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In November 2020, Tuesdays in Bayreuth will be “Cinema Africa Days”. Each week, the renowned film festival “Cinema Africa” will present a double feature of African movies at Bayreuth’s Cineplex movie theatre, showing a wide range of African cinematic storytelling.

For the 13th time, Cinema Africa will be putting the spotlight on African stories this November. The movie festival founded and curated by Prof. Dr. Ute Fendler and supported by the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence will present a total number of four movies to the interested public.

The movies from Sudan, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria will be shown in double features each Tuesday in November (3, 10, 17 and 24 November) at five and eight p.m. Due to the travel restrictions this year, there will not be any directors present but the films may be discussed in an open forum afterwards.

• 03 November 2020: Baamum Nafi (5 pm), Bigman Wahala (8 pm)
  
• 10 November 2020: Bigman Wahala (5 pm), Baamum Nafi (8 pm)
  
• 17 November 2020: You will die at 20 (5 pm), Eyimofe (8 pm)
  
• 24 November 2020: Eyimofe (5 pm), You will die at 20 (8 pm)
  

YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY (2019)

Title: You will die at twenty (2019)
Director: Amjad Abu Alala
Genre: drama
Duration: 105 min
Languages: Arabic, English subtitles
Country: Sudan

At his birth, his death at 20 is foretold. His mother raises him a god-fearing boy, hoping that his morally impeccable life will change this prophecy. Muzamil obeys, but the closer his twentieth birthday approaches the greater the temptations become. The encounter with Suleiman, a traveler and filmmaker, opens unexpected perspectives on the world via Suleiman’s archive and his stories.

In his impressive feature debut, Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala tells a highly original story about the search for one’s own identity that goes far beyond the individual destiny.

At its premiere at the Venice film festival 2019, the film was awarded the “Lion of the Future” prize for the best debut film.

Baamum Nafi/Nafi’s Father (2019)

Original title: Baamum Nafi
Director: Mamadou Dia
Genre: drama
Duration: 107 min
Languages: Fulah, English subtitles
Country: Senegal

BAAMUM NAFI tells the story of two brothers in a small town in Northern Senegal: while Tierno, the imam, argues with Ousmane, his brother and candidate for the mayor’s office, over their children’s marriage while the town falls into the hands of a radical Islamic movement. The film succeeds in bringing forth the entanglements of political, economic and religious interests in power.

The debut feature by Mamadou Dia won both the award for the best debut feature and the Golden Leopard for contemporary filmmakers at the Locarno Festival 2019.

Bigman Wahala (2019)

Title: Bigman Wahala (2019)
Director: Daniel Adjokatcher
Genre: tragicomedy
Duration: 101 min
Languages: English, English subtitles
Country: Ghana

A corrupt government minister of health goes on the run in the aftermath of a coup d’état. He turns to a poor struggling taxi driver to help him escape. On their road trip, their encounters and their conversations reveal the conflicts in the society as well as the deep cleavages between politicians and citizens.

Eyimofe (2020)

Title: Eyimofe (“This is my Desire”, 2020)
Director: Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri
Genre: drama
Duration: 116 min
Languages: English/Yoruba, English subtitles
Country: Nigeria

The film shows the daily life of the electrician Mofe in a first part entitled “Spain” and of Rosa, the hairdresser, in the second part “Italy”. They both dream of Europe where they could earn some money to support their families at home. Their stories are intertwined punctually but they focus on the everyday struggle to cope with education, illness, death in a context of precarious living conditions.

The debut feature film of the brothers Esiri had its premiere at the Berlinale 2020.