Award-winning, record-breaking Africa Month recommendations from Showmax

10th May 2022 | Source: Showmax

<div><strong>AFRICA AND I</strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | Stream now</span></div>

<div><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Winner of the Jury Award for Best First Feature Documentary at the Pan African Film and Arts Festival earlier this month, </span><em>Africa and I </em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">is a 90-minute documentary about how 20-year-old Othmane Zolati walked, hitchhiked, cycled and skateboarded over 30 000 km across Africa, through 24 countries. He had never left Morocco when he started his nearly four-year journey to Cape Town, South Africa with just $80, a small backpack, and a borrowed cheap pocket camera.</span></div>

<div><em>Saturday Star</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calls </span><em>Africa and I </em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">"an unrivalled glimpse into life on the continent", </span><em>Vamers</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> "a thrilling trip through unseen Africa", and</span><em> Spling</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> "exhilarating... a beautiful and stirring mashup of people, culture and places."</span></div>

<div><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Along the journey he survived three bouts of malaria; tried to escape border police on a skateboard; got lost for five days in a desert without enough water; was stopped in the middle of a no man's land by a group of people with guns; and ended up in Zambia with only $5 in his pocket. But for every near-death experience, there were many more moments of marveling at the beauty and diversity of Africa, not to mention the kindness and generosity of her people.</span></div>

<div><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Othmane directs and executive produces </span><em>Africa and I,</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> using the hundreds of hours of footage he taught himself to shoot along the way. He's collaborated with a team of award-winning South African creatives he met at the end of his trip: co-director Chris Green (writer and producer on the 2021 SAFTA winner </span><em>Chasing the Sun</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> and co-showrunner of the two-time International Emmy-nominated </span><em>MasterChef South Africa)</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">; Both Worlds, the production company behind the two-time International Emmy-nominated </span><em>Puppet Nation ZA</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">; and composer Daniel Eppel and editor Kirsten de Magalhaes, both SAFTA winners.</span></div>

<div><strong>Need more North African content?</strong><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> Try the classic Egyptian films </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/1/a5ec3ef94d7cb80aa8cd209dd1bdcfdddc7683e9aeaf7be1df4ed962fc49dc17" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #000000" target="_blank"><em>Bab El Hadid / Cairo Station</em></a><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> and </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/2/b3584bb0f330d179accf2293eab6556037672bda7d71048a81c3dc2bd1508aca" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #000000" target="_blank"><em>Alexandria Why?</em></a><em>, </em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">from Cannes Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award winner Youssef Chahine.</span></div>

<div><strong>SOFTIE </strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| Stream now</span></div>

<div><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Directed by Sam Soko, </span><em>Softie</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> follows Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi as he tries his hands at politics for the first time in the 2017 elections and finds himself torn between his duty to his country and his family.</span></div>

<div><em>Softie</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> has a 92% critics' rating on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes </em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">and has won five international awards, including a Special Jury Award for Editing at Sundance, with Boniface named one of The Unforgettables by Cinema Eye last year. </span><em>Softie </em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">was also nominated for International Documentary Association, News and Documentary Emmy, and Producers Guild of America awards in 2021.</span></div>

<div><em>Softie's </em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">fans include Kenyan Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, who </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/4/422b0b19c7bbb1da3711ca99331ac4340766ae0033d886051f671de89a66bc5c" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: black" target="_blank">tweeted</a><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, "As the child of a political activist who witnessed their father being harassed and injured, who wondered when and if he would come home at night, the documentary </span><em>Softie</em><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> moved me... It is the incredible story about the activist Boniface Mwangi and his journey to uncover the truth behind Kenya's disheartening politics and corrupt system. If you believe in governments for the people, by the people and of the people, this film is for you."</span></div>

<div><strong>Need more East African content? </strong><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Try 2021 Kalasha Award winners like the Showmax Original </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/5/dc78f676d3d0522e80e7c5aa53e22e46f492849d2eb603ead0598c363d4076f9" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: black" target="_blank"><em>Crime and Justice</em></a><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, which won Best Actress for Sarah Hassan, </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/6/666a70ab1c46051c1f49bbc8054530ef8b93f4b6307d953feb4890b91bd8384c" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: black" target="_blank"><em>Njoro Wa Uba</em></a><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, which won Best Drama and Best Actor for Joe Kinyua, </span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Likarion Wainaina's multi-award-winning film </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/291/51paq33lh7hzs1avvrg4ik3bm/0/3aa4f8f52f1b11423e81575495a80de185d63eb78ce8a4c5afd76e4adef1ab6b" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #000000" target="_blank"><em>Supa Modo</em></a><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, and Tosh Gitonga's critically-acclaimed film </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/291/51paq33lh7hzs1avvrg4ik3bm/1/7ab3f01e4edcee8d17c062a45ab095c02c0c854fdb8145c5c7e604d6100dbdc5" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #000000" target="_blank"><em>Nairobi Half Life</em></a><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">.</span></div>

<div><strong>THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF LAGOS </strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">| Binge the first five episodes now, with more every Friday</span></div>

<div style="text-align: justify"><em>The Real Housewives of Lagos</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> set a new record for the most first-day views on Showmax in Nigeria after trending at #1 on Twitter in both Nigeria and South Africa.</span></div>

<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The latest edition of the hit reality TV show franchise follows the opulent lives of six of the most glamorous women in Africa's largest megacity: businesswoman Carolyna Hutchings, lawyer and luxury hair brand owner Chioma Ikokwu, Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo, influencer Laura Ikeji-Kanu, PR expert Mariam Timmer, and celebrity stylist Toyin Lawani-Adebayo. In true Lagos style, they will be serving up all the high fashion, luxury, drama, and power-moves that the franchise is known and loved for globally.</span></div>

<div><em>The Africa Report</em><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> calls it "</span><span style="color:#1d1c1c; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">must-see television", while </span><em>Pulse </em><span style="color:#1d1c1c; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">says it's changing the representation of Africa: "</span><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Gone with the third world version and in with shots portraying a version of Africa that Africans didn't know we needed."</span></div>

<div><strong>Need more West African content? </strong><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Try the hit Showmax Original telenovela from Ghana, Shirley Frimpong-Manso's </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/7/7fdac0ff90f33cd417c368269d7c6078c984331dab8023316d1820555b942cc6" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>ENO</em></a>, <span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">or 2022 Africa Magic Viewers Choice nominees for Best Drama, like </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/8/a801482d823341c4ac275769ea25466010750051fd1302c1cea54c3fd08a748b" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>Dilemma</em></a><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/9/7e907a565d0b7e8fbbcaac52ad4025ff7baf0be4663ad832b80e511760f19e7c" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>Enakhe</em></a><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/10/34c50a41424d72685675ed53815aa7c8e01dbf01c79cca14a1271115b5f3098b" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>Movement Japa</em></a>, <a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/11/0575f7ca0d486915b6e082025c168d7a6c51691862869773813b836ab05824c1" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>Riona</em></a><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/12/c205ccfa61a5fc5530e7b975bc2d1aba7a9b98073e8b96d62c5374a8917358e7" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>The Rishantes</em></a><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/13/a7575f9c05e5483c2885954ce27e236e2951a155dd58693b6b7a0d25198780f1" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>Unmarried</em></a><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, and </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/14/de888f1710081112b4ef6c4d0c85cb0fdcdb905a5f5ac58c7cb029db48b801ed" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>Venge</em></a><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, and Best Comedy, like </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/15/aa326e86d6b5528d4867f34e2a4e802c005e3c8fe50d65cef43bfa506da1147a" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>My Flatmates</em></a><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/16/15e49eb7b6d9abb47318a94feb6fae0693b85ced35fa9c65fb338f7acaabe704" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>My Siblings And I</em></a><span style="color:#212529; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, and </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/17/61422e7f6935b629e898c1db5e87667b806c2b7df94c802e6c7cf9413ac333c8" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #212529" target="_blank"><em>The Johnsons</em></a>.</div>

<div><strong>THIS IS NOT A BURIAL, IT'S A RESURRECTION</strong><span style="color:#1d1c1c; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | Stream now</span></div>

<div><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Produced by Urucu (</span><em>The Wound</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> | </span><em>Inxeba</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">), </span><em>This Is Not A Burial, It's A Resurrection</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> stars the late, great Mary Twala Mhlongo (</span><em>Black Is King</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) in her final film role as an 80-year-old widow in Lesotho who ignites a collective spirit of defiance within her community when her village is threatened with forced removals due to the construction of a reservoir. Triple SAFTA winner Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha (</span><em>Tsotsi,</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> </span><em>Five Fingers For Marseilles</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) narrates, while Makhaola Ndebele (</span><em>The River</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">) co-stars.</span></div>

<div><em>This Is Not A Burial, It's A Resurrection</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> ended 2021 at #6 on </span><em>MetaCritic</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s list of the best reviewed films of the year globally. Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese's film also cracked many of the most prestigious Top 10 Films of 2021 lists, placing second on </span><em>Vulture</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, third on </span><em>Slant,</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> fourth on </span><em>LA Weekly,</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> sixth on </span><em>RogerEbert.com</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, seventh on </span><em>AV Club</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">, and ninth on </span><em>Paste </em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">and </span><em>The Playlist</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> – not to mention making </span><em>Vanity Fair</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s list of the 21 Most Underrated Movies of 2021 and </span><em>The Film Stage</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">'s list of The Best Cinematography of 2021.  </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">The film has won over</span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> 33</span><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> international awards, including the Visionary Filmmaking Prize at Sundance 2020, the FIPRESCI Critics' Prize at Hong Kong 2020, the Artistic Bravery Prize at Durban 2020, Best Cinematography at the African Movie Academy Awards 2020 and FESPACO 2021 for Pierre de Villiers, and the Silver Tanit for Best Film at Carthage 2021. </span></div>

<div><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Released in the United States last year as part of The Criterion Collection, </span><em>This Is Not A Burial, It's A Resurrection</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> has a 100% critics' rating on </span><em>Rotten Tomatoes</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">. </span><em>Vulture</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> hailed it as "the first masterpiece of 2021... So gorgeous and spellbinding that it invites repeat viewings." </span><em>The Playlist</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> called it one of those films that "reinvigorates one's faith in the artistic capacity of an entire medium." </span><em>RogerEbert.com</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> praised it as "a challenge to conventional Western film language... a welcome and necessary one." </span><em>Slant</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> called it "Breathtaking," </span><em>Paste</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> "extraordinary" and </span><em>Rolling Stone</em><span style="color:#070706; font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> "a revelation."</span></div>

<div><strong>Need more Southern African content? </strong><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Try</span><strong> </strong><span style="color:black; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Malawi's 2022 Oscar entry, </span><a href="https://t.nylas.com/t1/315/8de461jnd2imxtf0ssiyhnjgl/19/bed2ec99c4ae6573b2be2aaf4e51718269081a7dc2d56b4793f0b0822ae2c216" rel="noreferrer" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; color: #000000" target="_blank"><em>Fatsani: A Tale of Survival</em></a><span style="color:#000000; font-family:verdana,sans-serif">,</span><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"> about a young girl who, while living with her grandmother, is forced to sell bananas in the streets for survival after her school is closed due to sanitation issues and corruption.</span></div>

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