Old and long forgotten movies came alive from October 24 to 27, as the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) hosted the first Berlin and Lagos Archival Film Festival at the ultra-modern cinema complex located inside its corporate office at Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigerian Film Corporation, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, “the objective of the festival with the theme: ‘Reclaiming History Unveiling Memory’ is to sustain the global conversation on the impact of digital technologies as well as the relationship between archives and festivals.”
Tagged: ‘Decasia’, and anchored by Brian Etuk, Head of Public Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs, Nigerian Film Corporation, the festival witnessed the screening of films that possessed the unique power of archival footage. They include A Story From Africa produced by Billy Woodberry, Tajouje by Gadalla Gubara, African Mirror by Mischa Hedinger, Monangambee by Algerian Sarah Maldoror, Mueda Memoria e Massacre by Ruy Guerra, Reassemblage by Trinh T. Minr-ha, Spell Reel by Filipa Cesar, and Independencia by Mario Bastos.
Others are Shaihu Umar by Nigerian Adamu Halilu, Riddles of the Sphinx by Laura Mulvery/Peter Wolle, The Halfmoon Files by Philip Scheffner, and In the Last Days of the City by Egyptian Tamer el-Said.
Aside the update on the forthcoming Zuma Film Festival, a major highlight of the event was the unveiling of an archival film policy. “Nigeria was in dire need of an archival film policy due to its rich cultural heritage and developmental history, which should be secured and documented,” Maduekwe stated.
