Generation Africa film “Zinder” recently won the Adiaha Award for Best Documentary Film by an African woman at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.
Generation Africa is is a documentary film project that seeks compelling stories to put forward a new narrative on migration – from the perspective of young Africans.
Zinder, directed by Aïcha Macky, placed tops because of its powerful and engrossing deep-dive into the life and struggles of young people in the streets of Macky’s marginalised home town.
“The director paints a compelling, unadorned and humane portrait of a harsh and neglected corner of the world, providing a non-judgmental and trusting space for her characters to reflect on their own choices and on the social inequity and spirals of violence that pervade their lives,” said the jury about the documentary.
The prize included $2 000 (R28 000) towards Macky’s next production and an invitation to attend the Dortmund Cologne International Women’s Film Festival 2022 in Germany, where the film will be screened.
Macky, speaking from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, said: “It is an honour for me and my team to receive this award.
“The film itself is the result of an ’encounter’ between me and a newspaper that painted a bleak picture of the youth of my hometown, without any glimmer of hope.
“This is our first international award, and for us it means that this work made from a singular story touches many.
“It is the voice of the youth to whom I dedicate this film, that begins to remember them.”
The film also received the AfriDocs award of €2 500 in 2018 at the Durban FilmMart for further development.
Produced by Clara Vuillermoz, Ousmane Samassekou and Erik Winker, “Zinder” will be screened at the Durban International Film Festival taking place online from July 22 to August 1.