Within the monthly filmseries "African Perspectives",
AfricAvenir Windhoek,
in cooperation with Studio 77,

presents the Namibian premiere of

"BLACK"
By Pierre Laffargue, 2008, Senegal/France, 115 min, French with English subtitles

Starring Rapper MC Jean Gab'1, Carole Karemera, & Anton Yakolev

Date: Sat. 28. January 2012,
Time: 19h00
Venue: Studio 77, Old Breweries Complex, entrance Garten Str.
Entrance: 30,-N$

AfricAvenir thanks its sponsors and supporters of this event: Studio 77, Bank Windhoek Arts Festival, WhatsOnWindhoek, & the Franco
Namibian Cultural Centre.

About the film
"Black" is a film that is all about a Diamond Heist in Dakar, Senegal. The film intentionally recalls the conceit of Blaxploitation films, but in a thoroughly modern and artistic way.
A groovy 70s-style adaptation of Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra sets a funky tone for the opening of "Black" which moves briskly and efficiently from a slickly-shot "armored car robbery gone bad" in Paris to a modern update of Shaft in Africa to a lunatic, witchy, bastard offspring of Cat People and Ssssss. It's gloriously lunatic.
When his Parisian armored car holdup goes horribly wrong, our protagonist Senegalese-born Black needs to go underground. He's a criminal and not necessarily a good one. News from his cousin in Senegal about a stash of uncut diamonds in a poorly guarded bank in Dakar hatches the plan to go on a "working vacation" that involves a little sightseeing and a lot of mayhem aiming at the heist of a lifetime.
As Black and his crew soon discover, Dakar has just as many nefarious criminals as any other major city; it's just that the cons are different. They may be worldly wise to the ways of Paris, but they're absolutely lost in Senegal. What Black doesn't know is that the extremely valuable diamonds have attracted other interest......
French underground Hip-Hop MC Jean Gab'1, famed for his endless charisma, first debuted in the film District B-13. Though with the character „Black"he takes centre stage and delivers a nouveau-blacksploitation-adventure awash what with black magic, African mysticism, mutant arms-dealers, gargantuan machete-wielding mercenary armies and a truckload of knuckle-sandwiches.
The film was released in 2008 and was directed by Senegalese-French director Pierre Laffargue.
The film "Black" is a superior French-Senegalese exploitation film and its director, Pierre Laffargue, is somebody to watch out for. As film critic Peter Martin remarked: „„Black"percolates like that first, strong cup of coffee in the morning - with no bitter aftertaste".

More info on www.blacklefilm.com


AfricAvenir Windhoek: African Perspectives 2012
In its sixth consecutive year, AfricAvenir Windhoek will continue its project, African Perspectives, the monthly film series held in the Namibian capital. So far it is planned to screen the following films:

Black - Senegal/ France, 28.01.
Skoonheid - South Africa, 25.02.
The Wedding Song - Tunisia/France, 14.03.
Otelo Burning - South Africa, 31.03.
Un homme qui crie - Chad/France, 11.04.
Behind the Rainbow - South Africa, 28.04.
Ramata - Senegal, May
The Lions Point of View - Senegal, 26.05.
Battle of Algiers - Algeria/ Italy, 30.06.
Satin Rouge - Tunisia, July
Restless City - Nigeria/ USA, July
Battle of Johannesburg - South Africa, August
Cameroon - Autopsy of an Independence - Cameroon/ FRA September
Sankofa - Ghana, October
Sobukwe - A great soul - South Africa, November
In 2012, the series will put its focus, amongst others, on the 100 centenary of the ANC, the 50th anniversary of the independence of Algeria, and on PanAfricanist issues.

Additionally further screenings are considered:
Cecil Moller 3-short film fest - Namibia
The Governor's New Clothes - DRC/ FRA/ Belgium
A Small town called decent - South Africa
Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask - United Kingdom
Iman & I - South Africa

After receiving several requests in 2011 to expand its screenings across Namibia, AfricAvenir is busy seeking partners and looking for venues to screen in the towns of Swakopmund and Ondangwa. This planned expansion is an exciting development for the team of AfricAvenir and we hope for a similar success like the series has proven in the last past 5 years in Windhoek.

To support the regular screenings and the envisioned expansion, interested parties are invited to contact the Namibian section of AfricAvenir under africavenir.whk(at)googlemail.com.

Furthermore financial donations can be made to: Bank Account No.: 8002438211, Bank Windhoek, Branch: 481-972, Branch Name: Windhoek Main Branch, Swift code: BWLINANX, Account Holder Name: AfricAvenir