I Am Because We Are

Les Anneaux d'Or

January 1956 •French

At the time of Tunisian independence, owners of large boats decide to sell, while many small fishermen soon find themselves without work. Their wives then decide to pool their gold rings to sell them and thus buy boats.

Zanzabuku

April 1956 •English

Famed explorer Lewis Cotlow leads a hunting and archaeological expedition into Africa.

Those Who Jump

April 2017 •English

In northern Morocco lies the Spanish enclave of Melilla: Europe on African Land. On the mountain above live over a thousand hopeful African migrants, watching the land border, a fence system separating Morocco and Spain. Abou from Mali is one of them – the protagonist in front of the camera, as well as the person behind it. For over a year, he has ceaselessly persisted in attempting to jump the fence.

Lords of the Forest

November 1958 •French

Documentary about the inhabitants, both human and animal, of the Belgian Congo. Released in 1958.

The End of the Game

November 1976 •

An intimate view of the panorama of African wildlife, giving a sense of what it is really like to be there, and in a dramatic climax makes a poignant plea for conservation. Filmed in Zaire, Kenya and Tanzania, the film takes the viewer from deep inside an anthill, to the majestic giraffes suckling their young. African storms, dung beetle ritual dances, duels for supremacy, feeding time, and playtime all end as the animals disappear one by one while the sound of a rifle shatters the existing magic of life. Winner of the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, 1976.

The World According to Tippi

January 1997 •French

Tippi is no ordinary child. She believes that she has the gift of talking to animals and that they are like brothers to her. 'I speak to them with my mind, or through my eyes, my heart or my soul, and I see that they understand and answer me.' Tippi is the daughter of French filmmakers and wildlife photographers, Alain Degre and Sylvie Robert, who have captured her on film with some of Africa's most beautiful and dangerous animals. Tippi shares her thoughts and wisdom on Africa, its people and the animals she has come to know and love. Often her wisdom is beyond her years, and her innocence and obvious rapport with the animals is both fascinating and charming.

The Colonel's Stray Dogs

April 2021 •Arabic

In 1981, seven Libyan exiles formed the core opposition group to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Thirty years later, they are back to their country only to inherit the mess he left. The film is an intricate blend of rare first-hand accounts, propaganda archival material turned on its head, evocative cinematography and an untold history of a country.

Playing with Scorpions

June 1972 •English

Between 1950 and 1958, John Marshall made four expeditions to film the Ju/'hoansi (a group of !Kung Bushmen) of the Nyae Nyae region of Namibia (then South West Africa). During this time, Marshall shot over 300,000 feet of 16mm film (157 hours). He later produced a total of 23 films exclusively from this footage. In this short film, children tempt fate by playing with scorpions.

The Great Horsemeat Scandal

December 2024 •English

This stranger than fiction crime thriller tells the hidden story of the Horsemeat Scandal. With testimony from whistleblowers, the detectives who cracked the case and journalists who uncovered how horsemeat ended up in our high street stores, it’s an outlandish tale that changed what we eat forever.

Ghostland: The View of the Ju'Hoansi

November 2017 •German

Remember the culture clash in THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY? This time it's real. One of the most ancient cultures on our planet is undergoing a major change. The Ju/Hoansi Bushmen in Namibia are not allowed to hunt anymore and need to converge with our so called “civilized” lifestyle. For the first time the Ju/Hoansi Bushmen travel through the Kalahari and then right into the heart of Europe. What starts as a look at their fascinating culture becomes an even more fascinating look at our Western lifestyle. A warm and humorous reflection of our habits through the eyes of people who are about to give up their million year old traditions.

Der Sturm aufs Kapitol - Ein amerikanisches Trauma

January 2022 •German

January 6, 2021 marks a turning point in U.S. history. The storming of the U.S. Capitol brings the United States to the brink of a political abyss. An angry, armed mob invades the Congress building to prevent Joe Biden from being officially confirmed as the winner of the 59th U.S. election and thus becoming the 46th President of the USA. The lie about Donald Trump's stolen election victory explodes into violence, five people die in the heart of U.S. democracy. The attackers' actions are documented almost completely, as is the helplessness of the security forces. Since then, most of the perpetrators have been identified and charged. But the rift in society continues. Many Republican congressmen remain with Trump, a renewed candidacy for the presidential election in 2024 is still possible. The attack on the U.S. Capitol leaves a shock with all convinced democrats. How could it possibly come this far? This documentary tries to reconstruct and analyze from very different perspectives.

Tough Enough

January 2009 •French

Tough Enough, is a 400 meter climbing route in the Tsaranoro Valley in Madagascar. This film shows the first climb by Arnaud Petit, Stéphanie Bodet, Sylvain Millet and Laurent Triay of this route in 2008.

Born Free - Filhos da Revolução

November 2015 •Portuguese

This Violent World

August 1976 •Italian

An attempted exposé of worldly violence using various scenes of graphic human and animal behaviors.

Mammy Water

January 1953 •French

"Mammy Water" is mother sea, source of food. Jean Rouch filmed this short documentary in the Gulf of Guinea, in Ghana, where is held a colorful festival, the Chama, in which the participants offer cassava, gin and tobacco to the spirits of water and sacrifice a white ox to thank them and express their gratitude and respect.

Wilder Planet Erde - Afrika Gorillas

June 2011 •German

Gangbé!

April 2015 •French

The Gangbé Brass Band, a musical group from Benin, sets out to conquer Lagos, capital of Nigeria.

The Rhythm of My Life: Ismael Sankara

March 2011 •English

Follows in an unconventional way the journey of 'ISH', a former Miami based rapper, who traveled to Africa to visit family. Little did he know that Libreville Gabon would be the place where the project of his dreams would fall on his laps. Against all expectations the alchemy born between him and 2 local beat-makers would lead to the making of a potential first album. Written and Directed by Marc A. Tchicot and Franck A. Onouviet, the film captures glimpse of great encounters and musical moments between people from opposite backgrounds driven by the same passion: music. 'The Rhythm of my life' belongs to the new generation of short films, which combine fiction and documentary style. Deeply grounded in the line of non formatted and guerrilla style independent projects, the rhythm of my life set a different direction for film-making in Gabon and Africa.

Héroes Anónimos

December 2018 •Spanish

Pirates: Threatening Global Trade

April 2016 •French

The French researcher Bertrand Monnet visits pirates in Nigeria and Somalia to learn how they make money from oil theft and kidnapping.