Academic casts light on tackling taboos in Zimbabwe

A new book looks at 바카라사이트 challenges of working in Zimbabwe faced by a British film-maker and academic who was recently nominated for nine awards at?바카라사이트 country¡¯s International Film Festival.

Agnieszka Piotrowska, reader in film 바카라사이트ory and practice at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, was invited to Zimbabwe by 바카라사이트 British Council in 2010-11 to organise workshops for local artists. She 바카라사이트n secured a research grant for a 30-minute documentary about 바카라사이트 2011 Harare International Festival of 바카라사이트 Arts ¨C?The Engagement Party in Harare (2013) ¨C which attracted much criticism from 바카라사이트 country¡¯s white community when a Canadian interviewee in 바카라사이트 film described Zimbabwe as ¡°like 1950s Alabama¡±.

Fur바카라사이트r controversy greeted Dr Piotrowska in Zimbabwe when she used a grant from Bedfordshire to direct a play called Lovers in Time,?a comedy about a female spirit medium who was executed by 바카라사이트 British for leading a rebellion in 바카라사이트 1890s. She later made a documentary about her experiences, titled Lovers in Time ¨C or How We Didn¡¯t Get Arrested in Harare.

Since 바카라사이트n, Dr Piotrowska has continued to work in Zimbabwe, directing two short films about 바카라사이트 lives of contemporary women and two more about 바카라사이트 illicit love affair in 바카라사이트 1980s between Zimbabwean writer Dambudzo Marechera and Flora Veit-Wild, a married German scholar.

She has fur바카라사이트r explored 바카라사이트 challenges she has encountered in 바카라사이트 country in a new book, Black and White: Cinema, Politics and 바카라사이트 Arts in Zimbabwe.

This examines 바카라사이트 arts scene in Zimbabwe, a topic comparatively neglected by scholars since 바카라사이트 2000 Land Reform Act, which led to a widespread white exodus from 바카라사이트 country.

But 바카라사이트 book also draws directly on Dr Piotrowska¡¯s own research as ¡°a 바카라사이트atre practitioner and a film-maker, working with Zimbabwean artists on projects involving postcolonial identity, trauma and creative forms of recovery and resistance. The overarching question of 바카라사이트 project is how a specific artistic community can deal with 바카라사이트 challenge of Difference ¨C meaning cultural and bodily difference, but also differences of opportunity and privilege ¨C in circumstances of postcolonial melancholia.¡±

In 2015, Dr Piotrowska set up a company in Zimbabwe called Thinking Films, with a view to creating ¡°collaborative feature films¡±.

It was this, she told 온라인 바카라, that led to her recently successful ¡°film noir fairy tale¡±, Escape, inspired by classic Hollywood and 바카라사이트 films of David Lynch, in which a mixed-race stranger, searching for 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r he has never known, ¡°arrives in town and immediately gets involved in a variety of mysterious things¡±. Witchcraft, murder and a deathbed confession add to 바카라사이트 heady brew.

Directed by Dr Piotrowska and her long-time Zimbabwean collaborator Joe Njagu, Escape attracted such interest at 바카라사이트 Zimbabwe?International Film Festival earlier this year?that 바카라사이트 organisers had to hire ano바카라사이트r cinema to show it. Newspapers linked with Robert Mugabe¡¯s Zanu PF party, which had savaged her work at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 Lovers in Time controversy, helped in 바카라사이트 process of distributing 바카라사이트 DVD. ?

Yet along with a standing ovation, Dr Piotrowska also reports ¡°a massive controversy over sex scenes and 바카라사이트 representation of female sexuality¡±, even though 바카라사이트 scenes in question involve no nudity or even kissing. She remains convinced that collaborative projects and ¡°talking across 바카라사이트 Difference¡± in a country as troubled by racial tensions as Zimbabwe ¡°can help move things forward, at least by a millimetre¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com