Project Detail

When China Met Africa

Marc Francis

Synopsis

A historic gathering of over 50 African heads of state in Beijing reverberates in Zambia where the lives of three characters unfold. Mr Liu is about to buy his fourth farm; Manager Li is upgrading one of the country's longest roads and the Zambian Trade Minister is on route to China to secure millions of dollars of investment. Through the intimate portrayal of these characters, a global shift in power from west to east is laid bare.

Details

Year: 2011
Type of film: Features
Running time: 74 mins
Format: HDCAM
Director: Nick Francis, Marc Francis
Producer: Nick Francis, Marc Francis, Miriana Bojic Walter
Editor: Hugh Williams
Director of Photography: Marc Francis
Sound: Nick Francis
Composer: Florencia Di Concilio

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Speakit Films

Shed Workspace 2,
8 Lee Street
London
E8 4DY

distribution@speakit.org

Visit Website

www.speakit.org

Sales Company

Speak-it Films

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A landmark feature documentary about astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle. Eileen’s incredible journey starts with her smalltown beginnings, sees her smash through many glass ceilings, and culminates in four dramatic space shuttle missions, the last being possibly the most dangerous and most important of them all. At its heart the film is the moving human drama of one family, where a mother’s extraordinary career takes us straight to the big philosophical question of what is the level of acceptable risk in human endeavour? This film celebrates Commander Collins’ trailblazing NASA career which opened the way for women to become spacecraft pilots and commanders, and proved a perfect riposte to a previous generation of male astronauts who thought there was no place for women to lead the way in space. Official Selection DOC NYC 2024 - World premiere Official Selection CPH:DOX 2025 - European premiere

Woman Director

Dame Janet Suzman Chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles protesting outside the British Museum in 2021.

The Marbles

Director: David Nicholas Wilkinson

Year: 2025

The controversy surrounding the Parthenon Marbles centres entirely on their initial acquisition and their current location in the British Museum. In 1983, when she became the Minister for Culture of Greece, the esteemed actress and politician Melina Mercouri reignited Greece’s argument that they were illegally removed from the Parthenon temple in Athens by Lord Elgin. The British Museum has consistently affirmed the legality of its acquisitions and that they are better and more securely preserved and appreciated in London. In the past, it has been stated that the sculptures are an essential part of its wider world collection, which enables visitors to understand both the full cultural and historical context of ancient Greece. Greece asserts that the sculptures are integral to its national identity and historical narrative, and that only their reunification with the remaining Parthenon artefacts in Athens can provide the fullest, most complete, and meaningful context for their display. With both sides standing firm on their positions, the debate remains unresolved. THE MARBLES advocates for reunification in what has become the art world’s most pressing issue.

History