In 2020, we partnered with Akoia and Company to curate content for the virtual film festival – No Direct flight.
The project which was curated by Kenyan creative enterprise firm Akoia & Company, with digital video channel Nowness as a commissioning partner. No Direct Flight (Nairobi) delivered a series of online events aimed at exploring the history and impact of digital technology and internet culture on artists in Africa and the African diaspora, and the impact of African filmmaking and aesthetics on global audiences.
Through the screening of features, music videos, virtual reality installations and new short film commissions, No Direct Flight also explored ways in which new media is shaping African perception and appreciation of the nature, beauty, and value of artistic expressions and representations of African origin. No Direct Flight (Nairobi) featured celebrated local Kenyan artists and Kenyan industry professionals, both established and emerging, sharing their unique experiences and insights.
For the program African Digital Heritage curated 2 streams of content exploring Africa, Archives, Access and Aesthetics.
1. Choma Picha – A mixed – media piece exploring Africa, Archives, Access and Aesthetics.
This piece explores the ways in which archival footage from early 1900’s Africa is now accessed, challenged and presented. Today, thanks to social media and the proliferation of content dissemination platforms, we can access audio visual archival material that was previously inaccessible.
But what does it mean when our visual understanding of our past is based on material that is inherently hateful, racist and patronizing?
How do we separate the intent of this material (which was never intended for African audiences) from the content which gives us great insight into distant worlds ?
2. Short read – A brief history of cinema in Kenya
