John Akomfrah, Stuart Hall and the Film Essay
Akomfrah's films gives voice to the legacy of the African diaspora in Europe, and his experimental approach to narrative and structure helped pave the way for the re-emergence of the "essay film" today.
Blog
The Question of International Aid
How a documentary about a radio station provides a window into aid policy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The closest thing to real life
The documentary film. “Zoran and his African Tigers,” shows how harsh and unforgiving international football can be.
A level of decadence
Muntu Vilakazi photographs the 'Politics of Bling' on Johannesburg's East Rand.
Ponte City
The 54-storey building in Johannesburg, built in the 1970s, is the tallest residential building on the continent, and subject of a new photobook.
To be an artist in Egypt right now
An Egyptian theater company puts on Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables in colloquial Arabic. The choice was no error.
The Rediscovery of William Onyeabor
The continued relevance or irrelevance of a musical figure to an African audience doesn't factor into that figure's "rediscovery" outside the continent.
The day South African news media ate crow
How South Africa's media report on the doings within the official parliamentary opposition, the Democratic Alliance.
Prince Blackwater of China
This is big: Blackwater has set up a new Africa-focused military contractor, partnering with one of China's largest state-owned conglomerates.