The curtain came down on the 39th edition of the Vues d'Afrique International Film Festival on April 30. For the third year in a row, CECI was present as an official partner of the program for the Taking action for equality category, which aims to highlight films that contribute to the advancement of gender equality. In line with its mission, CECI co-organized two panels on the environment and trauma from a gender perspective.
Of the 109 films presented on this occasion, 11 works were submitted to the selection jury for the category Taking action for equality. As if by magic, the number of participating countries coincided with the age of the event. The five members of the jury were volunteers and CECI ambassadors: Ibrahim Maiga, Chantal Lewis, Ndiallo Aw, Wamba Legrand et Afi Xolali Zotchi.
They combed through all the works, all of which were inspiring and of high quality. After praising the talents of all the entries, the Jury unanimously decided to award the prize in the category Acting for Equality to the documentary series :
ELLES, réalisée par Sabrina Hammoum et animée par Sarahmée.
"It is a portrait of inspiring women from all over the world and from Senegal in particular who organise and unite to defend their rights and living conditions. They are courageous and determined. This episode in Senegal is a realistic and poignant testimony to the conditions of inequality against women in Africa, but more importantly to their ability to cope, their resilience and capacity for empowerment and leadership. Afi Xolali Zotchi, CECI volunteer and member of the Jury
Congratulations to the director, the host and their team for this documentary series that tackles the unequal realities of women's lives in a raw way, showing their resilience to improve their lot and challenge the established order. We thank Afi Xolali Zotchi and Chantal Lewis (CECI Ambassador) for their participation in the closing ceremony of the festival and our jury for their participation in the deliberation. Our gratitude also goes to the employees and colleagues who participated in the various activities. In particular, we would like to thank Sandrine Inakabondo, Project Officer/Equality Specialist, and Nadia Saadou Maiguizo, former volunteer in climate change adaptation.
CECI is committed to circulating this film throughout its network, in Quebec and internationally, in order to provoke exchanges and discussions about the works and the issues raised by them.
