Now in its 7th edition, the iREP International Documentary film festival over the years has turned out so well to inspire the sobriquet of being the holy “Mecca” for documentary film makers all over the world. With a wide spectrum of audience drawn from the four corners of the globe, the festival’s main objective is to create robust conversations around film and to see how documentary film is able to effect social transformation in a world of constant change.
The theme for this outing is “Archiving Africa”. Spanning 16-19 of March, the festival venue remains the serene ambiance and prime culture destination-Freedom Park, Lagos Island.
“This year’s theme was conceived on the traditional thematic framework of Africa in Self-Conversation. It is to rigorously explore the opportunities open to Africa to bring its historic past into an archival system that is accessible on demand, and most importantly, how we can begin to use these materials to define a path for the future through storytelling”. Says festival director Femi Odugbemi.
Speaking further, Femi asserts that “Africa has always been faced with a major challenge of connecting the dots in its historical past. A large part of what constitutes the verifiable history of Africa’s past today is sourced from the west. The facts of our historical journey are told to us by western imperialists and we simply regurgitate what is made available to us. In an age when even technology is looking ‘forward’ into the past to understand what is most valuable to our humanity, many African societies are shrouded in a blanket of collective amnesia”.
Decades after the last of colonized society in Africa has gained independence, the legacy of European dominance remains – we must recourse to Europe to peep a glimpse of African history and cultural properties which are mostly domiciled outside of the continent. Africa’s history is ours in bits that is allowed to us from the West!
Documentary/documentation films must respond to this, if it must by any chance, put a stop to the tragedy of forgetfulness in Africa.
Storytelling is essential to nation building; each cultural property that is locked away in archives and museums in Europe is a repository of our history, journey and insights into what we can become. The festival is open for participation to the general public.
For more information visit the website which is www.irepfilmfestival.com. HashTag #iREPF2017
