--
Red Bull Amaphiko Film Festival couch session focuses on women in film --
Wed, 08 Nov 2017 11:00
--
The Red Bull Amaphiko Film Festival took place on 27 to 29 October at various venues in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. The festival, which was launched in October last year, offers youth an opportunity to tell stories through their own lenses and introduces new and different perspectives on storytelling.
The festival held informative couch sessions moderated by Nandi Dlepu. Dlepu is a highly respected South African content producer, a true force to be reckoned with not only is she the co-founder of Bloom, a conversational platform for women in the creative industry, she also produces content for the hugely respected Thackwell and Whittaker, and edits Joho Moms, a parenting blog, and this is to name just a few.
Her initiatives have helped women in the creative industry to come together, challenge, motivate and inspire each other through conversation.
We ve always had conversations about the power of film, but we really speak about the responsibilities that come with that power. Film is a powerful tool for change, but we need to start discussing how women are represented by the medium begins Dlepu.
It s a typically frantic day in Braamfontein with people covering the length and breadth of the city and the sound of traffic hanging heavily in the air. Dlepu is moderating a discussion on representation in film as part of the second Red Bull Amaphiko Film Festival. Joining her on the couch is Lebogang Rasethaba (director of People vs The Rainbow Nation), veteran actress Sibulele Gcilitshana and filmmaker Chabi Setsubi. Here s what went down:
Why is representation in film so important?
Life begets art and art begets life, began Setsubi. If you re growing up as a woman, there s a certain reality you occupy in the world. Not seeing yourself in the movies you watch makes you question your humanity.
Gcilitshana echoed the point, mentioning how a drama she watched as a child inspired her to be an actress. It s important to have strong, female leads in female. They break the misconceptions people have about women.
Breaking down stereotypes in film
Dlepu then went on to mention that while representation is key, it s also important to write nuanced, female characters instead of indulging stereotypes. For example, there s this recurring stereotype you have that portrays women who have an almost psychic ability to solve their ungrateful partner s problems. An audience member then brought up the issue of reality TV shows such as Love and Hip Hop and Diski Divas, and how, in most in cases, the female relationships are usually defined by cattiness and jealousy. Most of the executives who produced those shows are male. So, what you re seeing is a portrayal of women dictated by the male gaze.
Fellow panel member, Chabi Setsubi, chipped in, mentioning that while reality TV benefits from pitting women against each other, men get celebrated for the very same behavior. You look at a show like Running with The Reps, right? They did exactly the same things you see on Diski Divas: they fought with each other, got drunk and were in constant competition with each other. They were celebrated for that, while the Diski Divas aren t.
Men shouldn t hijack the conversation
Lebogang Rasethaba (who is currently working on a documentary called The People Against Patriarchy spoke of the responsibility male filmmakers have to ensure gender parity. He did, however caution against speaking for women instead of with them. You should question your intentions and ask yourself whether you might be trivialising women s issues with your work.
- Written by Rofhiwa Maneta
Related Articles
-- --
-- --
-- Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
-- 
