Screening of ‘Africa Paradis’ in presence of Beninese Actor and Director Sylvestre Amoussou, (OmEnglU), Sunday, 25th November 2012, 5pm

On Sunday, 25th of November 2012, at 5 pm AfricAvenir will present the intriguing movie ’Africa Paradis’ in presence of Beninese director Sylvestre Amoussou at Hackesche Höfe Kino. In his first feature film, Amoussou turns the tables and focuses on the refugee situation between contemporary Africa and Europe, thereby taking a shift in perspective: A married French couple pursues, due to prevailing lack of prospects in France, to illegally immigrate into prosperous Unites States of Africa. However they rather face the intricate/heavy reality of an illegal refugees’ everyday life. 

"The usage of irony, inducing laughter which can’t be repressed, in order to sympathize with the dimension/magnitude of the tragedy – this is, what the movie, in help of the reversion of circumstances, wants to achieve (…) On the one hand the parody allows an implicit stigmatization of a precarious situation and on the other hand (…) a therapeutically curative process." Mériam Azizi, Africiné

Subsequent to the movie, an open discussion with the director Sylvestre Amoussou will take place, followed by a small reception in the cinema foyer. nThe event is taking place through an amicable support by the Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED).

Synopsis
The movie is set in a period of time in which the African continent experiences affluence whilst Europe suffered under economic and political crisis, poverty and underdevelopment. Olivier, computer scientist and Pauline, teacher both live in France and are doomed to find an employment due to the poor economic situation. The setting seems desperate for the couple – hope for a better life lies in prosperous Africa. Thus, the couple decides to immigrate to the ‘United States of Africa’. As they are rejected the entrance visa, the couple is forced to illegally cross the borders with the help of a smuggler vehicle. Arrived in Africa, the boarder police detects them and holds them in custody to deportation. Olivier succeeds to escape, however he changes identity after having endured the troublesome life in illegality and accepts the identification of a murdered white man. Meanwhile Pauline is employed as a servant in a rich African household. n

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Press Reviews
"You will unintentionally be intrigued by the energy and the frankness of a story, which simultaneously applies techniques known from thriller movies and humorous gists." Olivier Barlet, Africultures.

"It is permitted to dream, notably it is astonishing that as identically to the novel, released in 2006, Aux Etats-Unis d’Afrique by Abdourahman Waberi, it is the realization of the old/veteran Pan-African dream of an economic and political unity, which brings about a reversion in the distribution of wealth." Olivier Barlet, Africultures 

"Confident about the cyclic movements in the history of humanity it is apparent that the belief in change is legitimate." Mériam Azizi, Africiné

"Director and protagonist Sylvestre Amoussou, creates a scenario, that carries the audience into a state of (bafflement) and insecurity. Hereby he is not working/operating with techniques applied in phantasy stories nor horror stories, rather he merely reverts the facts and uses contemporary vocabulary."

The director 
Sylvestre Amoussou was born in Benin and has been living in France for over more than 20 years. He has worked as an actor and as a comedian, however as this domain was deprived of interesting/exciting acting roles/characters for black people, he decided to become director himself. Following various short films, Africa Paradis can be denoted as his first feature film.

Filmography: n

• 1997: Les Scorpionnes (short-length movie)
• 1999: Achille (Series consisting of three episodes)
• 2001: Africa Paradis – The short-length-movie) 
• 2003: L’Argent Sale
• 2010 : Un Pas En Avant (long métrage 35mm)

nAfrica Paradis
Benin 2006, 86 Min. 
Director: Sylvestre Amoussou
with Stéphane Roux, Charlotte Vermeil, Eriq Ebouaney, Sylvestre Amoussou, Emil Abossolo M’BonSunday, 25th November 2012, 5pm 
Entrance fee: 7,50€
Dicsount via Berlinpass, Gildepass, Heavy User Card, Filmreihe-Pass (Further information: www.hoefekino.de/preise-und-rabatte)

Tickets and Info: 030 283 46 03nHackesche Höfe Kino
Rosenthaler Str. 40/41
10178 Berlin
S Hackescher Markt
U Weinmeisterstraße


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