"African women in the cinema" is not a monolith; the disparate technologies, locations, and conditions in which African women work attest to this. Nonetheless, women from every region of Africa use the diverse mediums of the moving image to produce feature, short, documentary, animation and télé films, that are shown in movie houses, at film festivals, cultural centers, on television and the Internet. While they come to cinema along different paths, for different reasons, and at different moments, they share a common goal: to bring images to the screen. Sisters of the Screen covers a continuum of experiences: from the pioneer women to women film students who are making their debut in the film arena. Producers, film critics, and organizers are an integral part of the filmmaking process and their perspectives added an important dialogue to the conversation. Actors, the visible subjects on the screen, voiced their thoughts about African cinema and their role in the larger context of visual representation, culture, and society.

Exploring the extraordinary contributions of women filmmakers from Africa and the diaspora, Beti Ellerson's engaging debut intersperses interviews with such acclaimed women directors as Safi Faye, Sarah Maldoror, Anne Mungai, Fanta Régina Nacro and Ngozi Onwurah with footage from their seminal work. With power and nuance, Ellerson also confronts the thorny question of cultural authenticity by revisiting the legendary 1991 FESPACO (Pan-African Festival of Cinema and Television of Ouagadougou), in which diasporian women were asked to leave a meeting intended for African woman only. This film is both a valuable anthology and a fitting homage to the pioneers and new talents of African cinema.

A film by Beti Ellerson
US, 2002, 73 minutes, Color, VHS/DVD, English

Directed by Beti Ellerson

Production déléguée/Producer
Beti Ellerson

Producteur associé/Associate Producer
Christophe Poulenc

Image et Son/Image and Sound
Christophe Poulenc

Second Camera
Beti Ellerson

Réalisation en extérieurs/On-Location Director
Christophe Poulenc

Recherche/Research
Beti Ellerson

Montage/On-line Editing and Animation
Christophe Poulenc

Traduction/Translation
Beti Ellerson


AWARDS, FESTIVALS, & SCREENINGS

* Athens International Studies Film and Video Festival
* Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO)
* Cinémathèque Québécoise
* African Cinema Conference
* African Studies Association Conference

QUOTES

"A superb instructional tool…of great use for teachers of African Cinema, African History, African Politics and also Women's Studies."
Dr. Gloria Emeagwali
Professor of History/African Studies, Central Connecticut State University

"Fascinating…an excellent addition to collections on film and women's and African studies."
Danna Bell-Russel
Library Journal

"An incredible reclamation and exploration of African women's lives and histories by African women filmmakers."
Jacqueline Bobo
Women's Studies and Black Studies, UC Santa Barbara


Distributed by Women Make Movies
Available in French version, DVD/PAL

Women Make Movies : www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c622.shtml