MovieGlobe: Charles Burnett's "Namibia" in Algiers Film Festival

What American Filmmakers Say in An African Festival!!

Speaking mostly in French at a news conference in Algiers Saturday Nov. 19, American filmmaker Oliver Stone (Platoon 1986, Wall Street 1987 and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Never 2010) said he was shocked by the global financial crisis and “to see how money was venerated by America.” He also said:" The United States do not live in a democracy even under Barack Obama!"
Stone was in Algiers to attend the "Algiers International Film Festival" which centered its first edition around the "Film Engage" or the "committed movie" which according to
the festival organiser Zehira Yahi was

Oliver Stone

"about defending ideas, practices or ethics, in whatever field that may be. The most obvious example is of political engagement!" Oliver Stone participated in this festival by his movie "Persona Non Grata". It is worth mentioning that Oliver Stone is the son of a former Wall Street financier and a French mother but don't get me wrong, he is a great filmmaker by all artistic measures (Born On The Fourth Of July, Natural Born Killers, JFK etc." For more on Oliver Stone click here
It is also worth mentioning that Algiers is not really an exemplary democratic country to host festivals of this magnitude!
The festival went on with the participation of 18 Arab and foreign films.
On the fifth night of the the festival at the hall in the Cinema Museum, the screening of the rather lengthy (161 min) American movie "Namibia" took place in the presence of its US maker, Charles burnett. Burnett wrote and directed this movie about the epic struggle for independence in Namibia from South Africa, which was under the weight of racial discrimination.

Charles Burnett

The film, which carries the subtitle: 'The Struggle For Liberation'  also highlights the biography of Samuel Nujoma President of Namibia and the leader of People's Organization for South-West Africa, citing his fight and wrestle for the independence of Namibia.  
The film stems from Nujoma's early youth embodied by actor Carl Ompela. Charles Burnett focussed on the description of Nujoma's early awareness and maturity and his ability to fight in the struggle for liberation from the beginning of his adolescence and his leadership as  head of the country thereafter.
The film, which was shot entirely on location in Namibia in 2008, focuses on things related to the continent.         
The American director Charles Barnett, in a press statement on the sidelines of the shows, expressed his pleasure at participating in this cultural event for the "Film Engage" or committed movie along with directors from other different countries who value such movies as they introduce to the general public cinematographic works that shed light on social justice and human rights. The festival included, along with Stones "Persona Non Grata"
and "Namibia",  the movie by Jack Sarazan "Ecuador" and "Land Stolen" by Live fandoerd and two Palestinian short films directed by women along the same topics raised by the festival.
The festival's closing film on the 5th of Dec. was "Dust of life" by the Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb.
Charles Burnett is described by New York Times as "the nation's least-known great filmmaker and most gifted black director".  Burnett has had a long and diverse filmmaking career. His most popular films include Killer of Sheep, To Sleep with Anger and The Glass Sheild. The prestigious Howard University’s Paul Robeson Award was given to Burnett for achievement in cinema and to honor his achievements, the mayor of Seattle declared February 20, 1997, Charles Burnett Day.
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Namibia: The Struggle For Liberation (2007, 161 min, color)
Writer and Director: Charles Burnitt
Stars: Danny Glover, Chrisjan Appollus and Obed Emvula
Rated: 6.8 out of 10.

Watch "Namibia" Trailer (Some Good Cinematography!)

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