News

Cinema Africa shows four African films from January 26 to 29, 2025 at Cineplex Bayreuth.

The “Cinema Africa” film festival organized by the “Africa Multiple” Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bayreuth returns with its 16th edition in January 2025. From January 26 to 29, the festival will once again present a selection of exceptional African films at Cineplex Bayreuth, showcasing the continent's cultural diversity and creative energy. After the monthly individual screenings at the end of last year, the festival will conclude with a film series lasting several days, which will be characterized by exciting films and interesting discussions with the directors.

Program overview:

January 26, 2025, 8 pm: “Goodbye Julia” (original with English subtitles)
Renowned director Mohamed Kordofani will be present and available for a discussion afterwards.
“Goodbye Julia” is a profound Sudanese drama that tells the moving story of two women whose lives are linked by a fateful incident. Mona, a former singer from the north of Sudan, gets into a conflict that brings her together with Julia, a widow from the south. The film sheds light on themes such as guilt, reconciliation and the complex social tensions in Sudan before the country was divided in 2011.

Director Mohamed Kordofani is an award-winning Sudanese filmmaker whose works are internationally recognized for their haunting and socially critical narratives. His feature film debut “Goodbye Julia” won the “Prix de la Liberté” at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023.

January 27, 2025, 8 pm: “Nome” (original with English subtitles)
Director Sana Na N'Hada will present his film on location in Bayreuth and answer questions afterwards

“Nome” is a historical drama set in Guinea-Bissau in 1969 during the war of independence against the Portuguese colonial power. The film tells the story of Nome, a young man who joins the guerrilla fighters of the PAIGC, and sheds light on the challenges and contradictions faced by the people of Guinea-Bissau during and after the war of independence. The film is directed by Sana Na N'Hada, an influential filmmaker from Guinea-Bissau who has received several international awards for his work, including the prestigious Prince Claus Impact Award 2024.

January 28, 2025, 8 pm: “The Wall Street Boy” (original with English subtitles)
“The Wall Street Boy” is a fictional thriller that tells the story of Kipkemboi, a young mathematical genius from a remote Kenyan village. He attracts international attention with an algorithm for the stock market, but at the same time the development harbors great danger for him and his girlfriend Chepchirchir. The film was directed by Nigerian director Charles Uwagbai, who made his directorial debut in 2023.

January 29, 2025, 8 pm: “The Village Next to Paradise” (original with English subtitles)
Director Mo Harawe, a Somali-Austrian filmmaker, will be present on the evening for the screening of his film and the subsequent discussion.
“The Village next to Paradise” from the year 2024 tells the story of Mamargade, a traditional mortician who lives in a village marked by the consequences of civil war and post-colonial globalization.

Director Mo Harawe, whose works often shed light on the tensions between tradition and modernity, celebrated his feature film debut in the “Un Certain Regard” section at the Cannes Film Festival with this film 2024.

All films will be shown in their original language with English subtitles. After the screenings, there will be an opportunity to talk to the directors present and find out more about the background to the stories and the production process of the films.

The “Cinema Africa” film festival has been offering a platform for African filmmakers for 17 years and enables the Bayreuth audience to experience the cultural diversity of the African continent through the medium of film. The structure of the 16th edition of the film festival, which spreads the screenings over several months, aimed to reach a wider audience and to be able to appreciate the films more intensively. “Since 2008, we have been bringing African narratives to Bayreuth cinemas, creating a unique platform that allows us to discover the diversity and creativity of African cinema in all its facets. Through the films, we enter into a dialogue with the stories, perspectives and visions of African filmmakers - creating a cultural exchange that broadens horizons and creates connections,” explains Prof. Dr. Ute Fendler, Chair of Romance Literature and Comparative Literature at the University of Bayreuth and curator and organizer of the film festival.

Tickets are available at the box office of the Cineplex Bayreuth. Further information about the festival and detailed program information can be found on the website of the “Africa Multiple” Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bayreuth or at www.cineplex.de/bayreuth.