African Encounters: Decolonize Now! Panel Discussion I DOK.fest 2024

A dialogue on decolonisation between Africa and Europe





In a panel discussion following the film THE EMPTY GRAVE, we
brought together the common threads of the four African
Encounters films. With the filmmakers from Africa and Europe, we
will discuss their views on colonial history. How does
colonialism continue to shape our relationship today? And what
does the reworking of history have to do with change and
progress?





Panelists:


Cece Mlay (co-director THE EMPTY GRAVE),
Tanzania
Cece Mlay is a Tanzanian director and works as a creative
supervisor at the production company Kijiweni Productions in Dar
es Salaam. THE EMPTY GRAVE, co-directed with Agnes Lisa Wegener,
is her documentary feature film debut.





Agnes Lisa Wegner (co-director THE EMPTY GRAVE),
Germany
Agnes Lisa Wegner lives in Mannheim, Germany. She studied
American and African-American Studies and Film Studies in Berlin
and at Harvard University.





Zippy Kimundu (co-director OUR LAND, OUR FREEDOM),
Kenya
Kenyan filmmaker and editor Zippy Kimundu completed a Master’s
degree at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She founded Afrofilms
International: a women-led film and TV production company and
creative collective in Kenya.


 


Lieven Courthouts (director THIS IS MY MOMENT),
Belgium
Lieven Corthouts is a self-taught filmmaker who travelled the
world before living in Ethiopia for 10 years, during which time
the two feature documentaries MY FUTURE and LITTLE HEAVEN were
made. Together with academy award winning director Orlando von
Einsiedel he made the Netflix documentary CONVERGENCE: COURAGE IN
A CRISIS.





Raoul Bagopha (expert Misereor),
Germany/Cameroon
Dr. Raoul Bagopha comes from Cameroon, studied political science
and works in the International Cooperation Department of the
Episcopal agency Misereor. There he is involved in various
working groups on the topic of decolonization.