Two Generation Africa films selected for Berlinale 2022

Two feature-length documentaries from Generation Africa, a project by STEPS in South Africa in partnership with arte and supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and DW Akademie, have been selected at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, running February 10 – 20. No Simple Way Home, first film from South Sudan at the festival, by South Sudanese director Akuol de Mabior and No U-Turn, by Nigerian director Ike Nnaebue, will celebrate their world premieres in the Panorama strand of the festival. Both directors as well as protagonist Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior are expected to attend the festival.

In No Simple Way Home (Kenya / South Africa), first-time director Akuol de Mabior follows her mother Nyandeng. As South Sudan hangs in the balance of a tenuous peace agreement, Nyandeng prepares to become one of the country’s five vice presidents. Her mission is to safeguard the vision of her late husband, the First Vice President of Sudan and revolutionary leader John Garang, for the people of South Sudan, their country and her family. Her greatest fear is that John Garang along with millions of South Sudanese people died in vain. Her deepest yearning is for her children and the children of her compatriots to lead meaningful lives at home in South Sudan. But what does it mean to call this country home? No Simple Way Home is produced by award-winning filmmaker Sam Soko for LBx Africa and Don Edkins and Tiny Mungwe for STEPS (South Africa) and is the very first film from South Sudan to screen at the Berlinale.

With No U-Turn (Nigeria/ South Africa/ France/ Germany), Nollywood filmmaker Ike Nnaebue retraces a journey he made twenty-six years ago when he left Nigeria as a young man to try and reach Europe by road. He meets those who are taking the same trip today to search for a better life and, through conversations with them, tries to understand the aspirations of young people in West Africa. On his own journey, he returned because of the advice a stranger gave him. Why do other young men and women continue? With images of people lured into slavery and bondage along the routes in North Africa all over social media and the internet, most young people are aware of the dangers of travelling undocumented by road. Yet more and more women are joining the ranks of those who risk this journey. No U-Turn is Nnaebue’s first documentary and is produced by Okey Omeire for Passion8 Communications in Nigeria, Christilla Huillard-Kann for Elda Production (France) and Don Edkins and Tiny Mungwe for STEPS (South Africa).