliver. Mapantsula: The Book. Fordsburg, South Africa: Congress of South African Writers; Johannesburg: Thorold's Africana Books [distributor, 1991]. UCB Main PN1997 .M373 1991
Maingard, J. "New South African Cinema: 'Mapantsula' and 'Sarafina'. Screen, 1994 Fall, V35 N3:235-243.
Beittel M. "Mapantsula: Cinema, Crime, and Politics on the Witwatersrand" Journal of South African Studies, 1990 Dec., V16 N4:751-760.
Davies, Matt. "Mapantsula." (movie reviews) Africa Today v37, n1 (Wntr, 1990):97 (3 pages).
Dandridge-Perry, Cheryl. "Mapantsula." (movie reviews) African Arts v23, n3 (July, 1990):88 (2 pages).
Worger, William H. "Mapantsula." (movie reviews) American Historical Review v97, n4 (Oct, 1992):1141 (3 pages).
- Nightline in South Africa. Nelson Mandela: Wednesday, February 7, 1990 & Monday, February 12, 1990 / ABC News.
- Two broadcasts originating from South Africa. The first presents the phenomenon of Nelson Mandela and the contrast between ABC News' last visit in 1985 and the present visit in 1990. The second records Nelson Mandela's first full day of freedom after his release from prison. Both segments examine his influence on South Africa through interviews with African politicians, political prisoners, journalists, Mandela's attorney and his wife, Winnie Mandela. 1990. 66 min. Video/C 5763
- Not My Child: AIDS in South Africa
- Presents segments from the 13th Annual International Conference on AIDS in Durban and accounts by people of South Africa with HIV/AIDS and the role of traditional healers. 1998. 7 min. Video/C 7880
- On Tiptoe: The Music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Library of African Cinema)
- Tells the inspiring story of the group that introduced South African music to the world, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The film recounts how a music affirming its deeply traditional roots has been passed down and popularized under the most hostile circumstances. With its origins in the oppression of the apartheid years, Zulu men driven from their land to jobs in cities and mines, eager to maintain contact with their homeland, invented a kind of singing and dancing descended from traditional Zulu "stomping." They added influences from American popular music -- vaudeville, rag time, gospel and rock 'n roll to invent a unique musical form of resistance. 2000. 56 min. Video/C 8260
- Patient Abuse: TAC's Struggle for Treatment Access
- Presents the early missteps by the South African government health officials concerning AIDS through archival footage and reprints from the newspaper AIDS Times. Film follows the controversial statements made by current President Thabo Mbeki which advance doubts that HIV is the cause of AIDS. It also looks at the work of the organizations South Africa United Against AIDS and the Treatment Action Campaign which challenges pharmaceutical companies for charging high prices for AIDS drugs. 2001. 59 min. Video/C 8726
- Prime time South Africa: A Selection of Post-Apartheid Television Programs
- Aired by the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Dramas, comedies, game shows and commercials were chosen to demonstrate the variety of ways South African media is now portraying its new, post-apartheid society. Includes episodes from 5 series: Soul City deals with AIDS in a clinic in a South African township. Local Voter is a game show presenting voter education. The Rhythm and Rights series explores political issues from women's rights to unemployment through a fictional community radio station. Generations is a primetime drama set in a Black-owned advertising agency while Going Up is a situation comedy set in a multiracial law firm. 1997. 110 min. Video/C 5399
- The Return of of Sara Baartman.
- Chronicles the return of the remains of Sara Baartman, a Black woman who had been exhibited as a freak in early nineteenth-century Europe. Her remains were returned to South Africa from France, where they had been kept at the Museum of Man (Musee L'Homme). On April 29, 2002, Sara's remains were officially handed back to the South African people at an emotionally charged ceremony at the country's Embassy in Paris and, on August 9 (National Women's Day), she was ceremonially buried on the banks of the Gamtoos River. 2002. 52 min. Video/C MM400
- Rhodes (Life & Legend of Cecil Rhodes).
- A biography of Cecil Rhodes who arrived in Africa at the age of eighteen to join the diamond rush but soon conceived another ambition: to bring the entire land under British rule. By the time he was thirty, Rhodes was one of the wealthiest men in the world and ten years later, a new country had been created and named for him, Rhodesia. A candid vision of the birth of apartheid, and the bitter wars that divided a country and devastated its people. Originally produced for PBS television in 1996. 1997. 336 min. Video/C 5519
- Rhodesian Civil War Newsreels, 1970-1978
- [Pt. 1] Graduation -- District Commissioner -- Police working a civil war -- Rhodesian Army commercial -- Army briefing -- Roadbuilding in a country at war -- Clearing road mines -- Selous Scouts -- Aftermath of guerrilla attack on village -- Dead guerrillas displayed to villagers -- Black soldier's funeral -- white soldier's funeral (30 min). -- [Pt.2] Rhodesian Civil War, 1963-1978 (Documentary report, 1976, 14 min.).
Beginning in the 1960s, black guerrillas fought against white settler rule in the British colony of Rhodesia. This was a brutal war, in which the black civilian population suffered severely, a war which spilled over into neighboring countries. These government newsreels from that period present a view of the war from the white perspective. Video/C 9340
- Rhythm of Resistance.
- Features South African music that has been ignored, suppressed or ghettoized, some filmed clandestinely. Featured performers: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Malombo, Johnny Clegg/Shipho Mchunu of Juluka, The Mahotella Queens, Abafana Baseqhudeni and others. 1988. 47 min. DVD 980; also VHS Video/C 1583
- The Rise of Nationalism (Africa series).
- Follows the course of the major independence struggles beginning with the situation in the Gold Coast and concluding with the fight for majority rule in Zimbabwe and South Africa. 1984. 60 min. Video/C 2490
- Robben Island: Our University.
- Story of three people who meet to share their experience after serving prison terms in Robben Island, the maximum security prison in South Africa. Lindy Wilson, producer and director. 1988. 53 min. Video/C 1434
- S.A.: Between Confession and Prosecution(Africa: Search for Common Ground; 9)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. This film follows former policeman, Wouter Mentz, who has applied to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission for amnesty for the part he played in 21 politically motivated murders. Can the truth heal his wounds and those of his victims? We witness his testimony before the Commission, and his struggle to find a new life in the new South Africa. 1997. 26 min. Video/C 5352
- Sangoma.
- In South Africa, traditional healers have always been regarded with suspicion by practitioners of Western medicine. New efforts to integrate traditional healers into primary health care, nutritional education, and AIDS work holds some promise for a public health system under siege. 1996. 54 min. Video/C 4635
- Siliva the Zulu
- Archival films from South Africa taken in 1927 overlaid with a drama concerning the coming of age and marriage of a Zulu warrior. 1927. 62 min. Video/C 8161
- Sizwe Bansi is Dead.
- Athol Fugard's play which raises powerful issues dealing with slavery and integration. 1978. 60 min. Video/C 1640
- Skin Deep, 1960. (People's Century)
- Skin deep examines the fight against legal, institutionalized racism in the United States and South Africa. In 1948, South Africa became unique among nations by writing segregation into the law of the land. The architects of apartheid took comfort in the fact that racial segregation was also found in the world's greatest democracy--the United States. 1997. 56 min. Video/C 6436
- SongoLoLo: Voices of Change.
- This documentary program presents an example of Black South African anti-apartheid culture. By means of poetry, music, politics and social life Blacks express their feelings against apartheid. Includes interviews with Black South African intellectuals. 1990. 54 min. Video/C 5789
- South Africa Belongs to Us.
- Portraits of five ordinary black women and interviews with four women leaders. Depicts scenes from their work and home life in black reserves or in sex-segregated barracks built for migrant workers. 1980. 55 min. Video/C 280
- South Africa: Building Democracy
- Depicts the struggle to forge a working democracy in post-apartheid South Africa as seen through the eyes of six key players. Part 1 explores the post-apartheid Parliament. Father Mkhatshwa narrates the drafting of the new constitution. The film profiles the dynamics of the ANC and National Party. Descriptions of Phola Park show living conditions for blacks in South Africa. Part 2 explores the geographic make-up of South Africa in relationship to post-apartheid issues. Sarah Khambane describes the plight of black workers in the farm areas and the efforts to raise the standard of living. A segment profiles the political violence in Kwatzulu-Natal. Part 3 explores leadership efforts to build post-apartheid South Africa. Dawie De Villiers summarizes the Afrikaaner history and commitment to rebuild. Thandi Oreleyn Sekete describes the black efforts to move to a level playing field. Common issues are education, unemployment and a new social model. Produced, written and edited by Sam Kauffmann. 1998. 156 each. Video/C MM618 Parts 1-3
- South Africa, In the Shade of the Baobab Tree(Africa: Search for Common Ground; 10)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. The first film investigates the ancient baobab tree which has stood at the heart of the Makuleke community. When they were forcibly relocated in 1969, their land became part of the Kruge National Park. Under the baobab tree members of the National Parks Board and the Makuleke people now meet to reconcile the need for conservation with the needs of the community. In the second film musicians from both sides of the Civil War in Angola meet to create a song for peace. We go behind the scenes to see the making of the Peace Song and video. 1997. 26 min. Video/C 5353
- South Africa Now.
- A weekly series on KQED that will be taped off-air by the U.C.B Office of Media Services. This first episode is "Nelson Mandela: a special report 1990", Video/C 1700. Check the MELVYL or GLADIS on-line catalogs for future episodes and their respective call numbers [with the command: f ti South Africa Now].
- South Africa: San Soldier Story(Africa: Search for Common Ground; 13)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. This film examines issues and concerns of Bushmen in South Africa. Traditionally nomads, today the San people are San soldiers, struggling to avoid extinction amid warfare in South Africa, Namibia, and Angola. Their traditional culture all but forgotten, can the San people find a home with the emergence of new governments in Southern Africa? 1997. 25 min. Video/C 5356
South African Divestment Day Hearing [ONLINE AUDIO RECORDING]- Berkeley Language Center -- Speech Archive SA 1221
- June 8, 1978
Speakers include: David Saxon (UC President); Mervyn Dymally (California Lieutenant Governor); Tom Hayden; John Gaetsewe (South African Congress of Trade Unions); Jerry Brown (Governor, California); Jimmy Herman (International Longshoreman Workers Union, Calif.); Amnesty International; Harry Edwards (UCB Dept. African American Studies); Abraham Walker (former advisor to South African government); Albert Bowker (UC Chancellor); Maxine Waters (California Black Legislative Caucus)
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- Part 1: (1 hr. 13 min.)
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- Part 2: (1 hr. 11 min.)
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- Part 3: (1 hr. 9 min.)
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- Part 4 (1 hr. 5 min.)
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- Part 5 (24 min.):
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- Part 2: (1 hr. 11 min.)
- June 8, 1978
- South African Elections
- First segment: A report on politically inspired violence threatening the transition to a multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Includes an interview with Judge Richard Goldstone, the head of the judicial commission which revealed a conspiracy at senior levels of South Africa's security forces to sabotage the transition to majority rule. Second segment: Looks at the challege of providing economic and social rights for black Africans in South Africa through excerpts from the film "Mama Awethu," followed by an interview with the director, Bethany Yarrow. Segment from the television program Rights & wrongs broadcast April 16, 1994. 27 min. Video/C 6705
- South African Propaganda Films of the Apartheid Era
- African powerhouse (Films of Africa Production, col., 14 min.): Presents South Africa as the major industrial power of Africa, a bulwark against communism. Images of South Africa (Raymond Hancock Film, col., 17 min.): Seductive pictures of a beautiful and peaceful country. Story of South Africa (Raymond Hancock Film, col., 22 min.): South Africa's history seen from the viewpont of its Afrikaner rulers. South Africa (col., 26 min.): a message for the world: A skillful appeal to the emotions presenting South Africa as a country struggling to solve its racial problems. Children: The PR Pawns of Terrorism (writer, Rick Schmidt, col, 10 min.): Presents the African National Congress as a communist-inspired corrupter of black youth in South Africa. ANC: a time for candour (writer, Rick Schmidt, col., 30 min.).: A savage and distorted attack on the ANC that includes appeals from religious figures and denunciations of the ANC by President Ronald Reagan. [200-?] 119 min. Video/C 8160
- Soweto to Berkeley.
- Documentary on the anti-apartheid and divestment movement at U.C. Berkeley. Interviews with student leaders. Directed and edited by Richard C. Bock. Dist. Cinema Guild. 1988. 60 min. Video/C 1442
- Spear of the Nation: The Story of the African National Congress.
- History of the African National Congress and a documentary report on the black liberation struggles throughout Southern Africa. Examines the historical roots of apartheid. Analyzes the economic and ideological foundations of apartheid, revealing South Africa's strategic international role and the interests of the western powers. 1986. 55 min. Video/C 1260
- Thokoza: A Video Dialogue for Peace. (Africa: Search for Common Ground; 1.)
- Part of a series profiling formal efforts by various Sub-Saharan African countries to peacefully resolve contemporary conflicts. This film examines attempts to resolve conflicts between members of the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party in the township of Thokoza in South Africa. Two commanders, once mortal enemies, take on the shared task of making a video over a six-month period about the killings that have wracked their communities. 1997. 25 min. Video/C 5344
- The Tribal Mind.(Human Race; 2).
- South Africa isn't the only society where racial and tribal identity have profoundly marked the way people live together; it's just one striking example. Against a background of violence, some South Africans are rising above old tribal reflexes as they struggle towards real democracy. Initiatives in South Africa may provide models for the world where the tribal politics of narrow self-interest still continue to be destructive. 1995. 52 min. Video/C 4384
- Truth Commission: Special Report.
- Excerpts from the hearings of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission established by the new South African government to bring about healing and reconciliation of the personal and political wounds of South Africa. It includes an explanation of the TRC's mandate with particular emphasis on the controversial "amnesty provision". 1997? 24 min. Video/C 5059
- [Tutu, Desmond] Bishop Tutu at the Greek Theater.
- Bishop Tutu's speech and program at the Greek Theater, May 13, 1985.
- 59 min. Video/C 770
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- Umgidi (The Celebration)(Real stories from a free South Africa; v. 4)
- Sipho, a former Robben Island inmate for 5 years gets a call from his father to help convince his reluctant younger brother to get circumcised. Then he gets an anguished letter from this brother Vuyo, informing him that he finally discovered he was adopted at birth. Vuyo is in crisis and is convinced that Sipho knows the truth about his biological parents. Sipho returns to Cape Town to help his brother. Sipho was covertly circumcised in the Robben Island prison but failed to perform the full ceremony so he decides to do so now. Meanwhile, Vuyo announces that he is gay which throws the family into confusion. The film explores a family and a country trying to embrace both modernity and tradition. While Sipho struggles to help his brother accept his roots, his brother desperately wants to escape them. The film is made even more complex by the fact that it is filmed by Sipho's wife who happens to be a white woman, both outsider and insider in this tight-knit family drama. A film by Sipho Singiswa and Gillian Schutte. 2004. 74 min. DVD 5266
- Die Voortrekkers.
- Told from the Afrikaner point of view, this film is a re-creation of the historical events surrounding the emigration of the Dutch settlers into Zululand and their victory over Africans at the infamous battle of Blood River in 1838. This silent 1915 film is a classic study in propaganda. 1995. 58 min. Video/C 4007
- We Jive Like This.
- Records the dance, poetry, theatre and music of South Africas' streets and backyards which provide a kind of street education in the arts and function as an outlet for self-expression which developed as an effort to heal the ravages suffered from apartheid, especially the psychic wounds experienced by the children of South Africa. 1991. 54 min. Video/C 4052
- Winds of Change
- Examines the transformations taking place in South Africa as apartheid regulations begin to be relaxed or eliminated. Features an interview with Nelson Mandela shortly after his release from prison and commentary from a variety of South Africans, white and black. Includes remarkable scenes of an integrated party at which young black and white students hold a lively discussion expressing their hopes and concerns for the future of their country. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1990. 22 min. Video/C MM568
- Winnie.
- Presents interviews and scenes from fiery rallies with Winnie Mandela and several of her longtime supporters. Tells how the former pacifist now encourages extreme violence by Blacks against Blacks who collaborate with whites. Shows scenes of two brutal murders inspired by her fanaticism. 1987. 15 min. Video/C 9923
- Witness to Ap
Lesotho
