WORLD CINEMA FUND DAY 2021

“Decolonising Cinema” was the central theme of the WCF Day on March 5, 2021.

“Decolonising Cinema”

The present is a mirror of history. The consequences of colonialism are reflected in the daily life of many countries, and the topic is coming through in more and more of the projects submitted to the WCF. The WCF Day wanted to shine a light on impressive and original Latin American and African projects and initiatives focussed on or inspired by colonialism and its lasting impact.

To what extent has colonial history shaped certain countries and their film cultures? To what extent are colonialism and post-colonialism reflected in previous films and in current film production? Are filmmakers from the funding regions aware of this dramatic historical legacy?

The experiences, heritage and results of the “Third Cinema” movement in the 1960s and 1970s and the “decolonising and decolonised” efforts of filmmakers from WCF regions and countries during the last decades are also reflected, particularly considering that funding institutions from Europe largely support their films.

“Cinema Spaces and Decolonising Cinema”

Cinema also means cinema space and the WCF passionately believes in the social space of cinema. Cinema space means also generating new realities, new sources of energy, new creative aggregations with the goal of setting up the conditions needed to strengthen independent cinema in the WCF regions. Cinema space means re-creating the tools needed for developing local contemporary art and local cinema for the national - and also international audience.

A conversation with the representatives of the African “Cinema Spaces Network” (CSN) centered on the support of existing and the creation of further cinema spaces in Africa.

The WCF Day was offered online due to the pandemic and is available on demand on YouTube.