Colombia: Panel on the potential of South-South cooperation for impact through film

The 61st International Film Festival of Cartagena de Indias (FICCI), in cooperation with DW Akademie, will be holding an in-person panel at the festival in Colombia.

Panel: The potential of South-South cooperation for impact through film

Friday, March 18, 4-6 pm, Mutis Room, AECID Spanish Cooperation Center

(simultaneous translation Spanish-English)

Film experts from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, all with a remarkable track record of contributing to change, will come together to engage in a South-South dialogue. The goal of the panel is to discuss the shared past and common issues of the two regions while exploring the possible ways to challenge existing narratives and seeking to initiate new international cooperation to promote other perspectives, discourses and transformations. The panel is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The events are open to the general public. Proof of vaccination is required. Due to COVID prevention measures, seating has been reduced by half. Reservations are not possible. A live stream of the event is being organized and a video of the panel discussion will also be made public following the event.

South-South cooperation

The panel will follow a screening of the film "No Simple Way Home", part of the pan-African project "Generation Africa", a documentary series produced by the South African non-profit organization STEPS, in cooperation with DW Akademie. The 25 Generation Africa films have brought the issue of migration to the forefront from the perspective of the African continent in order to strengthen its voices working for social change.

Premiere of "No Simple Way Home" at the Berlinale 2022. From left: Akuol de Mabior (director), Nyankuir Garang de Mabior (her sister), Sam Soko (producer) und Don Edkins (STEPS)

Director Akuol Garang De Mabior (South Sudan), producer Sam Soko (Kenya) and STEPS producer Theresa Hill (South Africa) will participate in the panel and Q&A session following the screening.

The panel will be moderated by:

Salym Fayad: Colombian cultural manager, journalist and photographer based in South Africa for the past 15 years. He the founder of MUICA Muestra Itinerante de Cine Africano in Colombia and has worked extensively on social and cultural issues in different regions of sub-Saharan Africa. His cultural exchange projects seek to strengthen the links between regions of the global south through film and music. 

The panelists for the event will be:

Theresa Hill: South African producer, director, marketing expert and deputy director of STEPS, an award-winning South African documentary production and distribution company. She is also the programmer of AfriDocs, a platform that brings African and international documentaries to audiences across Africa.

Akoul Garang de Mabior: South Sudanese documentary filmmaker, born in Cuba and based in Nairobi. Her first feature-length documentary, "No Simple Way Home" (2022), was the first South Sudanese film to premiere at the Berlinale.

Sam Soko Asebe: Kenyan director, producer and co-founder of LBx Africa (Lightbox), a Nairobi-based production company for music and film projects with a socio-political emphasis. His first feature documentary "Softie", premiered at Sundance 2020. 

Heny Cuesta: Colombian director, filmmaker, producer, activist, cultural manager and founder of the organization Cimarrón Producciones. Director and co-creator of SolidariLabs Afrocolombia with the organization Skyligtht. International consultant on ethnic and human rights issues.

Paula Moreno Zapata: Founder and president of Manos Visibles, a Colombian NGO that works to strengthen urban youth organizations and women's communities in high-risk ethnic groups. Former Minister of Culture of Colombia, the youngest woman and the first African-American to be appointed Minister of Culture in the country.

Ramon Perea: Director of the Afro Kunta Kinte International Community Film Festival and founder of the Afro-descendant Audiovisual Council of Colombia WI DA MONI KONGO. Consultant and jury member in Afro film festivals. 

Tatiana Canro: Colombian-Venezuelan director of Cine en las Aldeas, an alternative audiovisual production, training and exhibition organization. International liaison coordinator of the Film School of Mexico City.

Eduardo Rencurrell: Cuban filmmaker, essayist and teacher. Academic coordinator of the International Laboratory for the Development of Audiovisual Projects, Filma Afro Cartagena. He has participated in the production of fiction, documentary and advertising works.