The University of Wisconsin-Madison
African Studies Program and
  Center for European Studies

LECTURE

Visiting Filmmaker

Mweze D. NGANGURA
(Director of Pièces d’Identités and La Vie est Belle)

Friday, March 15
206 Ingraham Hall                                          1:30-2:30 pm


A New Film by Mweze  D. Ngangura

The Governor's New Clothes
  (A loose adaptation of the story by H.C. Andersen The Emperor's New Clothes)




“When I discovered the extraordinary children's tale by the Danish author 
Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor's New Clothes (1835), the impact was 
such that it brought me to write and produce this film, the Governor's New 
Clothes.  Andersen exposes the rulers' vanity and mean flattery.

What strikes me first in this story is its universal value, more 
particularly its applicability to the vast majority of African political 
regimes.  This loose screen adaptation is intended for any audience in a 
simple, linear style.

I wanted to situate the action in the political and cultural context of the 
'murderous reality' of present day Africa.  The film evolves against a 
background of war between two ethnic groups, the Kossos and the 
Krowas.  Tabou, the main character (the Governor), is a Kosso who 
personally feels the dilemma of being married to a Krowa (Mopaya), with 
whom he has a son, Little Prince.

The choice of names for the ethnic groups - 'Zerbo' and 'Krowa' - 
corruption of 'Serbo' and 'Croat' - indicates my clear reference to the 
fact that ethnic conflicts are not an African monopoly.   At the same time, 
the film wants to maintain the universal nature of the fairy-tale.

The Emperor's New Clothes is a musical comedy on the theme of abuse of 
power, with as a main story line the history of a family on the verge of 
collapse.  I insisted first and foremost the aspect of “film for a large 
audience” by alternating between hilarious and more dramatic moments.  It 
all evolves from the point of view of a character that runs as a thread 
through the story - the griot Makasi, a moralist with the exceptional gift 
of being omnipresent.”

                                                                 Mweze D. 
Ngangura

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, visit:

        http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html

AAM Website:  http://www.danenet.wicip.org/aam
----------------------------------------------------------------------------