This year, the Berlin International Film Festival is showcasing three works by filmmakers connected to the African continent. Through intimate and collective narratives, these films assert a strong cultural foundation and explore the richness of African heritage.
Dao, memory of West Africa
With Dao, director Alain Gomis delves into the heart of a funeral ceremony in Guinea-Bissau, filmed in his father's village. The film highlights traditional rites, community solidarity, and family traditions. By showcasing faces and practices rarely depicted in cinema, it celebrates the cultural vitality of West Africa.
In hushed tones, back to Tunisia
With A voix basse (In a Low Voice), filmmaker Leyla Bouzid delivers a film shot in Sousse, in her grandmother's house. This intimate setting becomes the starting point for a narrative permeated by traditions, unspoken family secrets, and Tunisian social realities. The work is deeply rooted in its territory, capturing its light, silences, and tensions.
Children of the Passage: Heritage and Diaspora
The film Children of Passage explores the lives of characters from African families. Through their enduring ties to their country of origin, it highlights the power of memory and cultural transmission within diasporas. African roots emerge as a structuring point of reference, at the crossroads of generations.
With these three proposals, the Berlinale confirms the central place of African narratives in the international cinematic landscape, highlighting stories rooted in living and diverse cultures.
