Shooting Stars # 1

“Shooting Stars” is a series of 6 screenings of award winning films of FESPACO, the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The screenings will take place at 6 different venues around Greater Monrovia, from April to June 2009.

Since 1969, FESPACO has been focusing on African films and filmmakers to promote continental cinema and to "contribute to its expansion and development as a means of expression, education and awareness-raising". In this light, T.I.M has selected some award winning Festival masterpieces to give inhabitants of Monrovia an opportunity to watch movies from Ivory Coast, Niger, South Africa, Cameroun, Mali, Mauritania, etc. The movies selected will show unifying themes connected to the day-to-day lives of Liberian people. Screenings will be followed by interactive discussions on societal issues in line with the topics of movies.

Some of these non-commercial screenings will be shown in conjunction with 5 Universities (University of Liberia, Zion University, African Methodist Episcopal University, Stella Maris Polytechnic and the United Methodist University) and 3 French-clubs.

The official launch of this program will take place at the Monrovia City Hall auditorium on Friday 3rd of April 2009 at 6.30 pm during the French-speaking Community day with the screening of “In the Name of Christ” directed by the Ivoirian filmmaker Roger Gnoan M’Bala.

This project is organized in partnership with the French Embassy in Liberia and the Liberian Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

Au nom du Christ / In the Name of Christ
De / Directed by Roger Gnoan M’Bala
82 mn, 1993, Couleur / Color
Français avec sous-titres en anglais / French version with English subtitles
Comédie dramatique / Drama
Production : Côte d’Ivoire, Suisse

Dans un village ivoirien, vit un pauvre porcher méprisé par tous. Un jour, alors qu’il a bu plus que de raison, il a la vision d’un « enfant-Dieu » qui le choisit pour sauver son peuple. Il devient alors Magloire 1er, cousin du Christ, et use de son éloquence pour frapper l’imagination de son entourage et fonder une secte.

In a small Ivoirian village lives a much-despised little swineherd. One day, after one drink to many, a childlike God comes to him in a vision and elects him to save his people. He becomes Magloire the First, Cousin of Christ, and uses his eloquence to spark the imagination of his entourage and found a sect.

Entrée gratuite / Entrance free

Récompenses /Awards:

Etalon de Yennenga, Fespaco 1993

Prix coopération française pour le cinéma, 1993

Prix spécial de la jeunesse, Festival international du Film de Locarno 1993

1er Prix des Journées du cinéma Africain, Perugia 1994

Prix spécial du Jury, Milan 1994

1er Prix Vues d’Afrique, Montréal, 1994

Sélection de critiques :
Africultures http://www.africultures.com/php/index.php?nav=article&no=2172
Africultures http://www.africultures.com/php/index.php?nav=article&no=2174

Reviews:
New York Times http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/147577/In-the-Name-of-Christ/overview

More information:
thisismonrovia@hotmail.com

Cell : 06 66 93 47 (Aude Urcun-Pichet)

Cell : 06 30 57 51 (Magali Miniac)

Fespaco website: http://www.fespaco.bf/

France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/

Coming soon! Shooting stars

Shooting stars

6 african movies under the Liberian Sky

The next French-speaking Communities festival (Francophony Day) will be the opportunity to launch a serie of 6 screenings of award winning films of Fespaco, the largest African film festival, held biannually in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Since 1969, FESPACO has been focusing on African films and filmmakers to promote continental cinema and "contribute to its expansion and development as mean of expression, education and awareness-raising".

Following this initiative, T.I.M has selected some masterpieces awarded at the Film Festival to offer to Liberian the opportunity to see movies from neighboring countries: Ivory Coast, Niger, South Africa, Cameroun, Mali, Mauritania, etc.

Each film will take us to an incredible journey through the diversity of African experience and sensibilities, offering varied perspectives, inventive story-stelling and throught-provoking debate. Each movie will show us the Africa’s face of cultural diversity. Talking about challenges faced by African society, the painful workings of history, imaginary world or love stories, etc., will we savour the contrasting of African cultures and be moved by the situations and characters portrayed. In addition, a roundtable discussion witnessed by special guest will be proposed.

This project is organized in partnership with the French Embassy. Each screening is implemented in different venues with local partners.


All movies have English Subtitles

Summary 1rst screening

Date: April 3, 2009

Venue: Monrovia City Hall

Time: 7 PM

Free entrance


More information:
thisismonrovia@hotmail.com
Cell : 06 66 93 47 (Aude Urcun-Pichet)
Cell : 06 30 57 51 (Magali Miniac)

Fespaco website: http://www.fespaco.bf/

France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/

Believe in Liberia

"Believe in Liberia" is a T-Shirt collection designed by artists Vincent Parisot and Eirini Linardaki for This is Monrovia! (T.I.M) in collaboration with the Liberian Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT).

In the context of the International Colloquium on Women's Empowerment taking place this week in Monrovia, we are promoting Liberia and Liberian women as key actors of local development, making a difference in their community.

Copyright© Esperos/T.I.M

Artists

Printers

T-shirts