Dir. Jean-Pierre Bekolo, 1996, France, Zimbabwe, 72min, DCP, Color
With Ken Gampu, Albee Lesotho, Anthony Levendale
In English and French with English subtitles
In a southern African town, a group of young wannabe gangsters hang out at the local cinema, where they binge-watch classic U.S. action movies. They adopt the names of their screen gods—Van Damme, Bruce Lee, and Nikita—and refer to their leader as “Cinema.” But their reverie ends when an earnest filmmaker arrives and enlists the government’s help in removing Hollywood imports and screening more African films. The gang isn’t exactly keen on his plans to replace Schwarzenegger with Sembène, and after they sabotage him, the interloper becomes a vigilante for local film culture. Almost thirty years after its initial release, the film remains a groundbreaking satirical reflection on the production and distribution of African cinema.
Aristotle’s Plot will be preceded by the short Foumban is Wakanda.
Dir. Jean-Pierre Bekolo, 2022, 7min, DCP, Color
Inspired by Black Panther, this short film follows the new king of the Bamoun during his first appearance in a timeless version of the Cameroonian city of Foumban, where the past, present, and future merge. To those who propose Wakanda as an Africa of the future, the Bamouns, who have had their alphabet, territory, and administration for centuries, reply that this future is behind them.
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