African identities

White Yet Black: International Albinism Awareness Day 2022

White Yet Black is a conversational piece with people with albinism in Southern Africa. Part documentary, part experimental film, White Yet Black is a poetic piece. The film attempts to highlight the experiences of people with albinism in the southern African region.

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2022

This Is Africa

The Disability Rights Programme at OSISA, in collaboration with OSISA’s Communications Unit, aimed support the development of an advocacy documentary that will help highlight the plight of People with Albinism in Southern Africa.

The intended documentary produced by renowned Zimbabwean Filmmaker Steven Chikosi who works with Incredible Media, will be a freely available tool for any organization or entity that seeks to engage their constituency or their governments on the plight of people with Albinism. It is intended to help citizens of the various countries in SADC to know more about the trials and tribulations that People with Albinism suffer in the various countries in southern Africa.

Additionally, it will be a tool that seeks to dispel the myths and misconceptions that abound about albinism which communities and schools can tap on to for purposes of raising awareness while challenging myths and misconceptions of people with Albinism. It will also be used as a useful comparative tool in taking stock what governments and other stakeholders have done, which others have not.

We interviewed Steven Chikosi on the making of the film.

White Yet Black official film poster

The stories in the film are complex, gut-wrenching, and inspirational at the same time. How did you arrive at the approach you took to amplify these stories? What do you want viewers to take with them when watching ‘White Yet Black’?

We sat down with different people with albinism from the different countries before filming and came to the conclusion that some would share common challenges, but each person had their varied individual experience. We wanted to give everyone a chance to tell their story in their own unique way. However, to bring everything together, we decided to find things everyone had in common, that would tie them together, that is they were all African, human and this is what we hope the viewers will take away … that beyond the differences in absence or presence of melanin we may have, we are all just the same.

Why do films of this nature matter?

Films of this nature have been told before and they have raised awareness no doubt. I think what is unique is Africans telling their own stories (from the Cast and Crew) and educating/raising awareness on an issue that affects fellow Africans.

What’s next for the film?

We would love for the film to be seen by a wider audience, to be used in learning institutions, and other organisations for advocacy. We are going to do a few initial screenings in Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe and hopefully other African countries it’s currently being submitted to film festivals where hopefully it will show to wider audiences.