Tag: The Witches of Gambaga

As part of the African Women in Film Forum, The Witches of Gambaga and On the Border will be screened for FREE at Alliance Francaise (Accra) on Monday, 23rd September from 6pm.

I first saw ‘The Witches of Gambaga‘ at its premiere during the 3rd African Feminist Forum in Dakar, Senegal. I then watched the documentary again during it’s premiere in Ghana, and at the 2011 FESPACO (Pan African Film and Television Festival) where it won 2nd prize in the Best Documentary category. Each time the film has had a profound effect on me. It’s mind boggling to think that in this day and age women (and a few men) can be accused of witchcraft, and have to seek refuge for their lives in camps under the benevolence of a chief. Because of my work with the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), which also supported The Witches of Gambaga at its post production stage, I have had the opportunity to visit Gambaga as part of our monitoring visits to the women’s rights organisations AWDF supports. Life at the Gambaga camp is tough. When you watch the documentary you will realise that women with homes, businesses and an independent life of their own have had to flee to these camps because they have been accused of witchcraft. In the camps they have to work for long hours on the farms of the chief under whose benevolence they live. It’s a difficult life, and one from which there appears to be little way out. This is a film that I recommend everyone to see.

I am also really looking forward to watching ‘On the Borders’ directed by Tsitsi Dangarembga. Internationally, Tsitsi is arguably best known for her 1989 novel “Nervous Conditions” which was recently named as one of the Best Twelve African Books of the 20th Century. What people may not know is the pivotal role that Tsitsi has played in developing Zimbabwe’s film industry. A description of ‘On the Border’ states:

The world is horrified at the devastation caused by anti-personnel mines in many countries. At the same time while many things have been reported about Zimbabwe recently, few people know about the the legacy of minefields that were planted by the colonial Rhodesian troops in the late 1970s – except of course the people who live in or adjacent to this minefields. Also less well known are the efforts being made to rid Zimbabwe of this menace. This film portraits the work of Zimbabweans and men of other nationalities who enter the minefields to open up land and make Zimbabwe’s border safer. Yet it could well be true that in Zimbabwe, as in other countries where anti personnel mines were used in warfare, the last victim has not yet been born.

The best part of the screening is that the general public will have the opportunity to interact with the filmmakers Tsitsi and Yaba during the question and answer session facilitated by Anita Erskine of Brand Woman Africa, one of the sponsors of the AWIFF. This will be an opportunity to watch thought provoking films, and to learn more about the filmmakers who made these films.

Will I see you there?

Nana Darkoa

On the 4^th of August 2011, I attended the ‘Adventurers in the Diaspora Series’ at Accra’s Golden Tulip. The topic for discussion was “Revitalising Ghana’s National Museum of Arts”, and judging by the huge turnout the subject was clearly of interest to a large number of people. There were several ‘distinguished’[1] persons on the panel. This is how members of the panel were described in the event posted on Facebook:

 

“Mrs. Frances Ademola -artist and owner of Ghana’s first private art gallery, the LOOM

Mr. Seth Dei—Ghana’s largest collector of contemporary art and whose Dei foundation supports various Ghanaian artists and indigenous high-tech initiatives. He is also a partner at Blue Skies industry, a pre-eminent agro-business based in several countries around the world.

Hon. Fritz Baffour, MP- Chairman of the Museum board

Hon. J.S. Annan (MP)- Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and ex-Minister for Education

Prof, Atukwei Okai- Secretary General of Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) and professor of African literature

David Adjaye- principal of Adjaye Associates, a world-leading architecture firm based in London and New York.

Kofi Setordji- reknowned artist and sculptor, co-director of Nubuke Art Gallery”

 

I feel like there were a lot more panelists at the actual event than described above, and I cannot remember Professor Okai being there (but I could be mistaken).

 

A couple of the panelists struck me for diverse reasons. Frances Ademola struck me, because she is a woman artist, the founder of an Art gallery and was credited by many members of the panel as the one who had nurtured their appreciation of Art, yet I had no prior knowledge of the existence of either her or her art gallery. David Adjaye because I have heard so much, and read so much about this award winning Ghanaian British architect yet I had no idea that he even visited Ghana or was in any way active here[2] and finally Kofi Setordjii because he gave a compelling call to action when he spoke.

 

At the end of the evening I was having a drink with one of my artist friends – he’s a photographer, likes to strum the guitar, writes and has an amazing eye for fashion and style.

 

Me: I want to go and check out the Museum of Arts, I had no idea one even existed.

 

Him: Yes, let me know when you want to go and we’ll make a trip of it.

 

Me: I want to see what potential there could be for AWDF to work with the Museum. We want to build an African Women’s Museum but we’re putting that on the backburner for now. Maybe we can fund an exhibition of women artists.

 

Him: [laughing] Which women artists?

 

Me: Yeah, that’s the point isn’t it? I am sure there are women artists everywhere but we don’t know about them. And it depends how you think about art – there is photography, fashion, writing…

 

Him: True. A lot of the time people do not think of photography as art…

Our conversation got me thinking. Who are the African women artists and where are they? I am especially interested in African women artists who use their art as a tool to provoke social consciousness. I started to create a mental list of African women artists that I know are doing this and then I thought, “I should blog about this and ask people to add to the list”. So that’s what I’m doing. My list is only going to comprise of people that I know in some way, and for the sake of brevity I will highlight only 10 African women artists. Either I have read their books, watched them perform, heard them speak, seen a trailer for their movie or engaged with them in some way – even if it’s only been via twitter 🙂

 

Do me a favour and add on to this list in the comments box. Let’s track who the African women artists are, what they do, and where they are.

 

Here’s my list:

 

• Frances Ademola? – I’m a bit confused as to whether to add her to the list. Is she an art gallery owner or an artist? Is the owner of an art gallery also an artist because they have an artistic eye or does an artist always create? AiD’s programme described her as an artist but in googling her I have come across this interview, which quoted her as saying, “I’m the eye of the buyer. It’s a good thing that I’m not an artist”[3]

 

• Nneka – Nigerian/German songstress who sings in English and Pidgin about the need for Africans to take responsibility for the problems we face on the continent (The Uncomfortable Truth), jogs our collective memory on the issues confronting Nigerian society whilst reminding us of the importance of remembering Ken Saro Wiwa and the causes for which the prominent environmental activist died , (Soul is Heavy) and the need for us all to recognize our inherent beauty (Beautiful). Nneka agreed in 2010 to work as an Arts Ambassador for AWDF and I’m really looking forward to exciting collaborations between her and AWDF

 

• Yvonne Chaka Chaka – One of Africa’s most powerful voices who also lends her support to many admirable initiatives. Yvonne Chaka Chaka sits on the AWDF South Africa board, is a member of the African Women Leaders Network for Reproductive Health, serves as a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Malaria and also has her own NGO, The Princess of Africa Foundation. I personally met Yvonne when she attended AWDF’s 10^th anniversary celebrations in November 2010 and I was struck by how nice Yvonne was as a person. Sometimes when you meet huge stars you’re disappointed because they act like divas but Yvonne is niceness personified.

 

• Wanuri Kahiu –I get most of my updates on Wanuri via her twitter handle @wanuri . I have seen the trailer for her film Pumzi and unfortunately missed an opportunity to see the full length film at the last Environmental Film Festival of Accra yet what I have seen of her trailer has been enough to convince me that this is the type of work that organizations like AWDF need to fund if we are going to use the arts as a tool for gender empowerment. In researching Wanuri further I came across her blog and it looks like she is not only nifty with the camera but with words too.

 

• Ama Ata Aidoo – Where do I start from when it comes to this doyenne of African literature? Like many people in Ghana, I first came across Ama Ata Aidoo in secondary school as “Dilemma of a Ghost” and “Anowa” were on our reading list. At university I decided to write my dissertation on the concept of ‘home’ as seen through the works of Ama Ata Aidoo and Buchi Emecheta (another stalwart of African women’s literature). In 2008, I met Auntie Ama face to face and was thrilled to be able to interview her for AWDF’s very first e-newsletter.

 

• Asa – I have been told Asa is my lookalike but that’s not why I have included her on this list 🙂 Recently I’ve heard one of her songs, which touches on the issue of sexual abuse. Please let me know what the title is if you know the song I’m describing – she sings about a young girl who has been abused and somehow the girl’s Father is involved.

 

• Jessica Horn – Jessica is a personal friend, poet and an all round inspiration to me. She’s the author of “Speaking in tongues” and a dynamic member of the African Feminist Forum’s steering committee. Jessica is also a women’s rights consultant focusing on issues of health, women’s rights and social change

 

• Leila Djansi – I first heard of Leila when her film “Sinking Sands” came out. I eventually watched ‘Sinking Sands’ with a friend and immediately afterwards was interviewed by Joy Fm for our perspectives on the film. Although we liked many aspects of the film we both felt that it’s a shame the male lead had what many may perceive as an excuse to be violent to his wife, especially as domestic violence is such an every day occurrence all over the word. Despite this, and upon continued reflection on the film I feel that ‘Sinking Sands’ is an important milestone in the Ghanaian film industry. The lead actress Ama K Abebrese did an amazing job and was well rewarded with an African Movie Award for Best Actress in a lead role. Kudos to Leila for highlighting the issue of domestic violence.

 

• Yaba Badoe – ‘The Witches of Gambaga’ is a powerful documentary, which brings us the real life stories of women condemned to live as witches at the Gambaga camp in Northern Ghana. I first saw this documentary at the 3^rd African Feminist Forum in Dakar, Senegal, and subsequently at its premiere in Ghana. ‘The Witches of Gambaga’ always provokes a variety of reactions in the audience – shock, disbelief that women are accused of witchcraft in this day and age, and a strong desire to change the status quo. It is my hope that this documentary remains a powerful tool for creating a more just world for women and men.

 

So in your opinion where all the African women artists who use their art as a tool for social justice and the empowerment of women?

 

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah

Programme Officer for Fundraising & Communications

AWDF

I missed the first couple of minutes of ‘The Witches of Gambaga’ documentary when it was premiered in Dakar, Senegal during the 3^rd African Feminist Forum, yet in minutes I was gripped… the documentary took me back to Gambaga which I had visited in January 2010 during an AWDF monitoring and evaluation visit of grantees in the Northern Region of Ghana. I recalled our male guide saying to us “the women are witches you know, they confessed…” and my colleague Nafi and I arguing the point with him. We were left with an overwhelming sense of sadness when we left the camp. “Why isn’t the government doing anything about this?” we asked, “why are women in this day and age still being accused of being witches”?

In watching the documentary I couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope. “Finally, here is a medium which will tell the stories of the women at the Gambaga camp. Finally here is a documentary that can capture the interest of the International Community. Finally the government of Ghana will be forced to act”.

Even as I remain hopeful I cannot help but wonder how much of a difference the documentary will make in a context of superstitions, belief in witchcraft[1] and the rise of new churches that pride themselves on casting out demons and principalities. Accusations of witchcraft are not limited to poor, elderly women living in far-flung corners of Ghana. In November 2010, the Ghanaian public was horrified to see front-page pictures of an elderly woman in Tema who had been burnt to death for being a witch. One of the people accused of being complicit in her death is an evangelical preacher; I cannot help but wonder how many other women have died in the face of such accusations.

At 10am on Tuesday, 15^th February 2011, ‘The Witches of Gambaga’ will be screened at the British Council in Accra. In attendance will be the Director Yaba Badoe and Co-Producer Amina Mama.

See below for a synopsis, You Tube link and reviews of ‘The Witches of Gambaga’.

Synposis – The Witches of Gambaga

The Witches of Gambaga is a haunting 55 minute documentary film about a community of women condemned to live as witches in Northern Ghana. Made over the course of 5 years, this disturbing expose is the product of a collaboration between members of the 100 strong community of ‘witches’, local women’s movement activists and feminist researchers, united by their interest in ending abusive practices and improving women’s lives in Africa. Painful experience and insight combine to generate a uniquely intimate record of the lives of women ostracized from their communities. Told largely by the women themselves, their incredible stories and struggles are rendered comprehensible to a wide range of audiences by the director’s narration. Completed in July 2010, Fadoa Films Ghana and UK, Directed by Yaba Badoe, Co-produced by Yaba Badoe and Amina Mama.

Winner, 2010 Black International Film Festival Best Documentary Award

REVIEWS of ‘The Witches of Gambaga’

“An excellent exploration of how women are victimized …a valuable resource for understanding how to end this problem.” Cornelius Moore, California Newsreel
“An admirably unsensational but powerfully affecting reminder of the terrible influence still wrought by superstition on the lives of so many women.” Geoff Andrew, film critic, British Film Institute
“A brave and brilliant production” Hope for the African Village Child Trust
“…will go a long way to promote the rights of women…” African Women’s Development Fund
“A shocking, extraordinary film…” Michael Eaton, screenwriter
“… the unacceptable and abusive treatment of women as witches is
exposed…” ABANTU FOR DEVELOPMENT
Below is a link to the trailer of the film of You T

ube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFhHX7CJSes

Yaba Badoe is a Ghanaian-British documentary filmmaker and writer. A graduate of King’s College Cambridge, she worked as a civil servant in Ghana before becoming a General Trainee with the BBC. She has taught in Spain and Jamaica and has worked as a producer and director making documentaries for the main terrestrial channels in Britain. Her short stories have been published in Critical Quarterly and in African Love Stories: an anthology edited by Ama Ata Aidoo.In 2009, her first novel, True Murder was published by Jonathan Cape. Her TV credits include: Black and White, a ground-breaking investigation into race and racism in Bristol, using hidden video cameras for BBC1; I Want Your Sex, for Channel 4 and a six-part series, VSO, for ITV. African Love Stories is now available in Swedish from Tranan publishers under the title Kärlek x 21.

Amina Mama is a Nigerian feminist activist, researcher and scholar, who has lived and worked in Nigeria, South Africa, Britain, the Netherlands and the USA. She spent 10 years establishing the University of Cape Town’s African Gender Institute and is founding editor of the African journal of gender studies, Feminist Africa. She authored Beyond the Masks: Race, Gender and Subjectivity (Routledge 1995), Women’s Studies and Studies of Women in Africa (CODESRIA, 1996), and co-edited Engendering African Social Sciences (CODESRIA 1997). She is currently developing a transnational activist research initiative on gender and militarism and pursuing her interest in documentary film. ‘The Witches of Gambaga’ is her first film.
She currently lives in Berkeley and works at University of California, Davis as Professor and Director of Women and Gender Studies.

---

[1] Men are rarely accused of being wizards