NEW MOON: Screening and Q&A with director Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann

As part of the ERC-funded project Screen Worlds we are delighted to welcome director Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann to screen and discuss her beautiful film NEW MOON. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with the director, chaired by Dr Amina Yaqin and Professor Lindiwe Dovey .

To register for this free event, please click on this link to visit the Eventbrite page .

In NEW MOON, filmmaker and photographer Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann embarks on a journey that takes her to the island of Lamu, Kenya. Her intentions are to make a documentary about the island's transformation from an obscure, predominantly Muslim stone town to a port city. The gigantic port project and coal plant are the external elements that threaten the rhythm of Lamu though the real disruption is revealed as we watch Ndisi-Herrmann confront a new spiritual awareness. Her search takes her to a woman called Raya and her young son, Ahmed. It is in their home that her narrative anchors and a more personal entry point begins. Fragments of Lamu life unfold like chapters in a book: a man scaling a fish, children bathing by a dock, a baptism, a visual diary of a woman not entirely sure of where she is headed with only her instincts guiding her. We see Ndisi-Herrmann tackle the contradictions of being a modern, liberal woman embracing Islam and grappling with the complexities of her chosen faith.

Awards

• Best Documentary at the Durban International Film Festival 2018.
• The Artistic Achievement Award in a Long Documentary at the Luxor African Film Festival 2018
• The Ladima Award for African Women Documentary Filmmaker at ZIFF 2018

Watch the trailer of NEW MOON .