Buddha in Africa
Buddha in Africa
Growing up
Nicole Schafer
South Africa, Sweden
2019
90min
Mandarin, Chichewa
Enock Alu is a teenager growing up in a Chinese Buddhist orphanage in Malawi who feels torn between his African roots and Chinese upbringing. With dreams of becoming a martial arts hero like Jet Li, Enock, in his final year of school, has to make some tough decisions about his future: Will he return to his relatives in his home village or study abroad in Taiwan? Set against China’s expanding influence on the continent, Buddha in Africa provides a unique insight into the forces of cultural soft power on the identity and imagination of children growing up between two cultures.
Projections:
Producer:
Nicole Schafer (Thinking String Media)
Co-producer:
David Herdies (Momento Film)
Editor:
Mary Stephen
Bernhard Winkler
Nicole Schafer
Catherine Meyburgh
Scriptwriter:
Nicole Schafer
Camera:
Nicole Schafer
Sound:
Ted Krotkiewski
Production info:
Thinking Strings Media, Momento Film
Distribution info:
CAT&Docs, Maelle Guenegues, maelle@catndocs.com, 18 rue Quincampoix, 75004 Paris France, +33144617748, www.catndocs.com
Festivals:
HotDocs Official Selection 2019
Sydney FF 2019
Encounters Documentary FF 2019
Durban Int FF 2019