For the second year in a row, the spring season will bring the European Film Festival back to Lesotho with screenings and activities organised between 26 and 28 October 2023 at the Alliance Française of Maseru.

With the support of the respective Delegations of the European Union in South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho, the Embassies of EU Member States and European Cultural Institutes, the festival has included programmes in the Kingdoms of Eswatini and Lesotho since 2022.

The three-day European Film Festival offers an exciting line up of Academy nominated and award-winning films. The diverse offering of dramas, documentaries and comedies will give local audiences an opportunity to discover European and Euro-African productions that are rarely presented in the region.

Several filmmakers and professionals in the sector have expressed excitement with the return of the festival, as it provides a much-needed opportunity for exchange and peer-to-peer learning, notably with a planned workshop.

Last year, the festival in Maseru showcased a landmark film from Lesotho. The Mountain Kingdom’s first-ever submission for the Oscar for Best International Feature, "This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection” was screened on opening night in the presence of some its protagonists.

The 2022 festival also included a Film Director’s Symposium hosted remotely by Serbian Academy award nominated director Stefan Arsenijević.

Seven films that explore the theme of transition as a response to change, and of managing it will be screened during the Lesotho leg of the festival for 2023. The film line-up includes Spanish entry for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, “The Good Boss” starring Javier Bardem as well as French-Mauritanian film “Timbuktu” directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, which won two awards at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

Both “Mikado”, a Romanian-Czech film and “Parents Versus Influencers” unpack the complicated relationship between fathers and their daughters.

Another film selected for this year is “Mama Africa”, a biography of Miriam Makeba that uses rare archival footage and features performances, interviews, and scenes from her life in exile to explore the different facets of her renowned musical journey. “Rookies”, directed by Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai, is an immersive exploration of the journey of Parisian high school students as they train to become professional dancers while also aiming to complete their A-levels.

“We are pleased to be partnering for the second time with the EU Delegations in South Africa and Eswatini to bring a selection of European and international films to audiences in Lesotho. “We are committed for the European Film Festival to become a tradition in the Mountain Kingdom. It is part of the objective to facilitate cultural exchange and dialogue between Lesotho and Europe”, says EU Head of Delegation, Ambassador Paola Amadei. “The films selected this year reflect on the theme of Transition as a response to change and managing it – a theme we believe is apropos in these uncertain times”, she adds. “Beyond presenting new films, the programme includes a workshop facilitated by Zornitsa Sophia from Bulgaria, the director of the film “Mother”, which will open the Festival. The workshop is a tremendous opportunity for Lesotho’s filmmakers and professionals in the sector to engage with each other, share knowledge and strengthen partnerships,” she continues.

Opening Film

This year’s opening night film, “Mother”, will transport audiences to both Bulgaria and Kenya.  Inspired by the true story of remarkable theatre director and cultural activist Elena Panyatova’s desire for motherhood as a different way to be a ‘mother’, “Mother” addresses the universally relatable subject of barrenness and challenges the pervasive traditional notion of motherhood. Directed by female director, Zornitsa Sophia, this piece is sure to challenge audiences’ perceptions on the subject as it delves deep into the heart, and hidden truths of this lonely emotional battle and coming into acceptance.

Mother continues to bag a number of Film Awards around the globe, most recently taking home the Best Feature Film Award at the popular Vukorva Film Festival in Croatia. Also notable is Mother’s submission as Bulgaria’s official entry to the Academy Awards 2023. Although, it was disqualified sadly because it was deemed to contain more than the 50% limit of the English language, its consideration is testament to the calibre of this moving film.

Screening and contact details

Festival screenings will take place at the Alliance Française at the Corner of Kingsway Road and Pioneer Road in Maseru from 26 to 28 October 2023. Visit the Lesotho tab on www.eurofilmfest.co.za for film synopses, trailers and the screening schedule, or contact +266 2232 5722 for more information.