Mon 30 Oct | 18:30 | Rich Mix BOOK NOW

SACRED WATER
UK PREMIERE
Dir. Jourdain Olivier
Rwanda. 2016. 56mins. Kinyarwanda with English subtitles.

In the Western world, the female orgasm is often shrouded in mystery. Not so in Rwanda, where according to legend, the great Lake Kivu was formed by the orgasmic flow of a queen. Extravagant radio host, Vestine Dusabe, is on a mission to celebrate and revive the practice of Kunyaza – the female ejaculation. Vestine visits villages and gives lectures in schools, and even facilitates some on-air kunyaza performances in her bid to honour this sacred tradition. Olivier Jourdain’s cheeky, playful and light-hearted film is as warm as its subjects, who are quick to point out what Western ladies are missing out on.

Followed by a discussion and personal reflections on female sexuality with Victoria Uwonkunda, Siima Itabaaza, Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor and Eliza Anyangwe.

Siima Itabaaza is a writer working between Kampala and London. She has explored the works of artist Kerry James Marshall, Lisa Brice and Emory Douglas in her articles for The London Magazine and Flux Magazine. Dedicated to the arts and their power to influence development, Siima creatively engages with the intersectionalities that arise from the “post-colonial” experience.

Victoria Uwonkunda – Rwanda by creation. Kenya by circumstance. Norway by chance. UK by choice. Journalist with the BBC’s Focus on Africa.

Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor is a Nigerian-born writer and producer who works within the theatre and film worlds producing work that is both exceptional and that pushes boundaries. She was part of the BFI Flare Mentorship Scheme 2016, in which her mentor was Ben Roberts, head of the BFI Film Fund, she was also part of Filmonoics 2016 where her mentor was Stephen Kelliher, Director of Bankside Films. She is currently working on her third feature film with development support from the BFI Film Fund, to be directed by Baff Akoto. She currently runs Joi Productions, which aims at creating diverse content to reach a wide range of people, promoting entertainment and social issues.

Eliza Anyangwe is a Cameroon-born, London-based freelance writer, editor and moderator. Her work, covering international development, culture and gender, has been published in The Guardian and CNN International. Eliza is also the founder of The Nzinga Effect, a new web publication and annual event to celebrate African women’s stories. She tweets @ElizaTalks

Olivier Jourdain

Passionate about Visual Anthropology, I studied Filmmaking in London (Brunel) as well as Anthropology in Leuven (KUL), after receiving a Masters in Communication in Brussels, IHECS. My love for filmmaking and travelling has allowed me to discover various and interesting environments as an editor, director and cameraman. I have been traveling to Sub-Saharan Africa for over 15 years. Those numerous travels have changed my views on this vast and diverse continent. From Mali to Madagascar, the Congo, Ivory Coast and Rwanda, I have had the opportunity to make numerous documentaries and institutional films.

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