Soul Food Friday: Happy Golden Jubilee Zambia!

I am proud to be Zambian at this very moment, and to have preserved an important part of our history by documenting the story of the Zambian National Football team through e18hteam.  By preserving this history, I have not let another African library burn down, as is usual when the elder who had all the knowledge takes his wisdom, experience and part of the country's conscious with him upon his passing.  I was able to document Zambia's history through football by managing to interview the late great Dennis Liwewe and I have let those who created this thread which is interwoven in Zambia's 50 year tapestry, spin their tale. The fact that people can look back and remember and be inspired by the future is so humbling.  I have really felt the love and the privilege of being part of Zambia's Golden Jubilee celebrations.  It is truly and honour and a thrill walking taking the sojourn into responsibility while doing what I love and finally reaping the fruits of my passion for Zambia, communication, preservation (history). and inspiration.

Enjoy the day, and remember our accomplishments and feel the hope for the future.  We afriCAN and WILL continue to discover, reconnect with, and reach our potential!  Only positivity today...and tomorrow...and the next day...That is how to apply constructive criticism: reassess, acknowledge past mistakes by moving forward with mphamvu! I have openly acknowledged my country's and my own flaws on the blog.  Today is all about being in the moment, happy and hopeful and appreciative of the blessings that Zambia has given me since I relocated in 2011 and made the decision to make my country my base and work from the inside out, not the outside in :).

Here are the highlights of the past week of celebrations:

Meeting with Zambia's current Second Lady, Charlotte Scott the day before the Premiere on Wednesday16th October:

Writer, Director and Producer of e18hteam Juan Rodriguez-Briso,
Zambia's Second Lady Charlotte Scott
and co-Producer of e18hteam Ngosa Chungu aka Mwana Ba Afrika

Kept to dress code - rocked #ProudlyZambian #PositivelyAfrican custom Kamanga Wear High Waisted Tuxedo African Jacquard Trousers with Copper jewelry bought at Kutowa Designs made by women's empowerment initiative www.free-zambia.org:

Our co-producer @whoops_c & writer director producer @juanbriso tore up the red carpet! #e18hteam #DidYouKnoWednesday http://t.co/QldMCDy2B9
— e18hteam (@e18hteam) October 22, 2014

Personal screening for my favourite Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, founding father and first Head of State of independent Zambia, organised by Samba Yonga through his daughter Cheswa Kaunda:

L -R: e18hteam Publicty Manager Samba Yonga of Ku-Atenga Media,
Cheswa Kaunda, KK's daughter, e18hteam co-Producer Ngosa Chungu,
First President of the Republic of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda aka KK,
e18hteam Premiere Special Guest Former Chipolopolo Coach Roald Poulsen,
e18hteam Writer, Director and Producer Juan Rodriguez-Briso.

This is what I wore to Muvi TV interview on Wednesday 22nd October for the Morning show as dresscode was Zambian colours:

Happy Golden Jubilee #Zambia! Celebrating #ZambiaAt50 #fwika style #ProudlyZambian #PositivelyAfrican #PellieFun xo pic.twitter.com/ZPMeIGwhHm
— Ngosa Chungu (@whoops_c) October 24, 2014

Schedule for today till the 29th to catch e18hteam at Fresh View Cinemas Levy Park daily:

Reflective post to come later.  Right now still recovering from the madness over the past month bring e18hteam to Zambia in time for our 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations. Awesome Possum! Much love xo

Official photos for e18hteam taken by George Mutale.

To keep up-to-date with my surreal journey follow me on Facebook.

Soul Food Friday: e18hteam - the Fruit of Passion

I have started a new tag called Passion Fruit.  It's all about how passion bears fruit. For me, e18hteam has been the hardest thing I have ever attempted to achieve in my life.  My sweat has literally watered the earth from whence the fruit that e18hteam blossomed.  My passion for the story of the Chipolopolo triumphing at AFCON 2012 in Gabon after suffering tragedy there in 1993 never wavered.  My belief in the project never waned due to the fact that I could not have partnered with a better hombre than Juan.  At one point I said to Juan that I would completely understand if he felt I had not adequately contributed to the project as, as is still the case, I have not been able to convince a single Zambian business to support any part of the project, even the fun part - the glitzy Premiere.  He believed in my passion and had no doubt I was doing my best and has stuck by me.  I am honoured to still be a part of this project and continue endeavour to earn my credit as co-producer.  If I fill up the seats with my social and traditional media plan then I will feel vindicated.

This film, despite me knowing the story and having a part in creating it, has touched the very core of my being.  I am proud to say, it moved me to tears when I watched the first rough cut months ago.  We are now locking the film and to present it to Zambians on the 17th of October, a week before Zambia's Golden Jubliee Independence celebrations on the 24th.  I am also proud that Juan has successfully gotten the film to show at SEMINCI in his home town Valladolid in Spain on the eve before Independence day.  If you are in the area, catch the film at SEMINCI.  It will be showing at LAVA, 19:00 on the 23rd of October.

I  leave you with video that has me excited and I hope it gets you revved up to see the film too:

Leelee who wrote the awesome possum Nkwazi article about e18hteam had me on radio and commented:

@leelabee "zambian film of the year" from only 5 mins of #e18hteam?! #humbled #chipolopolo @juanbriso @whoops_c pic.twitter.com/c7fWa3MM1Z
— e18hteam (@e18hteam) September 26, 2014

Juan sent the screen test in Spain which made me all warm inside:

Here is the official trailer for the film :)

To keep up-to-date with my passion fruit follow e18hteam on Twitter and like on Facebook.  You can also find other articles on my film production journey in the e18hteam tag.

Things on Thursday: e18hteam Tings

It's been a pretty big week for the film. I am focusing on the positive at the moment: publicity is going well.  The press are starting to report on the documentary and engagement continues to steadily increase on social media.  So the fact that, to date, no Zambian business has contributed to the film which is fine coz we managed without them, but now I have no idea how I am going to host the Premiere, which is expected due to the story being told and it being released a week before our 50th Independence Anniversary.  

It's my job as co-producer to find the money to do things.  Honestly, my passion for the story and the film has not translated to funds beyond what I have been able to scrap together over the years from my own pocket through presenting and social media jobs here in Zambia. This has frustrated me greatly as I have tried several different strategies to no avail.  You'd think that football, Zambia and the glitz of film would be a no brainer here.  I have been proven wrong for the last 2 years.  But as Steve Jobs said "stay hungry, stay foolish".  With a production partner like Juan, who has gone above and beyond to make this film, and has taken on the lion's share of the financial burden, it's not that hard to do that :).  

That is also why I changed the Amashiwi quotes on the blog to include Winston Churchill's "success consists of going from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm".  Even if organisations seem to be swayed by the Chipolopolo's performance and every time I need some help they decided to perform abysmally.  I continue support our national team through thick and thin, despite their secret conspiracy to thwart my efforts.  It would have been great if they started their AFCON 2015 qualifying campaign with a bang, rather than fizzling out after being paralysed to a nil draw against Os Mambas (The Black Mamba's aka Mocambique) and the venom taking hold by the time they got to Cape Verde last week, losing 2-1. You see my theory is not wholly unfounded and without merit.

Things are going well in large part due to Samba Yonga of Ku Atenga Media aka Grand Mukhazi in the Ndhlovukazi's matriach's circle aka Purple Tembo Media's publicity team:

Matriarch's circle is @e18hteam promotion team: Ndhlovukhazi @whoops_c Grand Mukhazi (Grand Woman) @Kuwaha pic.twitter.com/TNxWh1ymaG...
— Purple Tembo Media (@PurpleTembo) September 12, 2014

She is behind getting this great article written by Leelee Ngwenya about e18hteam features in the September/ October Issue of Proflight's Nkwazi Inflight Magazine. The magazine is FREE, MAHALA, GRATIS so get your copy to see it in all its glory.  Don't worry, if you aren't in Zambia or flying anytime soon I have scanned the article ;}.

Click to embiggen for easier reading :)

Slam Dunk Records TV and Inspire Abantu have posted the press release for the film to help get the word out.

This teaser seems to be the one that everyone who has seen them seems to be the most touched by.  I also think it's the most powerful.  Dennis Liwewe was our most prolific football pundit and a great ambassador for the game and Zambia.  It was an honour to interview him.

If you want to know more about writer, director and producer Juan Rodriguez-Briso, watch this Behind the Scenes video about his passion for football, how inspirational the story of the Chipolopolo is and about how we connected to co-produce e18hteam.

We revealed our official poster for the film yesterday during #DidYouKnoWednesday.  The exact release date is 17th October 2014 so mark your calendars and start saving your ngwees to make up the Kwacha you need for a ticket.

In theatres 17th October 2014 

Chipolopolo ana chimfya: The Chipololopolo triumphed in both Nyanja and Bemba.

To keep up with all things e18hteam, follow the film on Twitter so as not to miss out on weekly #DidYouKnoWednesday event, and like on Facebook for exclusive content only posted there.  You can find all my posts chronically my journey making e18hteam here.

Twit Tuesday: e18hteam Behind the Scenes Video and #PTHerd Prince chat

As you know I have my reservations about Twitter, but what I love about the social media platform is the ease at which conversation can be fostered.  Hence I am happily a twit now with no regrets, especially as being one has helped me with content for the blog.

This post is dedicated to Sam Ndhlovu.

Right now, Twitter is the primary communication tool with which e18hteam is able to be brought to the masses at no cost, and the ability and ways to provide information to those who want it is unlimited.  Here is a Storify of last week's events on my production company and e18hteam's Twitter pages that revolved around my favourite little ones, Sam Ndhlovu aka the Purple Tembo Herd Prince.

To know more about how to become a part of the Purple Tembo Herd royal family, follow Sam on Twitter and see how it's done. Jedi master must you be.  Only way to Sam defeat.  From this Yoda take it ha ha ha ha.

You can find other storify stories I have published here.

e18hteam: #PTHerd rewards and #DidYouKnoWednesday

I started writing a coupla weeks ago about the documentary film I am co-producing with Spanish partner-in-crime Juan Rodriguez-Briso.  There I began my impassioned recording of why I started my production company Purple Tembo Media and how the Chipolopolo's AFCON 2012 win was the catalyst to me pursuing that thread of my storytelling dreams. I always knew I would be some kind of filmmaker.  Funnily enough, I became a writer before that, something I never thought I would never have the discipline for.  Blogging started me on a journey when its path had been illuminated in my mind after I decided I wanted to create proudly Zambian and positively African content with mpamvu (literally power, here I mean umph or as MIghTy African would say vim he he he) in 2010 after completing my masters.

So what is the film about?

It is the universal story of the underdog, forever underestimated, but never discourage to achieve the very best when challenged.  Akin to folklore of old, it is a recounting of the age-old message urging us to continue to fight in order to reach the heights of success.  This is an epic sanctioned by divine decree, that ensured nothing would stand in the way of pure intentions, hard work, determination, and ultimately, destiny.  This is the emotional and now legendary football journey of an African nation, spanning five decades.  It is the path taken by a country bound together by a tragedy that shook the nation, which then spurred them to honour their fallen heroes by playing the beautiful game at the highest level.  This is the recounting of Zambia's rich football history, derailed by the tragic plane crash off the coast of Gabon in 1993, only to be triumphant in the same country at the momentus AFCON 2012 tournament.  This is the opportunity to record, preserve and share  this amazing story with the world.  This is the documentary film telling the story of the unrelenting and victorious Chipolopolo: the Copper Bullets aka the Zambian National Football Team.

So you are hooked by my verbose, superfluous and dramatically African introduction eh? Want to know more?

Created by current @PurpleTembo #PTHerd Prince Sam

If you follow these instructions you are not a twit, in fact you are rather smart.  Now you can keep up to date with the film, find out why it is called e18hteam (pronouced eighteam), when it will be released and where it will be showing.  Every hump day you'll enjoy #DidYouKnoWednesday with facts about Zambia, the Chipolopolo, football and of course the documentary.

Mutanda Falls in #Solwezi #Zambia is beautiful and shallow enough to stand in and fish! #DidYouKnoWednesday #e18hteam http://t.co/jnejxbcCYI
— e18hteam (@e18hteam) August 20, 2014

Go one step further and join the Purple Tembo Herd race and you will be rewarded.  Help spread the word about the film and who knows what royal titles and gifts will be bestowed upon you.

Post by Purple Tembo Media.

Recap: Like and follow e18hteam, like and follow Purple Tembo.  Good things come to kind people.  Here is a cheat sheet to help you out.

I thank you for liking, commenting, sharing, following, tweeting and retweeting in advance xo

e18hteam: Using the Power of Film to Speak

Zambian Theatre release: October 2014

True to my word, I have enjoyed the World Cup, and just as football gave me voice to start blogging four years ago, it continues to inspire me. So I am officiallly back, ready to communicate and to indulge my love of words with ease.  I am proud that the essence of who I am as a writer and what created this blog for still rings true as I professed and promised in my inaugural post.  Let me just say how I am even prouder of never letting the standard of posts go down just to keep the blog current, and that I continue to take the time I need to regenerate when necessary, and that whenever I come back, I come back with a vengeance he he he.  This sleeping lioness has once again awakened, and she is out for blood.  No mucking about, straight for the jugular.  We do things royal here, no mediocre, only the regal will do for me, and for you :)...

 © Football Association of Zambia

So what causes me to break my silence?  I already have alluded to what I am about to reveal before.  On February 12, 2012, the Zambian National Team: the Chipolopolo achieved the dreams of a nation.  They not only won AFCON 2012 for the first time, but also honoured the dead: the Chipolopolo who died in a tragic plane crash off the coast of the Gabon, the very country in which we then triumphed.  When they won in 2012, the first thing I thought of was documenting their momentous win, after screaming like a banshee and shedding emotional and proud tears.  It was more than just Zambia's first raising of the Africa Cup of Nations:

Their efforts embodied 50 years of the Zambian National Team carrying the hopes and dreams of a nation.  50 years of potential almost realised, but never quite producing at the highest level, until AFCON 2012.  Most of all, this was facing our loss and allowing it to heal by soldiering on in the very place where we had suffered an inconsolable pain, despite the odds stacked against us:  we had to defeat more well-known and higher ranked African teams that had played at the World Cup, and the weight of sorrow could have burdened us and hindered us.  Instead the Chipolopolo found a way to soar like the nkwazis (eagles) we Zambians all have the power to be, and raised our flag proudly in honor of those we lost, preserving their place in history by winning on their behalf.  

As my beloved country turns 50, I am honoured to be able to give this gift to the people.  I may have a turbulent relationship with the place of my birth, but the best relationships ebb and flow - there will always be that tug-of-war to remind you to be present and to make sure to give as much as you take.  I thrive in the conflict that my Afropolitan identity creates as it clashes with some of the more static and stagnant elements in the Zambian environment.  It allows my creativity to thrive by causing me to turn inward to figure out new ways to express myself in ways authentic to my soul and freeing to my spirit in order contribute to the communities I engage and/ or identify with.  The moment it happened I knew I  too could achieve some of my dreams through their success. I could finally become a filmmaker by documenting this seminal moment in history, and could go one step further by preserving this story for future generations.  One of the recurring themes on this blog is legacy, the other is capturing an African experience in the 21st century and populating the internet with more content produced by the continent, so we can tell our own stories now and in perpetuity.  As a media professional, and a passionate Afropolitan, I am taking advantage of the multiple ways afforded to me. Film is another way to do that.  I formed my production company Purple Tembo Media because of how inspired I was watching the Chipolopolo continue to triumph despite being written off as the underdog.  Triumphing when underestimated is one of my favourite things to achieve and to see unfold in others.

I can now also freely share this journey with you on the blog and on social media.  There will be a series of blogposts about this that will be curated in the e18hteam tag.  In the meantime please like the following on Facebook and follow on Twitter to follow my journey through this film:

MbA on Facebook and Twitter

The documentary film about the Chipolopolo: e18hteam on Facebook and Twitter

"Welcome To Lagos" Concluded

The last episode of the BBC's Welcome To Lagos looks to the future, while focusing on a slum under constant threat of demolition.  It is located on a beachy patch right across from Victoria Island, where everyone aspires to live in its big houses one day.  You can't help but like Esther, she had me at "Chelsea for Life"! Anyone who bleeds blue is good with me he he he...

As we watch Esther keep house at the beach, her hair changes from weave, to braids, to gelled with a hair piece to unkempt and in equal measure we witness the twists and turns in her tale.  She is there to dig a ditch to protect the homestead when the rains come and the sea swells up and takes up more of the slums space, destroying anything in its path.  She dreams of a better life without needing a man to help her get there.  She tries the best she can with the circumstances she has been dealt with the pride, dignity and resourcefulness of a strong African woman.  And with a little silliness too :). All with a smile and an unfazed optimism, even though she lives with constant uncertainty.

We also see a traffic cop turned beautification squad leader and traditional dance instructor (! ;}) romp through the streets tearing down any illegal construction.  He is a Lagos native whose pride in his roots has led him to clean up his city during the day and teach they young their culture in his free time.  Although his tactics may be a rather crude and rough, ultimately he is carrying out his orders.  However, one cannot help but wonder about how there is no care for people's belongings and goods as this "beautification" is being carried out, and where they are to go as the better places the Government are planning to build have not been created yet.  Progress is a double-edged sword.  While it is clear that chasing away the area boys to clean up the patches they trolled is creating Green spaces that both benefit the people and the environment, the guerrilla-style slum destruction seems a little too chaotic and callous.

Either way it is clear that Lagos is moving forward and there is nothing to stop the city from thriving and becoming a megacity rivaling any around the world.  We will have wait to see the social costs borne from all of Lagos' economic development.

All in all this was a well crafted docu-series that I felt gave me insight into a part of Lagos life.

"Welcome To Lagos" Continued

The second episode contains more of the first, except the setting is the Makoko slum.  Likened to Venice (hmmmmm really?!), it is a place where people have taken matters into their own hands and have built their own houses in the lagoon that surrounds Lagos and get from here to there in boats.  Their story is linked to the sawmills, as that is where the timber that is the primary material for slum houses is processed.

Once again the resourcefulness and entrepreneurial spirit is displayed.  However, with the man we follow this episode, there is something more.  You can really see a pride in this man.  A pride bourne from being able to retain his customs while moving into the future by being a part of the megacity.  A pride of thinking of innovative ways to make sure that his children and grandchildren are able to go to school and university.  A pride that allows him to gather all his family for a meal every day to teach them his ways. A pride from knowing that even if the Government seeks to destroy rather than help to build his community, he and his neighbours have found ways to reclaim land, erect their houses and make their own expansion plans.  Combining the old with the new.  That is Africa in a nutshell really.

This sense of community is also shown when the workers at the sawmills gather money together to pay for a fellow worker's funeral and for his family to be taken back to the village.  People are not waiting around for someone to take care of them, they are finding ways to take care of each other. It was also nice to see a woman running one of the sawmills. With many a story about how women are subjugated on the continent, I thought it was refreshing to see the other side being told.  There are many a businesswoman and entrepreneuress about too.  However the two children who had run away from home and lied about their age and were fighting to work at the woman's sawmill is disturbing.  But which society in the world has never profitted from child labour at some point in its transition to being fully modern?  At least it didn't look like they were being worked to the bone.  And they did have time to be able to be children and make kites and fly them.  With modernity come its ills unfortunately.

Here are links to Episode 2:

"Welcome To Lagos"

Finally started watching the BBC Docu-miniseries Welcome to Lagos that BIMBO had told me about a coupla months back. Was a little apprehensive going in, wondering how the Western Eye was going to interpret the images and the lives of the people in the slums.  I was pleasantly surprised though.  They really highlighted the ingenuity, resourcefulness, entrepreneurial spirit, camaraderie and optimism of the Nigerians who are moving from the rural areas at a rate of 600,000 a year, to one of the world's megacities, Lagos.  Felt that the documentary kept riding the comparisons to the Western world a little - we get it, there is more that meets the eye, these people are diamonds in the rough once you get over the superficial.

I was happy to see that even though the focus was on the slums, images of the developed areas of the city were interspersed throughout the episode so as not to make Lagos seem like one big ghetto, as was done with Lusaka in the RED documentary. I also like how everything wasn't romanticised - we witnessed the daily city-wide power cuts and the lawlessness that happens in the dumps.  I also liked how the man with the family found a way to give his wife and children what they needed either by fixing things or finding a way to refurbish what the rich threw away.  It also shed light on how wasteful people get once they are not living from day to day and how many things that still have use get thrown away.  It showed how recycling is already a way of life in Lagos.  "Living Green" sometimes starts out of necessity.

I was really impressed with the cattle market. It showed how people apply their knowledge and are able to use every part of the cow, bar the hair, for something - horns for plastic, the contents of the cows digestive tract for fertiliser, blood for chicken feed and who knew you could eat the skin?! That and the fact that even in the slums there already is an transnational network with cattle herders travelling from Mali, Cameroun and Chad to come an trade.  The awareness of the world around them shows how the people realise we are all interconnected, like the man said as the dollar goes up and down, life in the slum is affected. When cattle were not able to come in from Chad prices skyrocketed.

Here are links to the first episode:

"Merchants of Hope": The Disillusionment In The African Football Dream

Finally watched the Current TV documentary Soccer's Lost Boys. I am glad I waited till after the World Cup as it was depressing to see what happens to these boys who are sold hope by sketchy Africans and Europeans alike.



First and foremost I agree with a comment made that comparing this situation with those of the Lost Boys of Sudan is not equal.  I know that documentaries like to be incendiary, but that was a bit much.  I liked how one of the men who had been tricked into going to Morocco by an agent said that the people who deal in the African Dream are "Sellers of hope".  When asked why people still fall for it, even though it is clear that nothing comes of it, he continued to say that that is what they do they are "Merchants of hope" that deal with "total disillusionment."  These people prey of the hopes and dreams of young children who want to emulate their heroes Drogba, Essien and Eto'o and their families who are easily led to believe that their investment will be return exponentially.  So "Sellers" or "Merchants of hope" I think would have been a better title.

Africans have to take responsibility for the inception of the disillusionment.  Our stars need to not only come back and set up schools, football camps and better the communities they came from, they also need to speak up regularly about how they are the exception not the rule.  They also need to talk about how they got to where they are, because when recruited, payment to an agent is not required, the club pays for the expenses.  And even if things more often that not don't pan out, at least families are not left destitute. I happened to sit next to a young Zambian football player off to Germany and France to try his luck.  I flew with him to South Africa and made sure he got on his connecting flight as he had never flown before. He had all his documents in an envelope and who to call if anything went wrong. That is how it is supposed to be done. These realities need to be revealed.

This reminds me of the article in Time's June World Cup Issue about Samuel Eto'o. During his conversation with the Time's reporter Eto'o made use of the word dream a total 14 times including when he said  "My whole life is a dream, a dream come true, a dream I'll only wake up from the day I stop playing football." However this is the exception not the rule. Most of the time, the boys end up realising they are actually in a nightmare that they can't wake up from. The ones who are manage to make it to Europe are still likely to be met with disappointment. Eto'o went through a reputable sports academies in Cameroun: L'Ecole de Football des Brassieries du Cameroun and the Kadji Sport Academy, played for his country at the U-16 level and was recruited by Real Madrid. And the people who are read the article are not the people who are going to be bamboozled.  This story needs to be told through channels that will reach those vulnerable to these get-rich-quick-through-football schemes as well.

Essien's journey is similiar, taking him to France first after representing Ghana at Youth level.  Drogba was lucky to have family in France.  Essien finished high school and Drogba was banned from football when he had to repeat a year of school.  Unlike what Mr. Smith, the dubious Ghanaian Youth Coach said, these guys did not abandon their education to become the stars they we know and love. He should not be encouraging kids to do so in the name of their idols.

The exploitation continues in Europe, where those interested profiting from football and those interested in exploiting the precarious situation these boys find themselves in once they are no longer legal take advantage. Continuing the illusion of hope by making these boys play games hoping that they will be spotted by an agent, or locals taking advantage of the boys need to survive at whatever cost is just as despicable as the coaches and agents in Africa who pluck them from their families.

What I liked most about the documentary is that it showed that there are Africans and Europeans who have seen this problem and are doing something about it.  You can find more information about the initiatives mentioned in the documentary below.  There are also links to other initiatives going on and what Drogba and Essien are doing (Eto'o site is temporarily down btw):

The Right To Dream, The Craig Bellamy Foundation, Foot Solidaire, FIFA and Foot Solidaire, Win in Africa With Africa, 1Goal, Essien's Foundation, Drogba's Foundation, Eto'o's Foundation.

Life In A Day

This seems like an interesting piece of filmmaking...Clicked on this by mistake when trying to get my music fix on YouTube.  On the 24th of July Kevin MacDonald and Ridley Scott are trying some experimental documentary film making by calling upon all of us, the people of the world, to shoot video of our lives that they will then edit to create a film of life on earth in a day that they are quite literally calling "Life In A Day".

Can't wait to see how things work out and how different places end up being represented as ultimately in the end it is out of the people's hands.  How will they select what is worthy? Are they looking for equal and unbiased representation across continents, countries, social and economic class, race, gender, the list goes on...Either way, really tapping into the power of social media and the free production and access to content.  And even though they claim all clips used will be rewarded with a co-director credit, if this thing wins acclaim and awards, who will be going up to the podium....exactly! Not the people who provided the raw materials but the ones who present the finished product.  Genius and yet rather exploitative.  Very much like life really so I guess it all makes sense in the end.

Very interesting...

What Are Our Priorities?

The recent spate of articles about gays in Malawi and Uganda make me wonder about what African priorities are.  Personally I think it is a human right for people to choose to express their sexual orientation how they will in the privacy of their own homes, without the the interference of others.  What others do is none of my business, just as what I do is none of theirs. And they should be able to walk proud in public, love is something to be celebrated not shunned. The interest in what people do behind closed doors of course is nothing new, with all eyes currently on Tiger Woods and  beforehand Clinton's behaviour while in office.  These instances have had global attention, just as the Ugandan and Malawian cases.  However, my question is: What do any of these instances of sexual practice have to do with the state and its ability to govern its people?

Of course in the case of Clinton, there were power and workplace conduct issues entangled that blurred the line between whether it was a private or public matter, but the rest of these instances are to do with celebrities or lay-people who are given more power than is warranted. However, did Clinton's behaviour alter his ability to lead?  Is being able to stand on the perceived moral pedastal a prerequisite to govern?  I now know way to much about what Tiger Woods does behind closed doors, things that really have nothing to do with his preternatural talent and golfing abilities. These stories then take up time on the news and valuable print space, bumping other stories about the state of our countries and the world, that have more far reaching ramifications.  Does President Obama really need to be commenting on what celebrities do in their spare time?

We do not need to be spending time searching out gay people as they would have us do in Uganda. Governments have got better things to do than to worry about a minority, whose actions do not have anything to do with how the state functions just as heterosexual practices do not.  It seems as if gay issues are the latest smoke screen to blind the masses from the fact that states are failing to solve inherent problems of poverty, reliance on aid and bringing countrymen together to forge a better future in African countries. We as citizens, no matter what our preferences are, have better things to do like live our lives, feed our children, pay our bills and try to make a difference in the world when we can than going out on witch-hunts!  Police have better things to do than to be arresting people for what they do behind closed door unless the couple themselves file a complaint.  Resources and time that courts cannot afford to waste are being squandered.

It makes me sad that persecution continues, especially in the name of others and that we are worrying ourselves with people's relationships when we should be concentrating on our own and those close to us.  Instead of asking others to be the morally sound (whatever that means) people we want to be, we should be doing it ourselves.  Let us not get sucked into the quagmire of moral politics, which only stagnates rather than fosters cohesion.  This is just one battle in a long cycle that has been used by politicians the world over to distract.  Let us come together despite our differences by concentrating on the similarities we share, one of which is wanting a better future for ourselves and those who will come after us.

If you are interested in a very good documentary about the Ugandan situation, here is the Vanguard Documentary from Current TV "Missionaries of Hate".  Bar the leading title, I think all sides of the story are presented well.

Another HBO Documentary - Ghetto Ballet

Caught another HBO Documentary today, this time it was Ghetto Ballet, set in a South African Slum.  Once again I really didn't like the framing.  The main character is a girl who talks about how ballet used to be for white people but now she's going to be the first black ballerina.  However, it is quite clear from her body structure that she can be a dancer, just not of the ballet kind.  We see her best friend, who has the body type  a few moments later.  We then get to follow them, as well as the rest of the group of underprivileged kids given the gift of ballet through the "Dance for All" program, culminating in an audition to become a professional.  We see a boy become Cape Town's second black ballet dancer, and the best friend being picked at the end as she has real potential (this outcome was predictable from the start).  Meanwhile, the main character fails to move on to the professional level and is told that maybe she could go on a diet.  We are supposed to admire her determination to keep trying.  It just made me sad.  TELL HER THE TRUTH!!!!

This documentary reminds of  Remember the Titans and when Denzel Washington's character chastises his white counterpart for coddling the black kids.  He says you aren't doing them any favours, you are crippling them for life.  This was not about white/ black, or the haves/ have nots.  These kids had the chance to be ballet dancer through the program, but if they didn't have the chops of the body type, that is something that even opportunity could not fix.  Instead of telling the poor girl to go on another ridiculous diet (by the end of the documentary her mother was already exacerbated by her child's eating), they should have given her realistic options, like dancing in another genre like modern or jazz or something. :(

AIDS Documentary: "The Lazarus Effect"

Today I watched The Lazarus Effect, a documentary sponsored by (RED), the cause famously championed by Bono to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.  Here is the trailer:

Trailer

I was particularly eager to see this documentary as it was shot in Zambia.  However I was to be disappointed.  This 30 minute documentary was really a 30 minute plea to get people to donate.  It focused on the pain of people losing a loved one to AIDS and how free ARVs have saved their lives.  I was moved by the before and after shots of the people who were able to benefit from the free ARV program that provides 3 million Africans with treatment. In Zambia 250,000 people get the free drugs, amounting to about 1/10th of the infected population being serviced.  Stats like these and others would flash on the screen every 5 minutes or so to put what things into perspective and to lead up to how ultimately with just 40 cents a day we can make a difference. They shot the documentary in such a way that only one of the buildings in city centre was visible so it looked like there are no buildings in the capital, not that you would know they were shooting in Lusaka from the way they shot it.  But of course you can't show anything that a Westerner could relate to, because they would more than empathise and then would not want to give because they would think that everything is alright naturally! I really wished they had asked the subjects how they had contracted the disease and how they would advise others not to walk the path they walked and what they feel needs to be done to reverse the pandemic.

Can we please stop plugging holes after the fact and get down and dirty and deal with the heart of the problem.  Serious social issues in Africa are perpetuating the spread of HIV and AIDS and these then exacerbate the financial ones.  If we deal with the causes then we won't have to think about prolonging people's lives with drugs and worrying about people suffering when they do not have access to them.

Dr. Mannasseh Phiri, who is well known in the community and has radio shows that actively promote prevention was underutilised in this documentary.  His most recent post on condoms and marriage tackles one of the social issues that need to be dealt with to halt the pandemic.  I also liked his post on abstinence which shows how even in the western world, the idea of promoting only abstinence is not sufficient to preventing teenagers from engaging in sexual practices, let alone safe ones.  Why this "abstinence only" proviso for aid is being pushed on African is beyond me.  Yesterday the BBC published an article about how studies in Africa have shown that pregnancy increases the transmission of HIV/AIDS and finished with the interesting fact that 1 in 4 people in the UK who has the disease doesn't even know they have it.  Condoms no matter where you are are pivotal to safe sex practices.

An STD is an STD, it is best not to get one, and AIDS is everywhere, we all need to be careful.