A series of film screenings at Soweto Book Café in Zondi
By CityLIfe Arts Writer
This October there has been a series of Ekasi Film and Documentary Screenings ehappening at the Soweto Book Café in Zondi since the second week of October. The initiative aims to create an alternative screening platform for local film and documentary makers who often struggle find spaces to screen their work.
The initiative also aims to resuscitate the cinema viewing tradition made popular through the “bioscopes” – an example of one such being Lily’s Bioscope, which was opened in the 60’s and is fondly referred to as “Soweto’s oldest cinema”, which was situated in Meadowlands Zone 2 as well as Eyethu Cinema, which was popular in the 70’s and 80’s and was the second cinema in Soweto.
The month-long event started with the screening of Equilibrium directed by Paballo Mokwena which focussed on mental health and the challenges of culture and its clash with modern values. In speaking of her film, “I’ve come to learn that matters of the mind can be quite a difficult topic to uncover. At first, it was because there wasn’t a lot of information or awareness being shared, but we are evolving as a people, more accepting and open to speak about these things”, says Paballo.
The much-acclaimed Pride of a Lioness directed by Adze Ugah was the next film to be screened at the venue.
For this weekend Eruption, which won a Bioskop! Short Film first prize as the Best Diaspora Film at the recently concluded European Film Festival Zimbabwe Edition . The film focusses on depression and suicide awareness and was directed by Sinomtha Nduna.
The initiative ends with a screening of The Reclaimers, a documentary which focuses on informal waste collectors and is directed by Sifiso Khanyile. The film recently won first prize at the international Three Acts of Goodness Micro Film Contest in the USA.
The month-long Ekasi Film and Documentary Screenings pilot initiative is supported by the African Hub for Sustainable Creative Economies (AHSCE) through Wits University and King’s College London.