Father Geek here with Head Nurse Hollis' edition of Dr. SOTHA's regular Africa-AICN column... He's been locked in the lab all week doing earth shattering research soooo...

Sorry the column's a bit late, but DR.SOTHA has been working 24 hour days on a revolutionary mucus membrane generator set to change the face of medicine as we know it. At least that’s what he’s been telling me, Head Nurse Hollis. So I’m posting the column on behalf of him. Sometimes I’m a little frazzled by Sotha’s ambition, I know the world is in dire need of much more mucus, but I don’t think he’s aware of how dangerous an operation such as this is. Apparently mucus is a hard substance to concoct, and he is using the likes of Rain Forrest sap, lethal black leaches from the Kenyan jungle, and an itchy rough bark from the Asian outback. Let’s all wish him well on his extraordinary journey to reinvent medicine.

If you want to send him your good wishes e-mail him at africaaicn@hotmail.com

My needs feel so trivial in comparison, all I want is comfortable underwear to work in…

SOUTH AFRICA

Apollo Theatre's first independent SA film festival...

* Flick lovers congregated in the centre of the Karoo on Saturday night to hear which films had made an impression at this brave festival. Documentaries and short films lead the South African movie industry, say the judges. But the Apollo Theatre is the brightest star. In the Karoo town of Victoria West, the judges at Apollo Theatre's first independent SA film festival have announced the winners of the five awards - and some interesting comments All four film industry experts on the judging panel were "bowled over" by the standard of documentary film making entered in the competition. The winner was "Ochre and Water", by Joelle Chesselet and Craig Mathew. Seven years with the Himba people of northern Namibia resulted in this visually beautiful and delicately balanced film about a people whose ancestral land is threatened by a government plan to build a dam.

Other top documentaries shown at the festival were "Scorched Earth", itself a scorching look at British concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War, made by Herman Binge; and Ingrid Jonker: "Her Lives and Time", Helena Noguiera's portrayal of the life of the young and talented Afrikaans poet who committed suicide in the sixties. These three odysseys of remarkable journalism top a shortlist whose length bears testimony to the quality of documentary film-making in South Africa. Other entries mentioned by the judges are: "The Guguletu Seven" by Lindy Wilson; "The Life and Times of Sara Baartman" by Zola Maseko; "Gariep River People" by David Moore and "Africa Unbottled" by Craig Foster and Bowen Boshier.

"The quality of documentary entries was exceptional," said the judges. "It was very difficult to give one award. For their importance and their content, we believe all these films must be seen." Powerful entries in the short film category provided the judges with another difficult assignment. Zola Maseko took the award home for "The Foreigner", his controlled study of xenopho! bia. Barry Berk received a special mention for "Angel" (the one not starring Cordelia – DR.SOTHA), which follows the bittersweet relationship between bergies. This formal award was created by the judges during the festival.

Also on the short film shortlist is "Christmas with Granny and An Old Wife's Tale", both by Dumisani Phakathi. Another exceptional short film, "Portrait of a Young Man Drowning" by Teboho Mahlatsi, put the judges in a dilemma. "This is clearly a prize-winning film," they stated, "but we were forced to view a print with no sub-titles and poor sound. The festival organisers went to considerable effort to replace the print but our second viewing still had no sub-titles. As we have been careful to treat all entries with equal respect, we object to the fact that the distributor placed us in this awkward position.

Comedy thriller "The Sexy Girls", by Russell Thompson, wins the Apollo Award for best feature film. Also on the shortlist are "God is African" by Akin Omotoso; "Chikin Biznis - The Whole Story" by Nshaveni Wa Luruli; and "The Great Dance: A Hunter's Story" by Craig and Damon Foster. According to the judges, South African feature film requires greater training, especially in script development (Agreed, but who the fuck are these judges anyway – DR.SOTHA).

The award for student film went to "The Confidant" by Buks Rossouw who led a shortlist of "My Name is Jacob" by Carmen Sangion, and "Little Town Legend" entered by the First Television School at Rhodes University.

Reviewing their week-long assignment, all four Apollo Award judges said they were impressed by the strong entries. "South African film shows great promise," said Mike Dearham, director of Film Resource Unit. "Despite the poor and restrictive funding base in South Africa, film makers are not sit! ting on their laurels - they are going out and making films anyway. This tenacious will is admirable." (I’ll say it, since the rest of the country can’t – it’s an exaggeration – DR.SOTHA)

Photographer and film maker Jurgen Schadeberg said: "South African film has come of age. Five to ten years ago, we would not have had this quality of material to judge. The issues are much more South African and are presented with original thoughts. I think we might develop a strong South African style." For Paul Cilliers, professor of philosophy at Stellenbosch University, who chaired the four-man panel, it was the quality of short film entries that was important. "Opportunities should be made for them to be seen," he said. "Instead of being used as fillers, short films should be given their own slot on TV and in cinemas countrywide." According to Mike Dearham, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) has recognised short film as a growth path and, from next year, will be fundi! ng the making of 15 to 20 short films annually. (You can’t fucking sell short films? – rather make 2 features – DR.SOTHA)

Lecturer and critic Leon van Nierop was struck by the documentary entries. "They came as a huge surprise to me," he said. "We saw the power of cinema." As well as being unanimous in their selection of award winners, the judges agreed that their assignment at Apollo Theatre had been a "wonderful experience". This festival of independent South African movies was a milestone for the industry and for audiences. "It has our strongest support - and we hope the Press picks up its importance.The panel also pointed out that Victoria West made a neutral meeting ground for film makers, and that the absence of other distractions increased the focus on flicks. In addition, they said, "The Apollo Festival is bridging the racist divide - here in this Karoo town, and in the industry."

* The official website for the latest film from Leon Schuster (South Africa's acknowledged King of Slapstick), Mr Bones, went live on the World Wide Web on 3 October. The website www.mrbones.co.za is packed with information about the film and features biographies of the key cast and crew, as well as stills from the film. The highlight of the site is the teaser trailer which is available on the popular Windows Media and QuickTime platforms. Set against the backdrop of the Sun City Million Dollar Golf Challenge, the film combines classic slapstick with elements that are characteristically African. With a budget of R40 million (about $5M), Mr Bones is Schuster's biggest film to date and features an astounding array of stunts and special effects, as well as a menagerie of indigenous animals. Mr Bones stars Leon Schuster opposite David Ramsey (Pay It Forward) and Faizon Love (! The Parenthood). It is produced by Anant Singh and Helena Spring of Videovision Entertainment and directed by Gray Hofmeyr. It will be released on November 30 through United International Pictures (South Africa).

* SABC1 general manager Romeo Khumalo has announced that the channel has secured top-rated local chat show host, Phat Joe (The South African equivalent of Jay Leno – DR.SOTHA), from end-November 2001. Phat Joe is currently seen on free-to-air broadcaster e.tv's popular chat show, Phat Joe Live. Commented Khumalo, "Our acquisition of Phat Joe as the host of a new format TV show is a sign of things to come. We're in the process of re-designing our programming and scheduling line-up for next year to put SABC1 on a new competitive footing. My challenge is to make South Africa's best TV network even better and we're very excited to bring Phat Joe to the biggest TV audiences in the country." The new format Phat Joe on One show launches the channel's new programming direction and will form one of the pillars of SABC1's weekday night schedule. Phat Joe on One will be an entertainment extravaganza including a live audience, music performance and exceptional comedy, showcasing and ! celebrating South African talent.

NORTH AFRICA

* It’s Rigobert Song’s turn:

Hi there readers, I’ve tried to immerse myself in upbeat, uplifting African-American films and documentaries in the midst of all this terrorist madness plaguing the world. I lucked on an extraordinary documentary about the origin of the ‘blues’ and African-American women’s strong role in its creation. Before I get on remember to email me at rigobertsong@hotmail.com with your African film perspectives.

Wild Women Don't Have the Blues -- Produced & Directed by Christine Dall --
58 minutes

Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues shows how the blues were born out of the economic and social transformation of African American life early in this century. It recaptures the lives and times of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters and the other legendary women who made the blues a vital part of American culture. The film brings together for the first time dozens of rare, classic renditions of the early blues.

What we call the blues can be traced back to the work songs of generations of Black fieldhands. Ma Rainey, "Mother of the Blues," first put this folk idiom on stage in 1902. Others, like Ida Cox and Bessie Smith, took songs like "Downhearted Blues" and "Jailhouse Blues" on the road with traveling vaudeville and minstrel shows.

The Blues performers provided cultural continuity for millions of blacks who migrated from the rural South to the industrial cities of the North during World War I. Mamie Smith broke new ground in the 1920s when she shouted out "Crazy Blues" - the first blues recording by a a black woman and one that opened up the recording industry to black artists. Bessie Smith brought black music to a national audience in the groundbreaking early "talkie" St. Louis Blues.

Survivors of the blues era remind us that celebrity status offered little protection against segregation and economic exploitation. Few of these women received much financial reward from their popularity. With the Depression, American musical taste shifted towards the upbeat sounds of swing, and the classic blues died out. Yet as contemporary Chicago blues artist Koko Taylor reminds us, the blues and their legacy continue. "You get up in the morning and go to work and your boss tells you you been laid off. Your got the blues. Believe it or not, even the President's got the blues." Some quotes from this dynamic film: "A superb look at the idiom and its origins." -- Los Angeles Times -- "Shows how America changed after WWI when a wave of black immigrants le! ft the South searching fro work...Plenty of sparkle and wit." -- Boston Globe

* CBS' "Survivor" franchise came back with a bang on Thursday, even with its 8 p.m. start time delayed by 45 minutes in most of the country by President Bush's latest address to the nation regarding the war on terrorism. The premiere episode of "Survivor: Africa" averaged 23.7 million viewers, putting it in a dead heat with its NBC competition in the hour, "Friends" and "Will & Grace," which also pulled in 23.7 million viewers, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. NBC's comedies had the edge in the 18-49 demographic, but "Survivor" nonetheless brought in a solid 10.2 rating and built throughout the hour.

* CMC, an Italian / international construction concern with a daughter company in Mozambique, funded a mobile cinema unit traveling the country in celebration of its 75 anniversary. The unit took a mixture of Mozambican, "oldies" like Chaplin and more recent good cinema on the tour. A documentary of the crew experiences has been shot and will be available next year. The projection was a great success, with audiences varying from a minimum of 1 000 to 6 000 people every night. Local Mozambican productions proved most popular. The national AIDS campaign linked up to the mobile unit to distribute its materials. Share the crew experiences (in Italian) by visiting www.cinemovel.tv. An English version will be available shortly.

AFRICAN AMERICAN

* Fox Searchlight is in final negotiations to pick up two comedy projects for Edmonds Entertainment to produce: "The Road to Freaknik" and "Snow City." "Freaknik," written by Gregory N.T. Colleton and Edwardo Jackson, is described as a black version of "Road Trip" in which college students converge from across the country for an annual picnic in Atlanta called Freaknik. "Snow," written by TV scribe Al Sonja Rice, is about a hard-working black father who drags his dysfunctional family away for a weekend ski trip, only to see disaster occur from the word go. The project is aimed to be the first in a comedy franchise in the vein of "National Lampoon's Vacation."

* Singer and actress Mariah Carey is refusing to rule out a career on the silver screens of Hollywood - despite receiving scathing criticisms for her role in box-office bomb Glitter. The 31-year-old sex symbol is hoping to sink her teeth into more screen roles, although she insists she'll never ditch her first love, music, for a chance to truly shine as a Hollywood star. She says, "It's hard to decide which creative thing I enjoy most. I have been singing since I started talking. I have been a songwriter most of my life. I enjoy acting as well. I look forward to further projects, one which I just completed. It allows me to use a different side to my creativity." But Carey, who is set to hit screens again next year in her new movie Wise Girls, alongside Mira Sorvino, does admit that filmmaking isn't exactly what she'd originally thought it would be. She continues, "There are a lot of variables, directors, producers, and a lot of people who are in control and it's their vis! ion. It is a different situation and in life I like to go through different situations. It is different than making a record, but I enjoyed it and look forward to my next acting experience. I will never stop writing and singing songs. I felt acting in this film made me more connected to the music." The singer also admits that the acting lessons she took in preparation for her movie debut have boosted her confidence levels. (Denial can be an ugly thing – DR.SOTHA)

* Ethan Hawke was awed by his hero Denzel Washington’s star power while filming new movie Training Day. Ethan, 30, plays a rookie cop assigned to a top Los Angeles drug enforcer, played by Washington, in the box office smash. And Hawke, Uma Thurman’s husband, admits his co-star's immense influence was what got him involved in the film. He says, "Denzel is one of my favorite actors, which is why I persisted even when I met a great deal of opposition. It was disheartening to audition knowing the studio didn't want me. Denzel said he wanted me and suddenly that was the end of the debate. The irony is that Denzel is the reason I wanted the job and he got me the job." Much of Training Day was filmed in Los Angeles' racially charged Pinewood district, and Hawke was made all the more aware of his new pal's status. He adds, "Denzel is a huge star on those streets. He'd tease me because he'd be swarmed for autographs almost every day. Days would go by before anyone would even reco! gnize me. I don't think it was just because we were in an African-American community. Denzel steals focus no matter where he is. He's a huge star."

NURSE HOLLIS OUT.