WESTERN SAHARA
AFRICA’S LAST COLONY
USA 2007 • Director: JoMarie Fecci & Shantha Bloemen • 57 minutes • English/Arabic/Sahawri with English Subtitles
The Saga of Western Sahara is told through the experiences of Sahrawis living in refugee camps in Southern Algeria for 30 years. From the beginning of their liberation struggle in the 1970s to the unending wait for a promised UN-sponsored referendum, they have remained true to their aspirations and committed to an independent homeland despite international indifference to their cause. Meanwhile, Morocco, a former French colony and strong American ally, has been rewarded for its aggression and occupation of the Sahrawis’ desert homeland.
This history of promises and betrayal is interwoven with the harrowing story of the family of Mulay & Ama Didi. Amma recounts how she was forced to leave her infant daughter behind during the chaos of the Moroccan invasion. Now after 29 years of separation, she has new hope, as a recently introduced UNHCR (The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) “family reunion” programme offers mother and daughter an opportunity to meet. As Amma anxiously waits to find out if her daughter will be allowed to visit, the camera chronicles the family’s daily life as they struggle for dignity and self-determination. In the process, viewers learn how the Sahrawis built the basis of a vibrant democracy in exile while they continue to wait for a long-promised referendum.
Western Sahara, Africa’s Last Colony illustrates the continuing legacy of colonialism as other peoples’ struggles for freedom and self-determination are misinterpreted by our own preoccupations – be it in the context of the cold war through the 1980s or the war against terror today – compromising our principles and crippling organisations, like the United Nations, that seek to create a more just world order.
Screenings
| Wellington | Monday 12 May, 6.30pm | Wednesday 14 May, 6.00pm |
| Auckland | Monday 19 May, 8.00pm | Wednesday 21 May, 6.00pm |
| Christchurch | Monday 26 May, 8.00pm | Wednesday 28 May, 6.00pm |
| Dunedin | Monday 2 June, 8.00pm | Wednesday 4 June, 6.00pm |
Related
OCCUPATION 101NOW THE PEOPLE HAVE AWOKEN
A MINORITY REPORT
2008 Dates
Wellington 8 - 16 May
Paramount Theatre
Auckland 15 - 23 May
Rialto Newmarket
Christchurch 22 - 30 May
Regent on Worcester
Dunedin 29 May - 6 June
Rialto Dunedin