Welcome to the 2nd Helsinki African Film Festival

Following the success of the first HAFF, we are delighted to welcome you to yet another program of entertaining and thought-provoking films from Africa!

This year's festival theme is Women's Voices and Visions, focusing on African women as directors, producers or leading actors. The program is diverse in terms of genre, subject matter and the rich humanity of the continent. These inspiring films will definitely tickle your senses and your intellect, whether you happen to be a male or female fan of quality films. African women filmmakers are transforming what has largely been a male domain, and they are doing it with a sense of passion, humour and political awareness that HAFF is proud to bring to Finland.

HAFF now has a national dimension. A selection of films from the festival will be screened at regional film centers around Finland. This year we will also show four films in Kiasma in collaboration with the ARS11 exhibition.

Tickets will be available from this website starting in March, when the full festival program is revealed. Last year tickets sold out fast, so book early to avoid disappointment. We look forward to seeing you in May!

Wanjiku wa Ngugi
Festival Director

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MOVIES

IMANI
UGANDA 2010
The stories of a rich woman's maid, a hip hop dancer and a former child soldier returning home to his village create a moving insight into the challenges of everyday life in Kampala and the war-torn rural province of Gulu.

LES SECRETS (BURIED SECRETS)
TUNISIA 2009
Teenager Aicha lives with her family in a deserted mansion, far removed from the outside world. When a modern young couple moves in, Aicha's curiosity and emotions are aroused, threatening to reveal the dark secrets of her family.

MADAME BROUETTE
SENEGAL/CANADA 2002
Spunky street vendor and single mother Mati challenges male traditions and dreams of a dignified life, but falls for a corrupt policeman. Part detective story, part fable, this tale of passion, ambition and betrayal is a gem of new African cinema.

PEGASE (PEGASUS)
MOROCCO 2010
Cinematically and psychologically sophisticated drama about incest where a young woman is manipulated to believe that she is possessed by a demon. Winner of the Grand Prize of the Pan African Film Festival FESPACO in 2011.

LES SAIGNANTES (THE BLOODETTES)
CAMEROON 2005
Majolie and Chouchou, two stylish and lethal prostitutes, set out to rid a futuristic country of its corrupt male politicians in this controversial sci-fi/horror/political thriller hybrid.

NOTRE ÉTRANGÈRE (THE PLACE IN-BETWEEN)
BURKINA FASO/RANSKA 2010
Amy travels from France to Burkina Faso to reconnect with her African roots and to search for her mother in this sensitive drama that explores the theme of being a stranger to oneself and to a culture.

FROM A WHISPER
KENYA 2009
Rebellious artist Tamani and hard-working intelligence officer Abu face some difficult truths as they try to discover what really happened to the people they lost in a terror attack in Nairobi ten years ago.

SISTERS IN LAW
CAMEROON/UK 2005
Two feisty and progressive-minded judges dispense wisdom, wisecracks and stiff sentences to perpetrators of violence and abuse in a small courthouse in Cameroon. An unforgettable and often hilarious documentary about the possibility of social change.

BARAKAT! (ENOUGH!)
ALGERIA 2006
Young doctor Amel searches for her journalist husband during Algeria's civil war in the 1990s with the help of Khadidja, a veteran of the country's independence struggle. An insightful journey across a ravaged but beautiful country.

MAROCK
MOROCCO 2005
A rich and stubborn Muslim girl meets a handsome Jewish boy in an engaging teenage romance set in late 1990s Casablanca, where the party lifestyle of the children of the Moroccan elite clashes with traditional values.

TAKING ROOT
KENYA 2008
An inspiring documentary about the life of Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, whose group of tree-planting women grows into a national movement that challenges the corrupt rule of Kenya's ruthless politicians.

THE FIGURINE
NIGERIA 2009
The lives of three people change dramatically for the better when one of them finds Araromire, a mysterious figurine that, according to legend, brings seven years of good luck. But nobody told them about the next seven years…

THE WORLD UNSEEN
SOUTH AFRICA 2007
When free-spirited Amina meets traditional Indian wife Miriam, their unexpected attraction throws them both off balance. What chance is there for a love between two women to survive in 1950s South Africa, where apartheid is just beginning?

IZULU LAMI
SOUTH AFRICA 2009
Orphaned siblings Thembi and Khwezi end up with a gang of street kids in Durban, after leaving their rural homestead. Approaching tough issues from a fresh children's perspective, the film offers hope and memorable performances by its young cast.

PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL
LIBERIA/USA 2008
A compelling documentary about Liberian women who joined together in demanding a resolution to the country's civil war during a critical period in the peace talks. Shows how grassroots activism altered the history of a country that has been to hell and back.

HAFF 2011 venues

Andorra, Eerikinkatu 11, 00100 Helsinki
Kiasma, Mannerheiminaukio 2, 00100 Helsinki

Oulun Elokuvakeskus, Kulttuuritalo Valve, Hallituskatu 7, 90100 Oulu. Tel: 08 8811 291

Päijät-Hämeen elokuvakeskus, Elokuvateatteri Kino Iiris, Saimaankatu 12,15140 Lahti. Tel: 03 7521272

Pirkanmaan elokuvakeskus, Elokuvateatteri Niagara, Kehräsaari B-talo, 33101 Tampere. Tel: 03-223 4912

Keski-Suomen elokuvakeskus, Asemakatu 6, 40100 Jyväskylä. Tel: 044 5502582

Itä-Suomen AV-kulttuurin koulutus ja kehittämisyhdistys, Torikatu 18, III krs, 70110 Kuopio. Tel: 017-2628 575

Tickets
Single ticket 7.50 euros.
Buy tickets from this website or the HAFF ticket booth in Andorra or Kiasma on the day of the screening. Some cancellation tickets may be available for sold-out films, please ask at the cinema ticket booth before the film.

HAFF
Helsinki African Film Festival brings an entertaining and thought-provoking selection of contemporary African cinema to Finland. The festival aims to foster communication across cultures and support dialogue on wide-ranging issues related to Africa
The festival is organised by the HAFF working group together with Shalin Suomi ry, a non-profit organisation based in Finland working on development issues.We are grateful for the generous support HAFF 2011 has received from many individuals and organisations. A special thanks goes out to all our cooperation partners.
Please email your comments and suggestions regarding the festival and this website to info(at)haff.fi

Contact details
Publicist: Heidi Korva 0452007606 heidi.korva(at)haff.fi
Coordinator: Sami Sallinen 050 440 6886 sami.sallinen(at)haff.fi