Father Geek here posting Dr. SOTHA's report for this week. As usual Rigobert Song has a timely and indepth review for us this weekend. Sooooo, pour yourself another oversized cup of steaming Java, sit back and escape to the distant world that is African Cinema in this week's regular Africa-AICN Column...

Africa-AICN...

DR.SOTHA here and my heart goes out to all the folks who lost friends and family in the barbaric acts of violence that have plagued a great nation. Today South Africa, and the rest of the world observed a three minute respectful silence in honor of all who perished in the tragedy. As a Doctor, I find it quite poignant at how medical staff, firefighters and aid workers, among others, are working round the clock to save lives and rescue innocent victims. May God be with you. Miss Hollis and the rest of our fine staff send our deepest condolences.

On to the Africa-AICN column for this week…

SOUTH AFRICA

* Monsoon Wedding, which won the coveted Golden Lion Award for Best Picture at the 58th Venice Film Festival on Saturday, September 8, will be the closing night film at the Durban International Film Festival this year courtesy of Anant Singh's Videovision Entertainment. The film is directed by Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay, Mississippi Masala, Kama Sutra) who is the first woman and the first Indian to win the Venice Film Festival's top award in its fifty-eight year history. Nair who was described as a "visionary" by the head of the Venice jury, Nanni Moretti, played down the acclaim and commented, "I just wanted to explore something very personal, about my family and families in general, in a free way. I didn't expect anything from this film really. I wanted to make a small film, but I am so very happy to say that it has become big."

Monsoon Wedding chronicles the events surrounding an arranged marriage and the reunion of the Verma family in New Delhi for the wedding du! ring the monsoon season. The film traces five intersecting stories, each navigating different aspects of love as they cross boundaries of class, continent and morality. The film celebrates a contemporary India never before seen on screen. Monsoon Wedding is a fitting closing night film for the Durban International Film Festival as Mira Nair developed a special affinity for Durban when she lived in the city during a two year stay in South Africa.

"We are thrilled with the Golden Lion Award that Monsoon Wedding won in Venice and we intend to market the film with a similar campaign to the one we used with East Is East last year," commented Sanjeev Singh, Director of Acquisition, Distribution and Exhibition for Videovision Entertainment. Videovision Entertainment will also be providing the Durban International Film Festival with the Opening Night film, Lucky Break which will be presented by its star Olivia Williams on Monday, September 17. Lucky Break is a prison escape ! comedy with a musical twist. Directed by Peter Cattaneo, the Oscar-nominated director of international hit The Full Monty, it stars James Nesbitt (Waking Ned, ITV's Cold Feet), Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), Timothy Spall (Topsy-Turvy, Secrets and Lies) and Christopher Plummer (The Insider, 12 Monkeys). Videovision Entertainment will also provide the Durban International Film Festival with five additional films, including the Cannes Film Festival entry The Five Senses, Brother, Baise Moi, Bully and Long Night's Journey Into Day the documentary which is based on the Truth and Reconciliation hearings and which was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award this year.

"We are delighted to be continuing our association with the Durban International Film Festival," said Sanjeev Singh. "We have made a special effort to provide the Festival with a variety of genres of films this year and to have the South African premieres of six of our films at the Festiva! l. We will also be providing the Festival with an additional "surprise film" which will also have its South African premiere at the Festival. We also wish to thank the British Council for bringing Olivia Williams to the Festival to present "Lucky Break" at both screenings of the film at the Festival," he added.

The Durban International Film Festival begins on Monday, September 17 and ends on Sunday, September 30. The primary screening venue for the festival is the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre with special showings at the Berea Cine Centre and outreach screenings in township areas where cinema facilities are non-existent.

* Film producer Anant Singh last week presented the documentary, Nkosi – The Voice Of Africa’s AIDS Orphans, at the International Conference on Stigma and Global Health in Bethesda, Maryland in the United States. The documentary was made as a tribute to the extraordinary contribution made by Nkosi Johnson as the voice of Africa’s AIDS orphans. It was produced by Singh and directed and co-produced by human rights television stalwart, Danny Schechter of Globalvision in New York. Both Singh and Schechter spoke about the HIV-stigma that Nkosi fought against in South Africa, as well as Nkosi’s role in bringing to the fore the cause of AIDS orphans in Africa and around the world.

* Anybody want a stiff drink? The South African box office: The Jackie Chan / Chris Rock action spoof, Rush Hour II, went straight to the top of the South African box office in its first week, having made R3 602 820 (about the price of a nacho in North America – DR.SOTHA). It is followed by Planet of the Apes, Bridget Jones' Diary, The Wedding Planner and Swordfish. Shrek continues its hold on the box office at number six, having amassed a colossal R15 245 765 in its 11 weeks of release.

NORTH AFRICA

* Rigobert Song with some sad words:

My sincerest condolences go out to all who lost lives at the tragic terrorist attacks in America. I can’t even begin to comprehend the pain felt throughout the world at this time, and I only hope that through all this evil we will find peace and harmony once again. Hope is indeed alive when you watch how the freeworld has come together to help and rally around those who were victimized by these horrific acts of violence. The film I review today is about the search for racial accord and peaceful resolution, and how difficult it is to find it... but we will.

"James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket" - Directed by Karen Thorsen – Produced by Karen Thorsen, William Miles, Douglas K. Dempsey 87 minutes

James Baldwin (1924-1987) was at once a major twentieth century American author, a Civil Rights activist and, for two crucial decades, a prophetic voice calling Americans, black and white, to confront their shared racial tragedy. James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket captures on film the passionate intellect and courageous writing of a man who was born black, impoverished, gay and gifted.

James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket uses striking archival footage to evoke the atmosphere of Baldwin's formative years - the Harlem of the 30s, his father's fundamentalist church and the émigré demimonde of postwar Paris. Newsreel clips from the '60's record Baldwin's running commentary on the drama of the Civil Rights movement. The film also explores his quiet retreats in Paris, the South of Franc, Istanbul and Switzerland - places where Baldwin was able to write away from the racial tensions of America.

Writers Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, Ishmael Reed, William Styron and biographer David Leeming place Bladwin's work in the African-American literary tradition - from slave narratives and black preaching to their own contemporary work. The film skillfully links excerpts from Baldwin's major books - Go Tell it on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, Another Country, The Fire Next Time, Blues for Mister Charlie, If Beale Street Could Talk - to different stages in black-white dialogue and conflict. Towards the end of his life, as America turned its back on the challenge of racial justice, Baldwin became frustrated but rarely bitter. He kept writing and reaching in the strengthened belief that : "All men are brothers - That's the bottom line."

Here are some quotes that testify to the greatness of this film:

"Succeeds remarkably in getting into the mind and spirit of the most celebrated black writer of our time." -- The New York Times -- !

"A haunting, beautifully made biography…Deeply passionate…Makes you wonder about the other American masters in the ghettos and barrios who won't be able to beat the odds and break out." --Los Angeles Times

"A Splendid…Keen and careful...a beautifully structured format." --Variety

AFRICAN AMERICAN

* Meg Ryan will star in Paramount Pictures' "Against the Ropes," a biopic on the life of female boxing manager Jackie Kallen that will mark the feature directorial debut of actor Charles S. Dutton. The project is slated to go into production in mid-November. The studio is in active discussions with Elie Samaha to co-finance "Ropes" through his Franchise Pictures or Dante Entertainment, marking the first pairing between Samaha and Paramount. Written by Cheryl Edwards ("Save the Last Dance"), the project will see Ryan star as Kallen, a hard-nosed manager from Detroit who has guided the careers of several boxers, including former middleweight champion James Toney. She is now the commissioner of the International Female Boxers Assn.

* Blair Underwood, Mary McCormack and David Duchovny are close to joining Julia Roberts and Catherine Keener in Steven Soderbergh's "How to Survive a Hotel Room Fire" for Miramax Films. The closely guarded project is set to shoot in Los Angeles for three weeks in November on digital video and film. Although deals have not yet been signed for the three stars, sources confirmed that Underwood is in negotiations for the roles of Nicholas/Calvin, while McCormack and Duchovny have offers to play Linda and Gus, respectively. Deals for all three actors are expected to close shortly.

* Music and movie industry insiders are starting to run out of patience with Mariah Carey's physical breakdown. The Los Angeles Daily News claims Carey's breakdown so close to the release of her CD and film Glitter has upset many people who work with her. Carey is currently in UCLA Medical Center - last month she underwent treatment for a breakdown in New York. One insider says, "She might get a sympathy vote, but this is a business and everyone wants to back a winner; she no longer looks like a winner." Insiders blame Carey's breakdown on the disappointing sales of her single Loverboy. The insider says, "She's been on a incredible roll but then the single didn't do well, there was bad buzz on the movie. There's a lot of resentment towar! ds Mariah in the industry. Here is an artist who made it big with scant touring - there's a feeling she got a bit of a free pass because her ex-husband, Tommy Mottola, was the head of a record company."

DR.SOTHA REVO & OUT.