Saturday 28 / 13.45
Dir: Paul Yule South Afrika, 2008, 54 min English
Black Star is a feature-length documentary film that pivots around the star-quality of Ghanaian Michael Essien – arguably the best midfielder in world football – as he, along with the other Black Stars, returns ‘home’ for the festival of African football that is Ghana 2008.
Black Star is the story of a shift in focus – from Latin America to Africa – and about the relationship between ‘home’ and ‘away’ for Africa’s footballers. Millionaire migrant workers in the UK; Trillionaire Heroes at home. And they are increasingly the brand ambassadors for Guinness, MTN, and Nike…so, who is exploiting who here? Are the Black Stars winning new respect for their troubled continent, enabling Europeans to see it in a new light? Are they the frontrunners of a renascent Africa taking its rightful place in the sun? Or is there, simply, a new extractive industry in operation here?
