On Television: Africa in Crime Thrillers and in Science Fiction Film
An excerpt from the award-winning short film The Abyss Boys by Jan-Hendrik Beetge (Copyright: Jan-Hendrik Beetge)
28 June 2010
Latitude – a Whiff of Africa at the Berlinale
Spanning themes as diverse as crime, trauma, capitalism, domestic violence or healthy food, fresh air and emancipation, the short film series Latitude – Quest for the Good Life reveals that Africa grapples with the same socially critical issues as those that are ubiquitous in Europe.
The series originated from the film contest of the same name that was initiated by the Goethe-Institut Cape Town and the Art in Africa foundation in 2007. Any person born in Africa who could show practical experience in the film business was permitted to participate; training at a film academy was not compulsory. From the submissions from across the continent, 21 winners were selected and given the opportunity to develop their treatments with tutors in a 12-day workshop. At the end of the workshop the most original film ideas were given prizes and support for their realization.
The nine short films that were created here present today’s Africa in genres as diverse as crime thrillers, dramas and science fiction. Four of the Latitude participants were nominated to receive the African Movie Academic Award, one of Africa’s most important film prizes, and one of them, Jan-Hendrik Beetge, received the trophy for his gangster film The Abyss Boys.
On Wednesday, 30 June at 11:40 PM, the magazine Kurzschluss on arte will take a look at the short film series and interview the filmmakers at the premiere at the Berlinale.
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