Motherland (2010 film)

Motherland
Motherland
Directed by	Owen 'Alik Shahadah
Written by	Owen 'Alik Shahadah
Produced by	Betelihem Zelealem;
Starring	Kimani Nehusi; Molefi Kete Asante; Maulana Karenga; Mohamed Ibn Chambas; Amiri Baraka; Hakim Adi; Meles Zenawi; Jacob Zuma; Adama Samassekou; Haki R. Madhubuti;
Music by	Sona Jobarteh; Ocacia;
Distributed by	Halaqah Media Distribution Co.
Release date	February 11, 2010;
Running time	118 minutes
Country	United States
Languages	English; Amharic; Zulu; Arabic; Akan; Hausa;
Budget	$2.5 million

Template:Contains Ethiopic text Motherland (እናት ሀገር ˀənatə hägär) is a 2010 independent documentary film directed and written by Owen 'Alik Shahadah.^[1] Motherland is the sequel to the multi-award winning film 500 Years Later.

Synopsis

Motherland is an epic documentary about the African continent from Ancient Egypt to the present. It is an overview of African history and contemporary issues but with the African people at the centre of the story. It is one of the first Pan-African features to be made.

Awards

2011 Nominated Best Diaspora Documentary African Movie Academy Award (2011)^[2]
Best Documentary Zanzibar International Film Festival (2010)^[3]
Best Board of directors award for Documentary Pan-African Film Festival (2010)^[4]

Cast

The cast features key figures from the African political world.

Barack Obama stock footage from visit to Africa
Harry Belafonte^[5]
Rohan Marley, son of Bob Marley and member of the Rastafari Movement
Amiri Baraka
Abdulkadir Ahmed Said, Somali filmmaker
Maulana Karenga
Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa
Frances Cress Welsing
Molefi Kete Asante
Kimani Nehusi
Chen Chimutengwende, Minister of Information and Publicity Zimbabwe
Omowale Clay
Meles Zenawi, late Prime Minister of Ethiopia
David Commissiong
Ali Mazrui
Mohamed Ibn Chambas, President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission
Haki R. Madhubuti
Hakim Adi
Nicole Lee, TransAfrica Forum
Tsedenia Gebremarkos
Zanele Hlatshwayo, Mayor of Pietermaritzburg
Gamal Nkrumah, son of Ghana's first President Kwame Nkrumah
Jeff Radebe, African National Congress
Hakim Quick
Didymus Mutasa, ZANU-PF
Abune Paulos, Patriarch of Ethiopian Orthodox Church
Esther Stanford
Kwesi Kwaa Prah
S'bu Ndebele
Ali Moussa Iye, UNESCO
Adama Samassékou
Desmond Tutu (deleted by directors)

5.1 surround

Motherland is one of the only African documentaries to be mixed in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. A technology which is usually associated with Hollywood big production films. The producers claim to have innovated a new way of mixing music in 5.1 for film which they call split positioning.^[6]

References

^ British Council
^ AMAA Nominees and Winners 2011, AMA Awards website Archived March 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
^ Motherland wins Best Documentary at ZIFF 2010 Archived August 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^ Motherland wins at PAFF 2010 Archived February 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^ Motherland Filming photo Shahadah and Belafonte
^ Motherland trivia

External links

[britishcat-1] British Council

[2] AMAA Nominees and Winners 2011, AMA Awards website Archived March 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

[ziff2010-3] Motherland wins Best Documentary at ZIFF 2010 Archived August 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

[paff2010-4] Motherland wins at PAFF 2010 Archived February 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

[harry-5] Motherland Filming photo Shahadah and Belafonte

[5.1-6] Motherland trivia

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