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Africa Rising
A film by Paula Heredia
Kenya/Mali/Somalia/Tanzania, 2009, 62 minutes, Color, DVD, English/French/Somali/Swahili
Order No. W09980

Every day, 6,000 girls from the Horn of Africa to sub-Saharan nations are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). With fierce determination and deep love for their communities, brave African activists are leading a formidable, fearless grassroots movement to end 5,000 years of FGM. An insightful look at the frontlines of a quiet revolution taking the continent by storm, this extraordinarily powerful film is one of the first to focus on African solutions to FGM.

Beautifully directed by Emmy Award® winner Paula Heredia and produced by Equality Now, AFRICA RISING travels through remote villages in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, Somalia and Tanzania. Weaving together dynamic footage and the poignant stories of girls personally affected by FGM, it shows how African women and men are putting an end to this human rights violation. Convincing circumcisers to lay down their knives, engaging the police to implement the law, and honing leadership skills in girls, these determined activists have been working tirelessly for years to conceptualize their campaign. AFRICA RISING paints an intimate portrait of the broadly-based but little-known anti-FGM movement and shows that courageous, creative and resourceful individuals can change the course of history.



AWARDS, FESTIVALS, & SCREENINGS

  • Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO)
  • Zanzibar International Film Festival
  • Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival
  • Kenya International Film Festival
  • Brilliant Light International Film Festival
  • International Film Festival Egypt

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QUOTES

    “Stunningly honest, soberingly frank…An unparalleled window into the ‘business of FGM’ – of the cultural and economic pressures brought to bear on the girls who are cut, and the cutters themselves. And yet, woven throughout is the hope and a vision of a world free from FGM.”
    Tamera Gugelmeyer
    Executive Dir., The Sisterhood is Global Institute

    “Reveals a sense of hope, demonstrating that FGM is not an acceptable cultural practice, and that a people, culture, religion or nation cannot and will not allow themselves to be defined by pain, cruelty, and destruction.”
    Kate Schaab
    Asst. Dir., Women's Resource Center, Northern Illinois University

    "Portrays voices rising across the continent to question and challenge the controversial, puzzling issues of FGM. Beautifully filmed...A well-informed [and] remarkable cross-cultural collaboration depicting courage and hope to awaken the deafening silence surrounding this taboo subject."
    Glen P. Davis, MD
    Dept. of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine

    “An inspiring and hopeful film. Despite the deep sadness I felt for these girls, the good news is that the grassroots movement is strong and leading the global fight against female genital mutilation to save each and every girl.”
    Edwidge Danticat
    Author

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    Africa Rising is included in the following Special Collections.
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Native Visions: Through the Eyes of Indigenous Women

This powerful collection of native voices features two films from the acclaimed Mohawk director Tracey Deer including CLUB NATIVE and the coming-of-age documentary MOHAWK GIRLS. Also included is the critical and heartbreaking tale of aboriginal femicide FINDING DAWN, as well as the spirited and vibrant Southwestern artists’ film, THE DESERT IS NO LADY, and the highly provocative identity piece NAVAJO TALKING PICTURE. More details.



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Women Make Movies is a multicultural, multiracial, non-profit media arts organization which facilitiates the production, promotion, distribution, and exhibition of independent films and videotapes by and about women. contact us