As Cinema St. Louis rounds out the 17th installment of its annual film experience this weekend, there is still an opportunity to partake in the black experience on screen with a global perspective before the festival closes on Nov. 23.
The remaining films offer diverse takes on aspects of the African experience, from the miracle of peace in Liberia, to South African political prisoners working to maintain their sanity while on Robbins Island to a lighthearted look at love, life and self-discovery after apartheid. The remaining films show there is more to the mother continent than meets the eye n or fits the stereotypes.
Bunny Chow (2:30 p.m. Fri., Nov. 21, Frontenac).
American audiences might equate John Barker’s film to a South African interpretation of Love Jones. A young, hip circle of friends work to generate an existence conducive to creativity as a man struggles to make a name for himself on the underground South African comedy scene alongside his established funnymen friends.
Named after a South African cuisine that blends different flavors and ingredients and stuffs them in a single loaf of bread, the film’s title describes a group of friends. Regardless of how haphazard the pairing of the different meats and spices, the end result is a delicious treat that can be enjoyed by all who share an open mind and appreciate human differences.
The characters represent all aspects of diversity n religious, race, gender and socioeconomic n in post-apartheid South Africa. But as these young people illustrate South Africa’s ability to transcend the system that separated a nation, Bunny Chow also showcases young people’s universal quest for self-discovery and the epiphanies that accompany the journey.
Pray the Devil back to Hell (7 p.m., Fri. Nov. 21, Tivoli 3)
The liberation of Liberia owes a debt to the strength, power and wisdom of women in the struggle for peace in a nation crippled by self-destruction. One bold and peaceful act of courage by the mothers and daughters of Liberia changed the face of a nation.
Founded as a colony in 1822 by freed slaves from the United States, the country was devastated by Civil War by the turn of the millennium. With thousands murdered, hundreds of thousands displaced and a ruined economy, the war between the rebels and dictator Charles Taylor showed no signs of ending. But the strength and courage of a young mother sparked peaceful demonstrations of womanpower that eventually led to the overthrowing of a reign of terror and the election of Liberia’s first woman president. Pray the Devil Back to Hell, directed by Gini Reticker, shows how determination, strength and faith n even from individuals deemed powerless n can change history.
More Than Just a Game (3:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 22, Tivoli 1)
Part documentary, part drama, this film by Junaid Amhed depicts how football provides refuge for political prisoners in the infamous South African prison on Robbins Island.
The prisoners rely on organizing a sports institution to divert their minds from their reality as inmates in one of the world’s most inhumane prisons and as black people at the peak of apartheid. The games provided a source of inspiration and a method to maintain sanity in the face of inhumanity.
While the commentaries are compelling, the dramatic reenactments pale in comparison to the true accounts. Even with its shortcomings, the film effectively demonstrates the power that comes in finding peace and rising above one’s current surroundings and creating a legacy for change.
Cinema St. Louis’ 17th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival will take place starting today, from Nov. 13 n Nov. 23 at various locations. For details and an entire listing of the schedule visit www.cinemastlouis.org.
