FLY! Hopefully Festival of Black Women's Film

With support from the BFI fund Film Feels Hopeful, Sheba Soul Ensemble is delighted to present a festival involving women film-makers from Cameroon, New Zealand and Canada. We are all too aware of the ways in which oppressions of various kinds play out, but, as each film reveals, there is plenty to feel hopeful about, plenty to restore our faith in humanity.

6 different programmes starting at 7pm and running on

Saturday 7th August Sunday 8th August Saturday 14th August Sunday 15th August Saturday 21 August Sunday 22 August. Each event involves one or two film s and a creative writing workshop in response to content and themes of each programme.

7 August Cameroonian film-maker Florence Ayisi introduces her documentary films Art of this Place and Handing Down Time. Women from Art of this Place will also be on hand to answer questions about their activities and to join us in a thought-provoking creative writing workshop facilitated by Akulah Agbami (leading to an end of festival anthology) following screenings and Q and A. A night not to be missed.

8 August Cameroonian film-maker Florence Ayisi introduces her award-winning film Sisters in Law which charts female judges in Cameroon tackling domestic violence in no uncertain terms. A challenging, moving and uplifting film that will be followed by a Q and A and a creative writing workshop facilitated by Akulah Agbami.

14 August Acclaimed Aoteroa film-maker Merata Mita was the first Maori woman to write and direct a dramatic feature film Mauri (which means life force) . The film and accompanying interview provide brilliant insight into the realities of life for Maori people. Merata comments :' It was a quietly satisfying moment to enter the theatre on the opening night of Mauri and see the pride of so many brown faces. I am very proud to have made something for us, so relentless and uncompromising, and for me it was another brief fulfilled.' The screening will be followed by a short discussion and a creative writing workshop facilitated by Akulah Agbami.

15 August Merata Mita's example has created a film industry in New Zealand where Maori women film-makers have the opportunity to have their voices and experiences heard. WARU is a feature film made up of eight 10 minute short films, each written and directed by Māori women film. Eight Māori women are confronted by guilt, pride and defeat but will ultimately risk everything for the greater good of their community. An unusual, yet poignant collaboration followed by a discussion and a creative writing workshop facilitated by Akulah Agbami. We expect to have one of the directors present to introduce the film.

21 August Our final selection of FLY! Hopefully focuses on the work of First Nation women film-makers living in Canada. Loretta Todd will present her film Hands of History. This very much connects with Florence Ayisi's film Art of this place since it accompanies four contemporary artists in the First Nations community as they reveal their approach to art and the history of indigenous peoples in Canada. The screening will be followed by a Q and A session and a creative writing workshop. Writings generated will be compiled into a FLY! Hopefully anthology.

22 August Doreen Manuel's film Unceded Chiefs is a documentary tracing the early activism of BC's First Nations leaders. Determined, resilient, the children of the Chiefs have dedicated their lives to the leadership and survival of their Aboriginal title and rights. At a time when Canada's role in mass genocide against First Nation people is in the global spotlight, this event will be deeply informative. Doreen Manuel will join us to introduce her film and answer questions. The session will conclude with a creative writing session.