Afrika Eye announces November return

Street art, architecture, chess, politics, music and a Sundance Festival award winner rooted in Nigerian folklore are among the attractions at this year’s 17th annual Afrika Eye festival of African cinema and culture, which runs from Tuesday 14 to Wednesday 22 November.

The full programme is still being finalised by Festival Director Annie Menter and her team, but several key events have already been confirmed.

Who I Am Not

(Dir Tunde Skovran, 2023, 1hr 43mins). Cube Cinema, Nov 14

An award-winning documentary telling the moving stories of two South Africans learning to live with being among the 2% of people worldwide classed as ‘intersex’.

System K

(Renaud Barret, 2019, 1hr 34mins). Arnolfini, Nov 16

Documentary revealing how street artists in troubled Kinshasa, DRC, are sharing messages of anger and hope through their creative use of discarded items, including bullet casings, bottle tops, plastic waste and more. The screening follows an after-hours tour of Arnolfini’s autumn exhibition featuring the found materials work of Ethiopian artist Elias Sime.

Neptune Frost

(Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman, 2021, 1hr 45mins). Trinity Arts, Nov 17

An ‘Afrofuturist romantic musical’ set in Burindi, with after-screening participation from Trinity’s ‘Speak Out’ arts and social issues project for young people.

Mami Wata

(C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi, 2023, 1hr 47 mins). Watershed, Nov 18

South West regional premeire of this Sundance Festival prize-winning supernatural thriller, shot mostly in Benin, inspired by folk myths from Nigeria about the power of a mermaid goddess. It concludes a day of screenings at the Watershed, which kicks off with the family-friendly true-life story Queen of Katwe (Mira Noir, 2016, 124 mins), about a poor Ugandan girl who dreams of becoming a chess grandmaster.

An Architect Between

An Architect Between

(Daniel Schwartz, 2016, 19 mins). Design West, Narrow Quay, Nov 22

Afrika Eye 2023 concludes with an event celebrating the work of Burkino Faso born architect and social activist Diébédo Francis Kéré  – the first black African architect to win the prestigious Pritzker prize in 2022. In addiation to the screening, there will also be a discussion exploring the breadth of Kéré work, ranging from a mud brick school and furniture echoing traditional African designs to London’s Serpentine Gallery and the National Assembly of Mali.

Further details of the complete Afrika Eye 2023 programme, including a food sharing event at Coexist Community Kitchen, will be published soon on the festival’s website, where you can already register an interest in tickets and/or sign up to join the free mailing list.

Main image from Neptune Frost. All images supplied by Afrika Eye.