Three short documentaries about creative, inspired responses to tough circumstances, from Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon. Hamsatu Izang sings out as she hammers rocks into small gravel pieces, to earn a living. Singing brings her a sense of joy and peace, she explains, amid this hard manual labour. But this Nigerian grandmother’s fortunes take a surprising turn when a music producer hears her song, and a whole new world opens up. ‘A Stone Crusher’s Song’ by filmmaker Dorcas Sheffy Bello observes Mama Hamsatu as she navigates her two very different realities, that of a life-long stone crusher and now a social media star, in the hope that her new success might bring lasting change. The Ujamaa Guerrilla Gardening Collective stands out in stark visual contrast to the surrounding sand dunes and tin shacks of Khayelitsha, a sprawling apartheid-era township outside Cape Town in South Africa. Guerrilla gardener Qaba Mbola has turned this windswept disused public space into a food forest for local residents. ‘Guerrilla Garden’ by filmmaker Omelga Mthiyane shows how this garden not only provides food but also an important sense of belonging. Residents plant, harvest, sell or exchange produce. They share food, seeds, compost and skills. They plan sustainable solutions to looming drought. This is a community built on the spirit of agency, self-help and action in the face of huge social and environmental problems. Hassan Mounpé stands out from the crowd in the markets of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. He is taking his peanut selling business to new and stylish heights and has plans for a bigger, better future. ‘Modern Peanuts of Cameroon’ by filmmaker Christelle Otse explores Hassan’s work, ambition, imagination and style, a man on a mission who sees the humble peanut as the source of a great potential enterprise.
