Moolaade Launch - FORWARD host the UK PremièreMay 30th 2005 On Monday 30th May 2005, FORWARD was honoured to be invited to launch the UK Premiere screening of MOOLAADE; an African film produced by the legendary Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene. The film, which won the Prize for Best Film in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes film festival in 2004, brilliantly tackles the controversial subject of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Africa and depicts women's grass roots resistance to it. A panel discussion by development experts from around the globe followed the screening and the opportunity was taken to launch the FORWARD FGM FUND. The funds collected will enable the scaling-up of the campaign to accelerate the prevention and abandonment of FGM in Africa. FORWARD believes that MOOLAADE is a great advocacy tool which can be used to draw international attention to FGM as a sexual and reproductive health and human rights issue and to promote positive change for women in modern day Africa. The filmmaker has dedicated the film to African women. Moolaade is available to purchase from HMV and Amazon and is seriously recommended viewing- enjoy! Press ReleasePlease see below the FORWARD Press Release for the film launch: Artificial Eye and FORWARD present MOOLAADÉ (15) A film by Ousmane Sembene WINNER - BEST FILM UN CERTAIN REGARD Cannes Film Festival 2004
Senegal 2004 / 124 mins / In Bambara and French with English subtitles / colour Starring FATOUMATA COULIBALY, MAÏMOUNA HÉLÈNE DIARRA and SALIMATA TRAORÉ A co-production of Direction de la Cinématographie Nationale (Burkina Faso), Centre Cinématographiqie Marocain (Morocco), Cinétéléfilms (Tunisia), Les Films de la Terre Africaine (Cameroon), Executive producer: Ciné Sud Promotion (France) Ousmane Sembene is the legendary Senegalese filmmaker, regarded as the Father of African Cinema. His career stretches over a period of more than forty years and he is still very active as a writer and film maker. His latest film, MOOLAADÉ, won the Prize for Best Film in the Certain Regard section in Cannes 2005 last year. A patriarch with obvious feminist sympathies, in MOOLAADÉ he brilliantly tackles his most controversial subject to date: female genital mutilation (FGM). Colle Gallo Ardo Sy, a circumcised woman, has managed to help her only daughter escape from the ritual of purification organised every seven years. Now that the next ritual is about to happen, four young girls have fled from the village to escape from excision and are seeking protection (MOOLAADÉ) from Ardo. The village is on the boil as two kinds of values clash dramatically: the right to protection and the attachment to tradition symbolised by excision. MOOLAADÉ is a wonderful embracing and life-affirming film with the power to change the world. It celebrates the strength of women in modern day Africa, to whom it is dedicated: “Female genital mutilation is practised in 38 of 54 member states of the African Union. Whatever the method used (traditional or modern) to the excise is a violation of the woman's dignity and integrity. I dedicate MOOLAADÉ to mothers, women who struggle to abolish the legacy of bygone days.” Ousmane Sembene FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development) is an international African-led women’s organisation with a long history of campaigning to end female genital mutilation (FGM) - a harmful traditional practice that affects between 100 -140 million women and girls worldwide. Together with Artificial Eye they are launching the UK premiere of Moolaade in an effort to draw international attention to FGM as a sexual and reproductive health and human rights issue. A panel discussion led by FGM and development experts from around the globe will follow the screening. DATE: Monday 30th May 17.45 RENOIR Cinema, Bunswick Square, WC1N 1AW. For tickets contact forward@forwarduk.org.uk or telephone 020 8960 4000 £10 Full Price/£7 (concessions). An Artificial Eye Release. LinksBelow are some links to FORWARD’s media coverage over the summer (2005) when FORWARD launched the award winning film MOOLAADE in London:
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