What to Watch in Africa This September: Fantasy Comedies, Crime Documentaries, and Stirring Dramas

North Africa — By Amuna Wagner

Cairo Cinema Days (Egypt)

If you are in Cairo and you have had enough of the endless strings of summer comedies, Zawya Cinema’s Cairo Cinema Days are a refreshing alternative. Their well-curated indie programme brings back old gems like Egyptian Algerian actor and musician Ahmed Mekky’s The Seventh Sense, where a young gym teacher tries to commit suicide after a series of failures through his life, only to meet a voodoo man who gives him the power to read minds. Another recommendation is filmmaker and activist Bassam Mortada’s documentary Abo Zaabal 89, which tells the story of his father’s arrest, imprisonment, and torture, re-constructing and reconsidering the experience that traumatized and divided his family.

Mama w Baba (Egypt)

If you are still holding on to summer’s last carefree days, the new Egyptian film Mama w Baba by Ahmed El Keiy can give you some comedic relief á la Freaky Friday: A married couple’s peaceful family life descends into chaos when they wake up to a physical role swap. The wife transforms into a man and the husband into a woman, which leads them to discover new aspects of their marital relationship and their roles as parents to two children.

East Africa — By Paula Adhis

'One Woman One Bra' (Kenya/Nigeria)

In One Woman One Bra, Kenyan director Vincho Nchogu makes her feature debut with a drama about land, womanhood, and belonging. Set in the fictional village of Sayit, the story follows 38-year-old Star, whose claim to her home is jeopardized by the lack of legal kinship ties. Her situation is further complicated by the fact that she is an unmarried orphan.

When a childhood photo surfaces, Star suspects that a local food vendor might be her long-lost mother. Her search for identity becomes mixed with a desperate effort to retain her land, leading her to consider many questionable options.

Developed through Biennale College Cinema, One Woman One Bra is one of four micro-budget features selected for this year’s Venice Film Festival. It is also the first Nigerian-produced film to premiere at Venice, marking a milestone for producer Josh Olaoluwa and his Lagos-based company, Conceptified Media.

'Every Picture Needs A Frame' (Kenya)

Every Picture Needs a Frame is a short documentary by Kenyan filmmaker Lucy Chodota that explores the complex relationship between renowned American photographer Peter Beard and eight Kenyan artists who worked with him over six decades.

The film follows their artistic journeys back to Hog Ranch, a space once known for its creative energy and freedom but later marked by pain and disillusionment. Through their stories, the documentary reveals long-buried truths and raises urgent questions about artistic collaboration, equity, and recognition.

West Africa — By Nelson C.J

‘Over The Bridge’ (Nigeria)

Over The Bridge is the stellar drama from director Tolu Ajayi (Princess On A Hill, The Dead), which follows Folarin Marinho, who goes missing on his birthday, resulting in a search that peels back the struggles that surround his life. The film has been well-received, screening at the New York African Film Festival 2024. It’s a story that handles the psychological with the socio-economic with ample grace and agility. The film stars Ozzy Agu (Walking with Shadows, Banana Island Ghost, The Lost Okoroshi), Joke Silva (The Secret Laughter of Women, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Chief Daddy), and others.

Where to watch: Nigerian cinemas, from September 5.

‘The Fisherman’ (Ghana)

The Fisherman by Zoey Martinson (Restless City, Cupids) is a brilliantly constructed comedy that follows a man in a rural fishing village in Ghana, whose dream of buying a boat takes him on an unexpected but transformational journey and brings him in contact with unlikely characters, including his most trusted companion — a talking fish. The Fisherman, which was officially selected at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, is made with incredible quality and from writing that sings, enlivens, and brightens the cultural landscape of everyday Ghana. The film employs comedy to expand the possibilities of storytelling, from its stellar cinematography to the slightly fantastical elements it incorporates. The film stars Adwoa Akoto (The Weekend Movie, Played and Betrayed), Ricky Adelayitar (Beasts of No Nation, Public Toilet Africa, Sidechick Gang), Endurance Dedzo, Andrew Adote, and others.

‘Amlan’ (Côte d’Ivoire)

In Amlan, a story of love and the desperation that can emerge from protection unfolds. Directed by O. Assi, the film follows Amlan, a governess who becomes the only safe space for the child she is looking after as her family topples into crisis. Amlan is forced, as the conflict surrounding her and the child explodes, to come to terms with how far she is willing to protect someone she has grown to love from the kind of tragedy that once plagued her. The film stars Prisca Pahi, Kaki Kouo, Franck Oumar Mady, and others.

Southern Africa - By Tseliso Monaheng

Gush’lyf (South Africa)

Gush’lyf – drawing from gusheshe, what BMW 325is cars are referred to in South Africa – is a new reality show that takes viewers into the high-octane world of car spinning, where the sport is a lifestyle and a stage for identity. The show follows four bold spinners as they prepare for the country’s biggest national showdown, balancing the thrill of the arena with the pressures of everyday life. Ngozi (Gift Zulu), Dankie Darlie, also known as the Queen of Smoke (Nalo Dzhivhuho), Poroza (Mpho Diloro), and Mzet, also called Moruti (Collie Golden), each brings their own story, ambition, and drive.

Black Gold (South Africa)

Nomalanga Shozi makes her debut in a leading role with the new daily drama Black Gold. She stars as Amandla Zungu, a young woman cast out of her ancestral home after being falsely accused of her father’s murder. Amandla must fight her way back from the perilous world of mining to reclaim her legacy and face the woman who destroyed her life. The cast includes SAFTA winner Dawn Thandeka King as Florence, Amandla’s scheming step-mother, and SAFTA nominee Sello Maake KaNcube as Tom Motsepe, Florence’s secret partner in crime. The drama also features Warren Masemola and Thulani Mtsweni, both SAFTA winners, along with Mbali Ngiba, known for The Real Housewives of Durban.

‘Beauty and the Bester’ (South Africa)

Beauty and the Bester is a three-part series that examines the rise and dramatic downfall of Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, once celebrated as a glamorous celebrity doctor and entrepreneur. Her carefully crafted image collapsed when her relationship with convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester was exposed, placing her at the heart of one of South Africa’s most sensational scandals. Beauty and the Bester retraces the events that gripped the nation in 2023. From staged celebrity appearances and lavish living to Bester’s shocking escape from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison, the story spiraled into chaos after a viral photo showed the pair shopping at Sandton City. What followed was a nationwide manhunt that ended with their arrest in Tanzania and extradition back to South Africa.

Where to Watch: Netflix