AfriDocs September: Stories of African Women & More

Women take centre stage in many of the films screened by AfriDocs this September, flighting on [ED] DStv Channel 190 and GOtv Channel 65 on Thursdays at 19:55 Central African Time.

The films follow the stories of strong African women, many facing almost insurmountable odds. These stories may be about hardship, but there are also stories of hope, such as the biography of Zambia's seven-time World Champion Esther Phiri who has become an icon for the country.

AfriDocs in September also includes films on topical environmental issues from across Arica and beyond.

AfriDocs is television not to be missed!

3 September

Bastards | Deborah Perkin | Morocco | 2013 | 82 min

In Morocco, as in all Muslim countries, sex outside marriage is illegal and women bear the brunt of society's disapproval. But what is the fate of the children of those single mothers? They cannot attend the better schools, are turned away from infant immunisation clinics and refused government posts. Jobs, housing and a huge range of social advantages are denied them. They are despised outcasts, condemned to a life of discrimination.

World Festival of Extreme Cinema - Veracruz, Mexico - June 2015 Best International Documentary Award

Beyond Prayer | Neelima Mathur | India | 2011 | 26 min

The north Indian region of Ladakh is barren and rocky, a cold desert. The biggest problem for the people, like in any desert, is the shortage of water. The film chronicles the pioneering work of Chewang Norphel who builds artificial glaciers that provide water to the farmers in summer through an innovative engineering process of channelising main water resources.

10 September

Garbage Dreams | May Iskander | Egypt | 2009 | 83 min

GARBAGE DREAMS follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade and growing up in the worlds largest garbage village, on the outskirts of Cairo. It is the home to 60,000 Zaballeen, Arabic for garbage people. Far ahead of any modern Green initiatives, the Zaballeen survive by recycling 80 percent of the garbage they collect. When their community is suddenly faced with the globalization of its trade, each of the teenage boys is forced to make choices that will impact his future and the survival of his community.

Winner of 26 awards including Al Gore Reel Current Award, Nashville Film Festival

Carbon for Water | Evan Abramson, Carmen Elsa Lopez | Kenya | 2011 | 26 min

In Kenyas Western Province, most drinking water is contaminated. The wood many Kenyans use to boil this water to make it safe is increasingly valuable. Women and girls, who bear the responsibility for finding water and fuel, often miss school or work while seeking both fuel and water

17 September

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Between Rings | Salla Sorri, Jessie Chisi | Zambia | 2014 | 82 min

Esther Phiri has literally had to fight to carve out an independent life on her own terms. In her native Zambia, the seven-time world champion in boxing became an icon for anyone who had dreams in life that were different from the ones that traditions had created for them. And in Between Rings we understand why: she is a deeply charismatic woman with the courage of her convictions. And she can knock anybody out! Esther first renounced her education to support her family. But since then she has also renounced the expectations of marriage and family to invest in her meteoric career as a boxer.82 m

Talking About Rose | Isabel Coixet, | Spain | 2014 | 30 min

Juliette Binoche recounts the life and death of Rose Lokissim, a prisoner of Hiss ne Habr , dictator in Chad from 1982 to 1990. Opposed to the dictatorship, arrested, imprisoned, and tortured, Rose proves courageous and indomitable. Parler de Rose is a tribute to her memory and a dark portrait of life under Habr . The film is especially poignant given Habre's eagerly awaited trial in Senegal this year.

Justice Matters Award - Washington DC Filmfest 2012

24 September

Last Train Home | Lixin Fan | China | 2009 | 87 min

Every spring, China's cities are plunged into chaos, as all at once, a tidal wave of humanity attempts to return home by train for the Chinese New Year. The wave is made up of millions of migrant factory workers. The homes they seek are the rural villages and families they left behind to seek work in the booming coastal cities. It is an epic spectacle that tells us much about China, a country discarding traditional ways as it hurtles towards modernity and global economic dominance.

Best Feature-Length Documentary, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam 2009

Congo in Four Acts: Ladies in Waiting | Dieudo Hamadi, Divita wa Lusala | DRC | 2010 | 24 min

In a run-down maternity hospital, a ward of women who recently had their babies wait to be allowed to leave. The problem? They cannot pay their hospital fees.

AfriDocs screens every THURSDAY at 19:55 Central African time (GMT 2) on [ED] DStv Channel 190 & GOtv Channel 65 across sub-Saharan Africa. Repeats on Sundays - visit website for full schedule.

PLEASE NOTE NEW TIME!

For the full programme schedule and synopses of the films, please go to www.afridocs.net or www.facebook.com/AfriDocs

You can also follow AfriDocs on twitter: @Afri_Docs

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