From the APS special envoy, Fatou Kiné Sène
Madrid, June 6 (APS) – The president of the ”Mujeres por África” (Women for Africa) Foundation, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, praised the power of cinema which, according to her, allows, in the framework of the ”Ellas son cine” festival, to ”bring closer” Madrid, the Spanish capital, to the ”realities of the African continent”.
”It is particularly significant to screen African cinema here in Madrid. In a context where hate speech unfortunately circulates at a high frequency, these projections allow us to bring the realities of the African continent closer to our city by promoting understanding and empathy,” she said.
María Teresa Fernández de la Vega spoke at the opening of the ”Ellas son cine” festival (June 4-8).
She says she is honored to organize the 12e edition of this festival which shows that ”cinema has the power to unite us, to open our eyes and our hearts, and to help us discover the world from new and enriching angles”.
”Ellas son cine” brings together the Madrid public every year in the legendary Berlanga room, named after a Spanish director.
This year, the festival will screen films from Tunisia, Morocco, Cameroon, Rwanda and Senegal.
These films, says María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, ”reflect the diversity of the African continent”.
They not only tell “varied stories”, but also show “the cultural and linguistic richness that characterizes Africa”, she stressed.
”’Ellas son cine’ is firmly committed to giving visibility to all regions of the continent,” she added.
In twelve years, the festival has screened 62 feature films and seven short films from 24 African countries, according to the president of the Women for Africa Foundation.
”Each edition has been a journey through the cultural and linguistic diversity of African cinema, showing us the many facets and richness of their societies,” underlined the former vice-president of the Spanish government.
She congratulated the filmmakers for “sharing their visions”, but also the public for their constant support and enthusiasm.
The ”Ellas son cine” festival, organized every year in Madrid, is the main audiovisual project of the ”Women for Africa” Foundation, which, according to the event’s curator, Guadalupe Arensburg Caellas, considers that this area is of particular importance.
The promoters of the cinematographic meeting are “convinced that audiovisual plays a very important role in the transformation of societies, especially in breaking the models that obstruct equality between men and women”, explained María Teresa Fernández de la Vega.
She thinks that women are the engine of development in Africa, and of cinema too.
The Women for Africa Foundation, which works with African women, is headed by María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, the first woman to serve as vice-president of a Spanish government.
In 2023, this Spanish foundation opened an office at the Instituto Cervantes in Dakar, headed by Antonina Cupe, its digital manager.
FKS/ASG/ESF
