Culturally Hot.

Welcome to HOTSOUTH.

(via continuouslyevolving)

kilele:

Car-washing in Darfur, Sudan

Photo by Murat Duzyol

Because Life goes on.

PLEASE SUPPORT MERKATO HERE

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This film is a beautiful and nuanced portrait of five unique individuals and their particular relationship with the market. The modern development in Ethiopia and its overall impact on the people and culture of this unique community is threatening the survival of MERKATO. I knew this moment had to be documented to share the unheard voices of the people affected the most. It has been a very exciting and personal journey filming MERKATO. I found a deeper insight in my own culture that was grounding and rewarding. I am so grateful for such a vibrant experience. I want to make this film & photo book because I have always loved this market; the smells, the people, the colors, the chaos! It just gives you an incredible feeling and I want to experience this with you.

For the next 45 days, I will be campaigning to raise the much needed finishing funds to support the film and have it be seen all over the world. I have already traveled to Ethiopia twice to direct, shoot, and photograph.

 The funding will be used to:

 —Create a proper mix and master of the sound design

— Festival fees

— Travel expenses

— Printing/publication of the MERKATO photobook & other promotion materials

— Fund a special screening for the people of the community in MERKATO, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

NONE of the pledges will be received unless I reach my goal, so please help make this happen. I really look forward to sharing MERKATO with you!

 Thank you for all your love & support!!

::::Sosena::::

eeloom:

‘I Want to Be….’

youth in rwanda share their dreams and aspirations

SUPPORT THIS PROJECT ON KICKSTARTER!!!!!!!!!

Click HERE

You’ve probably watched “Lost Boys of Sudan” or “God Grew Tired of Us” in theaters and you cried your heart out and subconsciously still wonder, how the hell are these lost boys from Sudan adapting to the American life-style?

Well, it’s your lucky day because they are doing fine, well, at least we know one of them is and his name is Ger Duany. No, he wasn’t in either films mentioned above, but, he was one of the child soldiers and lost boys who fled the war in the formerly united Sudan and walked for miles to get to a refugee camp in Ethiopia then Kenya, and after many struggles he was one of the lucky ones that made it out on a plane to America.

In America, he encountered many obstacles but fate led him to his debut on Hollywood’s silver screen where he played a refugee in the movie “I Heart Huckabees”.  Director David O. Russell said he wanted someone who endured the real life experience of being a refugee to play the role. Soon after, Ger met supermodel Tyson Beckford, who saw Ger’s modeling potential which opened doors to a modeling career and a shoot with photographer Norman Watson and many other photographers. 

And so during all these years and the distance he lost touch with his family and land, but in January 2011, he hopped onto another plane this time back to South Sudan to vote for independence. And in July 2011, South Sudan finally got its well-deserved freedom and Ger was there to celebrate his new nation’s independence, search for his family, and help build South Sudan.

Awesome right?!? Don’t you think this story would make a heartfelt real-life documentary? The kind that would complete the Lost Boys of Sudan trilogy that we got going on here? Well, the good news is that award winning Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu (From a Whisper, Pumzi ) has been documenting Ger’s life for the past year and she has captured some wonderful footage and the documentary is in the final stage of production. We’re very close to completing this unique documentary and like any creatively awesome and life changing endeavor, we need moolah to finish this project. So we’re knocking at your door and hoping you’ll pledge and donate what you can to finish the editing of this unique story. We’re counting on you to help us see this through!

Thank you.

worldheritagesites:

Walking Through Geometry, Jantar Mantar - India

“Underground” video halls. Everybody knows they exist, most youngsters in less developed countries attend them but no one is doing anything to make them evolve. Except in Uganda where an initiative of the Uganda International Film Festival finally seems to put the shady little video halls to public interest use. In a double effort to promote Ugandan cinema industry and to give access to movies to a larger audience, the UIFF is working with video hall owners in conflict-torn Northern Uganda. Made by Ugandans and starring Ugandan actors, video halls now show movies with “an educational touch”. The aim of this, they say,  is to “…stimulate watching constructive films from Ugandan soil…” whilst making sure “…the native languages of the north stay alive.”

Creativeness, consciousness, development and cultural diversity all wrapped up into one. We can’t wait to see more countries copying this initiative.

Full article here

El Anatsui Artwork Snatched for €600,000 at TEFAF

(click on the title to read the full article)

El Anatsui, “Flag for a New World Power,” 2005,
aluminum and copper wire, 500 x 550 cm

Tefaf is the European annual art fare that takes place in our dear little Maastricht. I was already very excited about attending on Thursday, and the perspective of seeing one of El Anatsui’s majestic pieces makes me feel even more so.

I am still to learn more about the artist, but the articles I have been reading here and there and his increasing recognition in the international art world (read western) seem to testify that he is, indeed, a Maestro.