Documentary for the AlJazeera English series, Activate
Although Angola is Africa’s second-biggest oil producer, most Angolans live on less than $2 a day. Meanwhile, the country’s president and his ruling party have clung on to power for over three decades, gaining tight control of both the public and private sectors, and stifling dissent and protest.
But in 2011, inspired by the Arab spring, a protest movement broke out, led by young activists deeply rooted in the urban hip hop scene of the capital city, Luanda. This documentary tells the story of the birth of that movement.
Update: Three years after the making of this film, two of the main protagonists, Mbanza Hamza and Luaty Beirao, were among 17 arrested in a crackdown by the government. They were given lengthy jail sentences and are now in prison.
You can read more about the case here: https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/demand-release-of-luaty-beirao-and-angola15/
Director: Ana Naomi de Sousa
DOP: David Lale
Editor: Agnieszka Liggett
Producer: Hugh Hartford
Production Company: Banyak Films
Series Producer: Kashaf Chaudhry
Executive Producer: Flora Gregory