DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE
Francophonie Week – 18th to the 24th of March

Press Release

The European Union Delegation to Zimbabwe brings documentaries”"Mavambu” and “The Story of Bembeya Jazz” to Francophone Week 2013

The “”Francophone Week”", a celebration of the French language and French-speaking cultures the world over, will take place from the 18th to the 24th of March in Zimbabwe. In the week various films in French language are showcased as part of a Film Festival.

This year on the 24th of March the European Union (EU) Delegation to Zimbabwe will present two movies: “Mavambu” and “The Story of Bembeya Jazz” directed by Rosine casino Mbakam & Mirko Popovitch and Abdoulaye Diallo respectively.

“Mavambu” is a story of Freddy Tsimba, a Congolese sculptor who was born in Kinshasa in 1967. He graduated from the Academy of Arts of Kinshasa in 1989, but quickly broke free from academic conventions and tried to look for the material of his work such as wood or iron from his immediate surroundings Tsimba also uses cartridge cases, shell fragments, machetes and even knives, forks and spoons. In this way, he serves as a universal witness, poignantly expressing the atrocities of war and armed conflict in the DRC and elsewhere in the world.

“The Story of Bembeya Jazz” chronicles the birth and the development of the mythical band Bembeya Jazz. Created in 1961, just after the independence of Guinea, Bemebeya Jazz quickly became a symbol of the heyday of President of Sékou Touré”s culturalrevolution in Guinea. Several generations of Africans have grown up with its music and it remains a legendary group.

These two documentaries were provided by Africalia, an initiative of Belgian Development Cooperation; which supports cultural programs initiated in sub-Saharan Africa.
This is not the first time that the Delegation is participating in the Francophonie Week; it brought the films “Lumumba” in 2011 and “Un home qui crie” (The screaming man) in 2012.

Contacts:
Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Zimbabwe
EU House, 1 Norfolk Road, Mt. Pleasant, P.O. Box MP 620 Mt. Pleasant, Harare Zimbabwe
Tel 263-4-338 158; 0772-568 980; Fax 263-4-338 165
E-mail address: delegation-zimbabwe-hod@eeas.europa.eu
Website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/zimbabwe

As part of its efforts to support and work with Fespaco to promote African cinema, Africalia joined several partners in January to host a Fespaco press conference and a special evening of film screenings at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, a key cultural venue in Brussels.
In connection with the Fespaco festival, which will run from 23/02 to 02/03 in Ouagadougou, Africalia is teaming up with various partners to organise a number of activities.

• 23/02 Homage to Dieudonné Kabongo evening at Ciné Burkina.
Africalia has co-produced the documentary Jouer, c’est encore mieux by the Burkinabé director Emmanuel Toé with and about Dieudonné Kabongo, which will be screened during the evening.

• 27/02 ISIS-Africalia master class (reserved for students)
Africalia joins its longstanding partner, the ISIS-SE (Institute of Image and Sound) to present director Pascale Obolo’s master class on the theme “African cinema: from writing to screen”.

• 28/02 – Africalia’s Event
-3 pm: Africalia press conference at the CNA Village located at the Maquis du Festival (Cité An III, near the Neerwaya cinema).
Presentation of Africalia’s new Director, Frédéric Jacquemin, who succeeds former Director and founder member Mirko Popovitch.
Presentation of the Africalia audiovisual programme: training, Africalia’s DoKu product line and broadcasting.
-6.30 pm: Sao village (45km from Ouaga): open-air screening of shorts by ISIS students and shorts from Africalia’s Afrique Tous Courts [Short(s) of Africa] collection. Reservation essential.
Session jointly organised and run by Cinéma Numérique Ambulant, an Africalia partner since 2009.
As part of its 2012-2014 Multiannual Programme, Africalia is encouraging exchanges between the programme’s partners. Jean Marie Ndihokubwayo from the Producers’ Collective for the Development of Audiovisual Media and the Cinema in Burundi (COPRODAC) will therefore be present at Fespaco from 22 February to 3 March.

Meet the Africalia team in Ouagadougou
Fréderic Jacquemin, Director +226 65388316
Dorine Rurashitse, Programme Manager +226 65501450
Mirko Popovitch & Gie Goris

With the collaboration of Umane Culture, Afrik’heur and the Ran Hotel.

Tailor-made holidays, a professional welcome!

After a 2012 edition which welcomed almost 20,000 visitors, the 42nd edition will again take place over 4 days: on 14, 15, 16 and 17 February 2013. Once again, the show, covering an area of 10,000 m², will welcome some 250 operators and 500 destinations.

First held in 1969, VERT was devoted primarily to presenting “hobby and gardening” themes.

At the end of the 1980s, it gradually developed its leisure, holidays and tourism sectors.
In 2004, it became “Vert Bleu Soleil”, your holiday show. Since 2012, “Vert Bleu Soleil, your holiday and second home show” has opened its doors for 4 days, from a Tuesday to a Sunday, and has welcomed some 250 travel operators and almost 20,000 visitors.

Vert Bleu Soleil is:
• an ideal place for trade contacts
• a site of discovery and information for visitors

Venue
Halles des Foires de Liège
LIEGE EXPO
Quai de Wallonie, 6 BE – 4000 Liège

Show dates
From 14 to 17 February 2013

Visiting hours
11.00 > 19.00 hrs
Late-night opening on the Friday until 21.30 hrs

Show admission price
6 € (free of charge for children under 12)
• Free admission for women on Thursday 14 February
• Free admission for young people aged 12 to 25 on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 February

BEC strengthens the arts educational and advocacy programs thus making it possible for all to have access to and participate in the cultural life of the community. It also builds capacity in arts management leadership and cultural entrepreneurship.

BEC generates information on the arts, statistical data about the creative industries and profiles of the community artists and their work for onward publications on print and on line.

It also facilitates debate and critical discourse about the arts and development of new cultural leaders, experts, critics and informed arts journalist.

WIT, ZITA, SPAA are part of the Circuit.

DANCE UMBRELLA 2013
25 Years of Contemporary Dance Celebration
14 – 17 February,2013
THIS PROGRAMME IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

THURSDAY, 14 FEBRUARY @ 19:30
WITS THEATRE
CHOREOGRAPHER TITLE OF PIECE RUNNING TIME
Sonja Radebe Treasure to a Being 30 mins
Thabo Kobeli ??? 10 mins
Carly Dibakoana Out of the Tunnel 10 mins
Gregory Maqoma Beautiful Us 28 mins

Opening Function in Wits Theatre Foyer after performance

FRIDAY, 15 FEBRUARY: 19:30
CHOREOGRAPHER TITLE OF PIECE RUNNING TIME
Alfred Hinkel/ Byron Klassen I don’t, I cant, I wont 5 mins
Thabo Rapoo ??? 20 mins
Nthabiseng Segoe Engagement of Love 10 mins
Jayesperi Moopen Circles and Squares 15 mins

Wits Theatre @ 21:00
CHOREOGRAPHER TITLE OF PIECE RUNNING TIME
Athena Mazarakis Standing By 30 mins

SATURDAY, 16 FEBRUARY: 18:00
CHOREOGRAPHER TITLE OF PIECE RUNNING TIME
Sello Pesa Displacement Powerlines 30 mins
SATURDAY, 16 FEBRUARY: 19:30
CHOREOGRAPHER TITLE OF PIECE RUNNING TIME
Charlie van Rooyen So Close to life 20 mins
SA Mzanzi Ballet Don Quixote 5 mins
Kelsey Middleton Me & You 30 mins
SA Mzanzi Ballet Amakhonokhono 5 mins
Fana Tshabalala Between Us 20 mins

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“Julius Mwelu has been appointed a Torchbearer for the Olympic Games in London. Receiving this honourable position celebrates him as an African photographer, but much more as an community leader who makes a big difference by bringing skills and positive energy to the youth in his community in Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya.”

Special Fespaco night – 9th of January 2013 at 8pm – Bozar

In the spirit of the renommated panafrican filmfestival FESPACO, we cordially invite you to this gathering in Bozar (23 rue Ravenstein -1000 Brussels) on Wednesday January 9th 2013 at 8pm, with the following activities :
• « Jouer, c’est encore mieux » by Emmanuel Toé (première of a shortfilm) – Timing 20′
This shortfilm shows a moment in the artist’s life of Dieudonné KABONGO in his role in «l’Envahisseur » by Nicolas PROVOST. The shortfilm is witness to this professional and personal adventure. Winking at the filmmaker and the chosen theme of migration, the story brings us behind the scenes of an American style movie production.
• « Kinshasa Kids » feature film by Marc-Henri Wajnberg – Timing 85′
Kinshasa, Congo. About 30.000 children are accused of witchcraft and expelled from home. Living on the street, Emma and his fellow friends – all considered as witch children – decide to form a music band to ward off bad luck along with a crazy musician called Bebson. Together they will rock Kinshasa!

This Fespaco Event in Brussel is a collaboration between the embassy of Burkina Faso, the embassy of D.R.Congo, the secretariat of the ACP group of countries, Africalia, Bozar, Wallonie-Bruxelles Wajinbrosse Productions International, le Festival International du Film Francophone, Afrika Filmfestival, le Festival International du film d’amour de Mons, Vox Africa, Afrikavision.

This invitation is valid for 2 people
Seats cam be removed from 7pm
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Reservation is essential
Please RSVP Monday, January 7, 2013 at the latest:
by email: africalia.be@gmail.com OR by fax: +32 (0) 2 412 58 90
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□ 1 person □ 2 people
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SMAAKLIK, a South-African public artwork in Ghent

In partnership between Africalia (www.africalia.be) and the City of Ghent, South African artist ISMAIL FAROUK conceived a public artwork called SMAAKLIK.

For the past 4 years, Africalia and the city of Ghent (in particular their North-South Solidarity Department and Cultural Participation Department) have been working with South African visual artist and urban geographer Ismail Farouk (www.ismailfarouk.com) to realize a permanent public artwork in the neighbourhood of Ledeberg in Ghent.

The artist visited the town 3 times for a month over the past couple of years and worked closely with organizations and individuals of that neighbourhood. He designed a most interesting artwork, which has now been temporarily installed on the playground of a local primary school (Jenaplan De Kleurdoos), and will find its final home in the park of the Central Square of Ledeberg (a suburb of Ghent with a very diverse social mix of inhabitants).

While this artwork sits on the playground of the school (for most of the year 2013/2014 most likely, after which it will move to the Centrumplein in Ledeberg), we are organizing a series of activities with the school. On December 21st 2012 we had a first full day of activities to celebrate the artwork and the school has proven a keen partner in this project and sees it fit beautifully in their pedagogical project. Africalia and the city of Ghent are hopeful to develop a few further activities around this artwork with the school in the very near future. To be continued.