Program Guide - Cleveland International Film Festival

104 FILMS A – Z [I–K] The 37th Cleveland International Film Festival
GREG GUND MEMORIAL
STANDING UP FILM COMPETITION
PAN-AFRICAN IMAGES
NESNADNY + SCHWARTZ
DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION
In the Shadow of the Sun
Directed by Harry Freeland
UNITED KINGDOM, USA, TANZANIA 2012
85 minutes
Monday, April 8 Tuesday, April 9
2:05 PM I Code INTH08 6:25 PM I Code INTH09
Wednesday, April 10
11:50 AM I Code INTH10
In April 2006, a 35-year-old albino woman was murdered in
Tanzania after witch doctors spread the belief that an albino’s
skin and body parts could bring fortune and good luck. After
that, everything changed for the estimated 170,000 Tanzanians
born with albinism. Already facing rejection from their own
families and being killed at birth, albinos in Tanzania are now
battling an ever-increasing murder rate due to superstitions
among the uneducated populace. IN THE SHADOW OF THE
SUN chronicles two stories of survival and the search for security
in a world where human beings are being ridiculed and
hunted with full public knowledge. Young Vedastus is a student
who receives constant threats and scorn and moves to an
island in Lake Victoria where albinos have made a retreat.
Josephat is a strong-willed family man looking to blaze a trail
to acceptance for his fellow albinos by bravely speaking to the
villagers where the murders are taking place. Tracking these
two and more over the course of five years, IN THE SHADOW
OF THE SUN is a remarkable documentary of a civil rights
movement resembling our own from the 60s. Powerful and
heartbreaking, uplifting and hopeful, this is a film about people
referred to as “ghosts” and the strength of their spirit.
(In Swahili with subtitles) —T.W.
Producers~Harry Freeland, Johanna Wise, Martin Webb, Brian Hill
Cinematography~Harry Freeland Editing~Ollie Huddleston
Print Source~Dogwoof / vesna@dogwoof.com / www.dogwoof.com
Informant
Directed by Jamie Meltzer
USA 2012
82 minutes
Friday, April 12 Saturday, April 13
8:50 PM I Code MANT12 2:45 PM I Code MANT13
Sunday, April 14
4:40 PM I Code MANT14
Activist Brandon Darby started off as a hero in some people’s
minds. Affiliated with the revolutionary Black Panther party, he
viewed the government as an obstacle to peace. He co-founded
the Common Ground Collective after Hurricane Katrina, providing
aid to struggling residents. But the charismatic Texan
switched horses mid-stream. INFORMANT digs into the inner
recesses of Darby’s mind and interviews those who knew him
best—or thought they did. Post-Katrina, Darby went looking
for monetary assistance in Venezuela, where shady agents tried
to involve him in drug-running. Afraid of being kidnapped, he
hooked up with the FBI—and found his new calling as an
informant. When a young leftist group planned disruption of
the 2008 Republican National Convention, Darby turned them
in. Friends were shocked by this betrayal; he says he didn’t
want people to get hurt. Now a Tea Party darling, Darby basks
in applause on the public speaking circuit. He’s still a hero—
just in other people’s minds. —B.B.
Producers~George Rush, Steve Bannatyne Cinematography~Frazer Bradshaw
Editing~John Kane
Print Source~Jamie Meltzer / songpoemcd@yahoo.com / www.informantdoc.com
About the Director~Jamie Meltzer is a documentarian who has made TV programs
and short films. He teaches documentary film and video production in the Art
Department of Stanford University. Filmography~“Welcome to Nollywood”
(2007), INFORMANT (2012)
About the Director~Based in the United Kingdom, Harry Freeland notes that his
love of Africa has led him to direct, produce, and shoot films in over 16 countries.
His passion is for human-interest, observational, and issue-based stories.
Filmography~IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN (2012)
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