Malawi & Zambia
Malawi and Zambia Delegations
September 24 – October 9, 2011
Filmmaker: Greg Jacobs, Louder Than a Bomb
Delegate Expert: MK Asante
Cities: Lilongwe, Blantyre, Lusaka, Kitwe
Delegate Report
By MK Asante
Executive Summary
The American Documentary Showcase in Malawi and Zambia was a huge success on many levels. In two weeks, we held more than 20 events in four cities; participated in 12 media events; led 10 teaching sessions, including master classes, workshops and open discussions; and made over 1,500 personal connections. Our delegation was comprised of me, the delegate expert, and Greg Jacobs, the filmmaker representative and co-director of Louder Than a Bomb.
September 24–October 1: Lilongwe and Blantyre, Malawi
The US Embassy in Malawi partnered with the newly formed Film Association of Malawi (FAMA) to coordinate our program. Headed by Chrispin Viyazyi and Ezaius Mkandawire, FAMA played a critical role in mobilizing the small but enthusiastic film community in Malawi. The AmDoc Showcase, which was held at the American Center in Malawi’s capital city of Lilongwe, was a combination of master classes and screenings. With no film school in Malawi, or even in the region, Greg and I were as close as many of the attendees would ever get to film school. We led extensive workshops that covered all of the phases of documentary filmmaking, fielded wide-ranging questions, and screened and critiqued the attendees’ work.
During this time, Chrispin and Ezias screened an excerpt from Daily Bread, a documentary film they had been working on together that tells the story of a community of children that scavenges on food crumbs, leftovers and garbage at a waste disposal site on the fringe of Lilongwe. The film was deeply moving, and I agreed to donate funds to help finish it.
In the evenings, after the workshops, the American Center was also the screening venue for the Showcase films. One highlight was presenting Louder Than a Bomb because students were able to see on the screen the techniques and ideas we had previously discussed in the workshops earlier in the day.
As Americans, we sometimes forget that freedom of expression for artists, journalists, and filmmakers is not universal. Blantyre, Malawi was a textbook example. On the day we arrived in Malawi, Robert Chasowa, an engineering student at Polytechnic University and chair of the student group Youth for Democracy (YFD), was found dead under very mysterious circumstances. YFD was responsible for publishing a weekly campus publication, the Weekly Political Update. Many people in Malawi believe that he was killed by government forces; however, it was ruled a suicide. This case created an immediate uproar among human rights groups as well as average Malawians who were already extremely dissatisfied with the current regime. Protests, a rare sight in Malawi, had been erupting for months before we arrived. We visited Polytechnic University, the campus where Chasowa died, the same week as his death. The air was charged with the winds of change.
Chrispin of the Film Association of Malawi speaking to group at Polytechnic University in Blantyre, Malawi.
We began our workshop at Polytechnic with a moment of silence honoring Chasowa. Our discussions about the power of documentary film, about telling important stories, were especially poignant in this politically charged atmosphere. The standing-room-only event was attended by Polytechnic and Chancellor College students from a variety of fields, as well as local media professionals. We fielded questions about every aspect of documentary film, from production to purpose. Screening Louder Than a Bomb here, given the recent political context, was a meaningful illustration of the power of free expression. Many were moved by the film and some poets discussed initiating a Louder Than a Bomb poetry competition in Malawi.
October 2–9: Lusaka and Kitwe, Zambia
Like Malawi, Zambia was entrenched in a volatile political climate as well. However, unlike Malawi, the political change in Zambia was welcomed. We arrived in Zambia as citizens were celebrating the peaceful election of their fifth president, Michael Chilufya Sata. The mood in the country was one of hope and peace.
Our Zambian audiences for the Showcase were diverse, ranging from high school students and filmmakers to business tycoons and politicians. As soon as we arrived in Zambia, several local press outlets interviewed us about the Showcase. This was a great move as it raised awareness about what we were doing.
The Showcase in Zambia commenced with a screening of Louder Than a Bomb at Arcades Theater in Lusaka’s biggest shopping center. The event was attended by hundreds of high school students from Rhodespark School, Munali, Roma Girls, Olympia, YALI, International School of Lusaka, Pinewood and Leopards High School, as well as industry professionals from Violoe Images and Zambezi Media. The audience was enthralled with the film, showing their enthusiasm with rounds of applause at various scenes.
At the American Cultural Center in Lusaka, we screened Steve James’ No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson. The event was attended by local industry professionals. Screening this film led to a lively discussion about race, class, and sports in America. It also led to an interesting discussion on the pros and cons of the participatory documentary genre. The screening was followed by a master class. “You can’t help us make our films,” said one participant, encouraging the group to network with each other. “We have to help each other make our films.”
The next stop along the Showcase was the University of Zambia—the biggest and most prestigious university in the country. We screened Louder Than a Bomb at the school. Though the shape and layout of the room weren’t ideal for screening, that didn’t stop people from connecting with the film. The highlight of the event was the poetry that followed, delivered by two students who had never done a public reading. This was a good example of how film can inspire people.
At Kabulonga Girls High School, we screened Bottle and some of the other animated shorts in the Showcase. Fifteen minutes into screening Louder Than a Bomb, the power went down. As we waited for it to be restored, Greg and I fielded questions from the high school students about documentary film. We later paid a visit to the US Ambassador to Zambia, Mark C. Storella.
AMDOCS Film Expert MK Asante at Kabulonga Girls High School in Lusaka, Zambia.
We wrapped up the Showcase in Kitwe, where we did a series of screenings and workshops at the Kitwe Little Theater for a great mix of business people and artists. The idea was to develop a local network so that the business community could help fund films. In Kitwe we also led a master class for veteran independent filmmakers. We used this opportunity to help the film community build a blueprint for the Zambian Association of Movie Makers (ZAMM).
As a filmmaker and delegate expert, it was tremendously exciting for me to be at the genesis of a burgeoning film industry in Malawi and Zambia. I’m confident that the impact of our work in both countries will have a lasting effect on their emerging film industries.
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Post-Script: The following article was published in Newstime Africa on September 27, 2011:
American Filmmaker to Invest in Malawian Documentary, Daily Bread
Lilongwe—American award-winning author, filmmaker and associate professor M.K. Asante is to invest in the production of a Malawian film documentary, Daily Bread. Daily Bread is a story of lives of community members that scavenge on food crumbs, leftovers and garbage at a waste disposal site on the fringe of Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe. Directed and produced by Crispin Viyazhi and Ezaius Mkandawire, Daily Bread captured the attention of the United Nations Breaking the Chains Award-winning writer and producer during a two-day cultural exchange program sponsored by the US State Department’s Public Affairs Division and held in the southern African nation’s major administrative city.
Audience of film professionals attending AMDOCS workshop in Lusaka, Zambia
Despite Malawi registering bumper-crop yields in the past five years as a result of the much touted government populist fertilizer input subsidy program, poverty in this landlocked nation remains widespread and rife. More than half of the population of 14 million people lives below the poverty line, and about 22 percent lives in such ultra poverty that they cannot afford to meet the daily recommended food requirements.
According to a World Bank Poverty and Vulnerability Assessment, Malawi has a high inequality index of Gini 0.38, which reflects disproportionate access to assets, services and opportunities. Urban areas, where most of the wealthiest households reside, have the greatest inequality. “I have been inspired and moved by the piece of the documentary,” said Asante about the five-minute production. He said because of the gravity of the issues raised in the film, he has decided to bankroll the full production of the documentary.
Greg Jacobs, another American award-winning filmmaker, who directed 102 Minutes, a 9/11 documentary, has challenged Malawian directors and producers to come up with quality movies that can enter in different competitions in America and across the world. “I hope one day Malawian film documentaries will develop to the level where I can find them a place to stay on the Chicago Awards Festival or other awards,” he said.