Cinema of Africa

It's a revenge thriller where a mother turns into a ruthless vigilante, tracking down and drowning a soldier who has killed her baby, in an explosion of violence and jubilation.

Somali film-maker Khadar Ahmed won the top prize at the Fespaco film festival in Burkina Faso on Oct. 23 for "The Gravedigger's Wife", which he wrote and directed.

The 40-year-old was not at the ceremony to receive the Golden Stallion award, but his work beat 16 other African films to the top prize. The films in competition were made by directors from 15 different African countries.

Movies by female directors from around the Middle East and North Africa will be the focus of this year's MENAR Festival, the organizers have said.

Between January 14 and 31, the festival will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, with films to be screened at Cinema House, Europe Cinema, G8 Cultural Center, the Czech Center, Pancho Vladigerov Museum and the Cervantes Institute.

BELGRADE - An exhibition entitled Great Figures of African and Caribbean Cinematography will be opened at the French Institute in Belgrade on March 12.