Last week's themes continue in the German selection at TIFF 2011, from human rights questions (African boat people landing in southern Europe in "Colour of the Ocean"; the Egyptian revolution in "Tahrir Square", commissioned by Westdeutscher Rundfunk) to our perspective on Africa ("Colour of the Ocean"; "The Education of Auma Obama", a doc following the US president's Kenyan half-sister).
With "Colour of the Ocean", Berlin filmmaker Maggie Peren has created a devastating film that clearly captured the TIFF world premiere audience. Tackling the African refugee disaster in Europe, she luckily concentrates not on big politics but personal fates. She lets us in on one encounter between a young German tourist and an African father and son who fall out of the ocean onto the beach. No high morals, just a simple dilemma: What would you do in the face of one person in need, standing in front of you asking for your help? Let's hope well have the chance to see this important film in European and American theaters and festivals.
In her documentary following educator-artist Auma Obama, Berlin director Branwen Okpako tackles the west's relationship with Africa head-on. Auma Obama deplores the "exhibiting" of Africans --a German expert in the film seconds her point by referring to the "positive racism" of such films as "The White Masai" (at TIFF 2005)-- and she eloquently questions the very basis of Western "aid" to Africa on a German political talk show.
Peren, when asked in the Q&A after her screening why she chose a European perspective and location instead of an African one, answered that she simply wouldn't dare to adopt an African perspective, or film there. The African-German artist Okpako on the other hand follows Obama to Kenya, to Germany, to England. The inbetweenness (or back- and forthness) is keenly felt. One is left at the end of both films with the sense that our encounter or rapprochement with Africa has just begun.
by Jutta Brendemühl, Goethe-Institut Toronto
