BFI London Film Festival - New African Cinema

Quirky and unpredictable, the short film is often sees as the feature film’s poor relation - especially on the international film festival circuit. Short films rarely attract big-name directors let alone established screen talent, but what they lack in glamour they substitute for flair, originality and genuine creativity.

This year, the London Film Festival played host to three such shorts all made by African filmmakers as part of Africa First, an initiative designed to support African film directors.

The three films, by filmmakers from Mali, South Africa and Zambia, presented an interpretation of Africa as diverse as the continent that inspired them. The three films represent stark contrast, taking us from the haunting spirituality of the Bambara in Mali to the hard, cynical reality of urban degradation in Johannesburg and the innocence and imagination of rural Zambia.

It is refreshing to see African cinema represented in a contemporary and intelligent style that entirely sidesteps the stereotypes of Nollywood.

Tinye So (Dir. Daouda Coulibaly, Mali)

Blending ancestral myth and traditional storytelling, Tinye So explores the Bambara belief in ancestors as the vessels of knowledge, passed down from the dead to the living. But the living, in their ignorance and infinite arrogance fail to heed their call. With a moving, resonant soundtrack and masterful use of visual motifs, the film is a startling elegy to the erosion of traditional spirituality.

Umkhungo (Dir. Matthew Jankes, South Africa)

Of all African landscapes, the skyscrapers of Johannesburg are among the more familiar. The dark and brooding Umkhungo follows a street thug, whose daily routine of petty crime is broken when he meets a young orphan with inexplicable powers. Umkhungo manages to subvert the well-worn narrative of urban crime and poverty, the relationship choosing instead focus on the burgeoning, bittersweet friendship between thug and orphan.

Mwansa the Great (Dir. Rungano Nyoni, Zambia)

Of the three films showcased as part of the Africa First initiative Mwansa the Great was undoubtedly the most playful. Mwansa is an eight-year-old boy with big aspirations; he dreams of being a hero and believes that his cape can help him fly. He spends his days imagining a life of heroic acts and courageous feats but his innocent bravery and hunger for adventure are put to the test when childhood imagination is challenged by brutal reality.

British (Zambian born) director Rungano Nyoni, is certainly a talent to watch, skilfully guiding the audience through Mwanza’s wide-eyed wonder and excitement as he stumbles towards disaster.