ears, leyha mont, saint maria, and i wanted to show that i was re appropriating this black female body and showing that it was a body like any other body. a body that spoke on that questioned that denounced her bet, spoke of fulfilment of injury, of fragility. but also above all of strength, more of strength and of resilience. samuel c. c o. 2 the for the, the foster interview. and that's how i started photography with nancy. don't gazande kumasi off of the lassie. your work has been exhibited all over the world. it's recently even been included in the permanent collection of the mama in new york. so congratulations on that i'm. i'm just interested because you have very much a pan african focus as opposed to a focus on your own particular culture. is that deliberate? yes sir. marcy as jose because i'm african pasco, but also because i believe that for me,

the fact of having left very early the distance brought me even closer to my continent to mother earth. neither glenfield and that made it a well photography allowed me to reconnect with africa full thought as she map bear me off as a tug or if he also allowed me to reconnect with myself to ask him about it. maybe not as a 100 percent african but as a woman of the world who lives us, i don't like to say between 2 worlds and them, but rather really one foot in africa and one foot in the west and piano. and that for me is a huge privilege, because i think i can do a lot here. who being here for africa hostage, a profound book would assume is see if i've seen all african. i just want to open up to, to the rest of our panelists because to have your thoughts on, on what role arts and artists can play as an engine for social change in as a filmmaker. how does that apply?

well, i think that over the course of history in human existence, i artists have said, have been the a vanguard, you know, will provided on the roadmap. so society and i don't see that road changing in, you know, i, i think that as artist is that our job to point out to society, our society is to do the right direction. you know, so i strongly still believe that i as artists, we have varies big responsibility, you know, to, to sort of showed the way, you know, but of our work is they could in a mirror to the society. and then also pointing to the direction that we should go and reflecting that was the difficulties you've also spoken of quite the difficulties, bobby, back over to you because you gander is also making its debut in venice this year. your thoughts, for instance, i mean, i'm sure governments to

a certain degree are finally realizing what an important platform that can be. it's a question of course as to as to who gets selected. but your thoughts on, on the role of arts and artists for social change and for some feeding these dreams of the national identity, that, that is, is self confident. that thank you. i will not be fuss on my from e k. i am indeed like it has been said by our forefathers that i to said the mirrors of. so fatty, we are the roof. sions of what's happening in society, both ah, vocally and visually. so we are this fox people of society. but in the same way we can be the chief miss, represent us of the fair to i'm glad you mentioned that. recently, governments are noticing the power of art and particularly in uganda is a very big budget that is put aside to compromise artists and have them meet,

represent the voices of society. and you can blame that to the rise of artists like myself. um, now this fear that maybe sooner or later another artist is gonna pop up and do this him or even more. so the power of art has been realised. it has been realised by the forces of evil. so i think is fe time are the forces of good also realize how best and how important at these and use it. go forward. what's good? yeah, stella, your thoughts? yeah, i'm all the time i. i felt better after it's soft power and it is going on me slowly and it's making change all the time. and, and we have those who are the dictatorship in our country. whenever we need to make any event or to organize for any event,

it's related to culture. so we have to take that mission from the security and that way they are have that fear from the culture and from the us because it's chain mice of people. it's raise awareness, it's met, people ask questions, big questions about themself. it's left the people that having that could be because thinking about their situation and they can analyze what is going on here. so and our leadership and our dictate that she don't like people to make that thread of their, of that awareness so may be to resist them. so that's why they are against us. yeah, he can't just another question to you because from your point of view is that, is it being taken seriously enough in a place like nigeria? i mean, how important is recognition at international events, for instance,

like you had yourself at the vienna, at the belly, neither in berlin or the, or the vietnam, the frankfurt book fair. and do those kinds of events. and the recognition that you can achieve their do they generate more support at home? yeah, they generate a lot of support at home. again, the, the, the, the job for us as creatives from africa, from west africa, especially from nigeria. 8 to show what is possible. and to show that people can dream from wherever they are, you know, and i was born in my village, they moved pretty much most i left my mother when i was 13, you know, and if i can dream, i think is important to promote it. so that other people can learn as well that they can also join. i'd like to after speaking to my 4 panelists here on the stage for quite some time. now we do have another special guest in the audience who is no

stranger to our global media forum. and i'd like to go over and see him now big and gets his thoughts. i would like you to give a warm round of applause and welcome to akin body. i can be more than that. i forgot best known photographer born in od with nigerian rule is a self professed wandering ambassador between cultures. and this is really very much a philosophy. you can see here in the pictures of his work behind his work, he's also a recipient. we're very proud of this of germany's prestigious goods of metal back in 2016. and here he is. next to me i came by the it's so nice to see you again. thank you for joining us here in von. i just, i to, to ask you, what are your thoughts after hearing to your colleagues after listening to your colleagues here on the panel about the impact that art can have. see it's potential for, for social change to day in iraq. i thought so really,

very young sort of for i've been revitalized so to speaker, so very, very happy or i went to her today really very, very good or for your questions to as well. and um, yeah, it's, we are moving in moving forward and hopefully upward as well. and things will improve eventually. it's interesting because we're seeing a lot in, ah, europe, that there is a lot more focus being put on the artist as activist. ah, even at the documentary, for instance, ends end africa being, being more included at the be another, maybe not as much as we'd like. what do you see? you see the necessary to see momentum heading in the right direction? that is, for instance, different from when we, when we 1st spoke, when you and i 1st met them, the momentum have increased. yes, getting more and more. but it has been there even before, i would say from the 60s, seventies, eighty's bobby wine mention fella. but as also, i'm writers,

filmmakers from all over the continent and their mom were coming up. so it's really a very good time. and from the continent, these are really beautiful things are moving and also mentioned the works traveling . this is, this is a wonderful, a wonderful our sort of in the image because you exhibit all over the world, your works travel widely, but so do you yourself, you cheats you to re, to widely. and you were just there on the jury for a photography prize yesterday. what are the dreams and aspirations of young artists that you encounter around the world in your classes? what, how and how you try to inspire them they want to achieve? and then we, we, there are the mentors. the teachers are the facilitators. we really try to encourage them. um, it's, it's, it's for many of a very tougher, especially as a creative person, a young person. you, i mean, you earn very little, but we really encourage them. and um, it's step by step,

moving forward or one thing i really want to stress. you have to be passionate about what you're doing, which you are. and also, um they do, they should do research. so you are, you can literally or be creative about anything you want it to be a cooking for the graphing butterflies, but do it with a real passion and with really intent and research. and then you comfort collection, and are they actually most of the people that you're talking about, for instance, if you've got some, some people in your mind, are they, are they hoping to make it at home? i mean, they want to achieve the or are they being forced with this, with this a tough decision of do i have to have a fee? do i have to leave? i have to go somewhere elsewhere though, where this possibly better conditions the majority of stay. okay. this is something people who don't be fully realize messages are getting through. oh definitely. and most human being still where they were born or their region in their car on their continents. and this is better than much the case um and um,

shipment being the like plants. and so we have roots. so as a router, very much a where you are born or where you go up. so we grow up and then up again, and now it's much, much easier, especially the digital age of social media thought. so you can really do your research works of survey important to be bay grounded. and then up you grow a or someone you talk about research. research is really are up your daily bread. you're constantly travelling all over the place on the capital cities and metropolis is of africa. i really your, your are stomping ground interest in contemporary art, as i just mentioned earlier from africa has dramatically increased also within africa itself. your so often in places like by michael laggers, air cigale. can you tell me, do you see positive developments there in terms of the actual i do infrastructure and support for aught on location. um i do see um for the 2 um things to to,

to encourage um younger artists in some countries is much less. yeah. other countries is more we're talking. you have an a huge continent. yeah. we've had been coming before. so um i was just last year in november in compiler in bobby wines. oh, oh oh town. and they you know, to said the encouragement is not very, very strong. especially for those who really want to be creative and a critical of what is happening on the ground exam. but um it's, it's, it's growing, is it costs of growing or is it pushed up or all the time and trying to yeah, to move forward and upwards. as well, and there isn't there's, there's growing inspiration, narrow my now, hearing very much, very much. one thing i must see is the music scene is very, very dynamic and vital all over the continents are well done. boyar really, very well done. thank you very much for those insights. i can i can and, and i've got a wine for one infrastructure that has achieved global importance.

and of course, a claim is the nigerian film industry. it's better known as natalie wood. and i will take a quick virtual trip to lagos, just to learn a little bit more about it. lay ghost, the heart of nigeria, still brandt. and normally would, as it's called, is the world's 2nd largest film industry. after india's folly wait with stories from people's daily lives, whether it's feature films or complex animations. normally what has long spread out from the african market. the big players enable them to reach an international audience. netflix has shifted its focus to nigerian series and blockbusters and appetizers for natalie would productions fizzy. so this is niger mm. eke is looking at

me, knows the next coming question is coming to him, the streaming giants have discovered the massive potential of the african market. we are all aware of this. anybody who has an amazon prime or netflix account sounds like a good time to be a filmmaker in nigeria? yes. if i'm, yeah it's, it's a. yeah, i'm in it's nigeria. a still an emerging market in all facets, but it's actually a wonderful time to be a filmmaker right now in the jury. there's so much that is available now. first of all, the social media, for instance, has kind of democratized filmmaking. it's the retelling. use in motion picture has sort of ticking a totally different dimension. and then i've been studying for quite a bit. and i noticed that in the near future amused that generated content is actually going to lead on the way. because with most people have in smartphones,

and if we're able and part of what we've been involved this teaching how to use smartphones too to tell stories. so basically smartphone filmmaking, it's something that was developed in your actually giving workshops then. so yeah, the magic of social media, let's at that sir. iq i just mentioned, i know that it has made a huge difference. can you tell us just what social media has meant for the impact of, of your arts in your particular situation, where i'm talking about social media. it has been actually the media outlet goes, i'm talking to you. i'm standing here as an abolished artist battle on where my music is abolished. i'm not supposed to stage a concert and neither is my music supposed to play on radio or tv. but social media has been our biggest far platform of communication. unfortunately, all a saw on facebook is now banned in uganda, and he switched out since the election. however, somehow does the young people,

especially, are due to their creativity, the money to bipartisan abandon, the trade will come to use them. he really is a now either platform. so social media is not just a major platform, but them only way that young people communicate since adam may be as that god and that certain forms of, of art can actually get out there and, and reach your audience. yeah, social media transformed at. yeah. stella, you, your work has been hailed by critics, but also infrastructure and social media. little bit a little bit different, difficult in sudan, but you've been giving me a voice to, to this situation of exile and, and, and showing the realities of the one country to the other and living in exile here in germany. i know that your activism is even more urgent, so before we actually just get your opinion on that and how social media might be helping you, let's have a quick look at what you're doing. ah, stella gaetano,

started writing in elementary school. she writes about war to fleeing being displaced, but also about hope and great expectations for her home. stella has been fighting for freedom and democracy in sudan and south sudan for many years. ah, with other like minded people, she founded initiatives to support the lives of displaced persons and victims of violence with food donations. but also with the book donations. stella is convinced that with the right words the pen is mightier than the sword. since the project started in 202015000 books have been donated. when she fled car to men early 2020, to stella herself, donated around 700 books. the sudanese capital was no longer safe. she had been

threatened and arrested multiple times through the writers in exile scholarship program by the writers association pen. she has been living in common, a little town in north rine westphalia since march. but her children are still with her ex husband and sudan. she hopes that she can sing be reunited with her 3 boys in germany. i think every mother here in the audience is feeling with you right now and ask you how, how tough a tough iteration for you in exile as a mother. but also as an artist too, who has this ever intensifying in her call to change things? yeah. oh, what we are doing. it's really need to we supposed to be as strong because we know the consequences of that. and we really have clear vision

about what will happen if we are doing this or that. so like we were video bad enough about that to be ready though anything could happen. and also i meant it i and make my children in also already that i'm a mother in risk. so any time anything could happen to me. so you so foster depend on yourself and that make me strong and med them also is strong. so now we are, yes, going in very tough situation, but we can just go with that. your children are very strong indeed. i mean they even encouraged you like to get out why and they encouraged me, mom don't think about us to be, we'll be okay. so you can go on, be set somewhere and also what i'm really most now it's my

where we speak or, and that ground a was an active, this being that people on the ground and helping people have that initiative. so because i'm thinking that we supposed to break this chain somewhere to help bobby, to become that president we are dreaming about in africa. we supposed to where we had the dentist and that can help bobby some day. so that's why that's why i'm thinking about how we can help generation a store by tools that the supposed to make that self feed you kitchen, to be aware, to be open minded, to be a stronger in their soul and that in mind. so, as dreaming about countries, it's not enough, we have to work and we have to build our theft fitness,

then we can build our countries. that's why thirdly, support there. just one more quick question because you talked about your initiatives, what, what happens now? how can you support continue to support your various initiatives from here? you have 3 years now to, to be in germany, to, to basically reorient what, what's next? yeah. fortunate the when i, when i make this initiative, i was working with people and they are really very great volunteers and also i, i did that with them that i'm not, they need that, that need to be speak on on the yeah. on them and like doing that and big, i told them that every one of you is a leader and this is and you,

she did not mind. it is not my, my name, and it is for all people it is for you and for you and. and also they get people of sudan. they are like support this initiative by continued donation of books. so that way this initiative is not connected with me, but it's connected to that people and there that wheeling because they need that change, you will come, it'll education and self bobby wian. i know that your family has wished you would do it a number of times. i've never any thoughts of leaving. you're gonna have to worry elsewhere. yes and no, yes. and no. yes, because it's the best way to guarantee that out of their life. but no, because it would be a betrayal. betrayal, my sales people in your family, my people and it would not make practical sense at the end of the day. because the

tyrants that, ah rule of some countries in africa are empowered with national badges. they can be killed from any part of the wild and kill you and that very many stories of this im, so other than making it hard for my people, they'd rather kill me for more. my de one, make it expensive for my family to carry my body from wherever and take it back home. thus the vendors were born and swam, got buried at the end of the day. if you want to work, is there. yeah, yeah. your work is there. if you were to win the next election, what would you do to promote culture? what role would you give it in society? well, i would, yes. ensure that this freedom if this freedom coach or can flows lariche, you know, culture lake, all other trades. yeah, we just need freedom. you know, our art is not asking for anything from government. if the government cannot help

at the government, you just lit i to be an at will be yes, i can hear you are feeling those words. you talked about it, finding a way to let people dream in their own country. the idea is let people my great because they want to make great and not because they're being forced because they're being forced by economic circumstances or political issues and all of that that we young people of africa. we are tired of all of these old narratives about africa. we like what we said. there's no need to keep running away from the continent. we want to stay in the continent and fight if you know how many of us are there going to kill, you know, we want to fight it. we have 3 boys right now and they are growing up. i wonder the kind of nigeria that they would go into and it would, i would be very ashamed of myself if my boys grew up and meet

the same kind of things that were complaining about and either. yeah. and and, and it really a really, really fear for that day where do ask questions and it would be like that, what did you do about this, you know, did you just talk about it? and so we've stopped talking about things. we've gone with food it our, you know, sleeves and we're in the changes we're trying to make it work. it's not easy. but we know that we can again, the magic of the people. we just went to our week in the magic of the people and get this been done. basically, well supposed to work for t, a chin because really to shame. and i would like to say that we spent a lot of time in africa because we they didn't give us a chance to look for them, weren't problems. we just focused on our daily,

our yearly problems. and so for all this is stuff happening in africa. we need really to lift out and africa, we really contribute to the word problems. so we, we looking for that we need really to contribute to what does happen in the world and helping humanity in all the world. shaving to morrow now is the motto of our global media forum. and we've seen here we've heard today from 5 people who about the real potential and the boundless energy of that art for our to impact society. and to give young people a perspective such that they can actually have the choice of whether to stay or whether to stay in their countries and not be forced to leave. thanks to all of my panelists here for being here today, or jayla, bobby wyatt. hughes delegates arno and e k over here on my right to akin body in

the audience. and we're going to leave you with the sounds of our ghetto president here because i seem to think somebody has delivered an instrument. bobby, i'm just going to get up and we don't get to hear every day and we certainly don't take it for granted that we can help with ok. bottom line, ladies and gentlemen, i with a lot of people, i knew one know why with a

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