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One-day film festival to spotlight African culture
In conjunction with the St. Louis African Arts Festival, the Schlafly branch of the St. Louis Public Library will hold a film festival to educate the community on issues facing Africa’s people. The St. Louis African Arts Film Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. May 24 at the Schlafly branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave.
The seven films to be shown during the festival range from 20 minutes to one and a half hours in length. The films shed light on issues plaguing Africa, such as AIDS, poverty and war; issues that define its culture, such as music, poetry and sports; and the continent’s fight to rebuild itself.
Ephrem Andemariam, a professor in the E. Desmond Lee African Studies Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said the aim of the film festival is to show the community the obstacles in Africa and how the continent is fighting to overcome them.
“We are trying to reintroduce the African continent to the U.S.,” Andemariam said. “People, unfortunately, think negatively about the continent. I’m not denying that these bad things happen in the continent, but there is hope behind that. There is hope that these things can change. The people of Africa are trying to move away from these difficult times and trying to overcome their difficulties.”
After the first four films are shown, Andemariam will lead a film discussion. He said his discussion will touch on the topics shown in the films but will be led by the audience’s interest in the issues.
The films chosen for the festival are a small selection of the 60 films shown in UM-St. Louis’ African Studies Program film festival last October. Andemariam said the department hopes to continue the larger film festival but is also “delighted” to work with the Schlafly branch on its festival.
Andemariam said that because the films shown in the festival are all documentaries, they gives viewers a good look into the issues facing Africa that are not always seen in mainstream media or movies.
“It’s a true reflection of what is happening – whether disappointing, sad or happy,” he said.
Now in its 17th year, the St. Louis African Arts Festival aims to expose the local community to the richness of African culture and its impact on Western culture. During the African Arts Festival, participants create an African-village atmosphere in Forest Park, complete with African art, dancing, jewelry making, hair braiding, drumming and mask making.
Andemariam said the documentaries shown during the film festival are another form of art through which the African culture is portrayed.
“When you look at Africa, people tend to see the dancing and the music,” he said. “Film is another media to portray the culture. It gives you a first-hand feel of what is going on, and in that case, it is a nice way to complement the festival.”
For more information about the St. Louis African Arts Festival and a complete schedule for the film festival and other events, visit stlafricanartsfest.org.
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