South African Talent in Cannes

Multitalented South African filmmaker Firdoze Bulbulia known for A Small Town Called Descent (2010) and Cry of Love (2016) is in Cannes for a screening of her new film Homeland: A Song for Refugees, and a talk on the burgeoning African animation industry.

As a producer, screenwriter and educator Firdoze shared her insights during a panel hosted by the African Pavilion during the prestigious Cannes Film Festival (16-27 May). The African Pavilion described the panel as a means to ‘support and harmonize the media environment in Africa by producing top-notch Pan-African Animation’.

Homeland: A Song for Refugees, which was produced by Firdoze and directed by Faith Isiakpare, will premiere tomorrow (Tuesday 22 May) at 7pm. The documentary humanises the experience of refugees and sheds light on core issues of being displaced and navigating social cohesion while facing xenophobia. The theme song is written by none other than acclaimed South African singer songwriter Neill Solomon. Other acclaimed SA musicians involved in the project include Wouter Kellerman, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Sipho Hotstix Mabuse.

The screening invites audiences and film professionals to reflect on the power of soundtracks in music and film.

The African Pavilion acts as the flagship of the African film industry and its diaspora in the Film Market at the Cannes Film Festival.