Presented by the DEFA Film Library, UMass Amherst
Film Stream: March 8-11:
All registrants for the discussion will receive the link to the film on March 8.
A captivating, intimate portrait of the US president's Kenyan half-sister, Auma Obama. Obama studied linguistics in Heidelberg, Germany, before enrolling in film school in Berlin. Ultimately, she moved back to Kenya to mentor a younger generation of politically- and socially-engaged Africans.
Germany 2011
Directed by Branwen Okpako
Documentary, 80 min
Discussion: March 11, 12:00 noon
A discussion with director Branwen Okpako about
The Education of Auma Obama and 20 years of filming stories about Black lives and experiences in Germany. Moderated by actor and director Sheri Hagen. Hosted by curator Kevina King (UMass Amherst).
©Kolja Brandt
Branwen Okpako was born in Lagos, Nigeria and studied film directing in Berlin. Her films have won awards at prestigious international film festivals. She teaches at UC Davis and is currently completing Chibok Girls, a feature film based on the 2016 novel by Nigerian author Helon Habila about the mass abduction in northern Nigeria.
Sheri Hagen©David Reisler
Sheri Hagen was also born in Lagos, Nigeria and grew up in Hamburg, Germany. She studied drama in Hamburg and Vienna. Since 1996, Hagen has played many roles in German film and television, as well as on stage. She appeared in Okpako’s films Curse of Medea and Valley of the Innocent. Hagen’s first full-length feature film as a director was At Second Glance (2013).
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