Forty years after its people were promised freedom by departing Spanish rulers, the Western Sahara remains Africa's last colony. While a UN-brokered ceasefire puts an end to armed hostilities in the territory in 1991, the Sahrawi people have continued to live under the Moroccan armed forces' oppressive occupation, and what peace exists in the area is fragile at best.

Today's young generation is deploying creative nonviolent resistance for the cause of self-determination. In doing so, they've had to persevere against a torrent of conflicting forces. While risking torture and disappearance at the hands of Moroccan authorities, they're also pushing back against those who have lost patience with the international community and are ready to launch another guerrilla war.

LIFE IS WAITING examines these tensions as it chronicles the everyday violence of life under occupation, giving voice to the aspirations of a desert people for whom colonialism has never ended.


Director
Iara Lee

Genre: Documentary

Date of Production: April 2015

Country of Production: Western Sahara/United States

Original Format: HDCAM
Running Time: 59 mins
Number of Tapes/Discs: 1
Black and White or Color: Color
Screen Format: 16:9; DVD: SD 480p23.98; Quicktime file: HD 1080p23.98
Sound: Stereo

Languages : Arabic Hassaniya, Spanish, English, French
Subtitles: English, Arabic, Spanish

Director, Producer: Iara Lee
Co-Producer: Salah Abdelahe

CREDITS

Director of Photography: Jose Yeray Martin
2nd Camera: Eduardo Souto Fraguas
Editor: Martin Eller
Sound: Jordi Oriola Folch

Music: Mariem Hassan

Additional Music:
12k/Line Records
Adel Larbi
Coral Igualdad de Gavà
Estrella Polisaria
Flitoox
Kami Rapstyle
Njem Allal
Shueita
Ten and Tracer
Tiris Group
Yslem Hijo Del Desierto

Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Mahdyar Aghajani

Production Manager: Amelia White

Production Team:
Mark Engler
Arthur Phillips
Eda Pepi
Colin Kinniburgh
Dan Schenk
Maral Satari

Associate Producer: Yunuen Montero

Themes:
Western Sahara, independence, self-determination, human rights, occupation, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, freedom, colonization in Africa

Starring: Aminatou Haidar, Bahia Awah, Bechir Weld Ali, Flitoox Craizy, Khadija Hamdi, Khadra Mabruk, Mariem Hassan, Mohamed Sulaiman, Mouloud Yeslem, Nadhira Lamin, Salah Amaidan, Sultana Khaya, Yslem Hijo del Desierto, and many more...


2015 | Helsinki African Film Festival - HAFF 2015, Finland
* Selection - Arabia Street Festival (free)
* Movie tent 12:00-18:00
http://haff.fi/2015/en/life-is-waiting/

________________

FI

40 vuotta sen jälkeen kun poistuneet espanjalaishallitsijat lupasivat Länsi-Saharan kansalle vapauden, alue on edelleen viimeinen siirtomaa Afrikassa. Vaikka YK:n avustuksella neuvoteltu tulitauko lopetti aseelliset sotatoimet alueella jo vuonna 1991, Sahrawi-kansa on jatkanut elämäänsä Marokon armeijan sortohallinnon alla ja alueella vallitseva rauha on ollut parhaimmillaankin haurasta.

Tämän päivän nuori sukupolvi hyödyntää luovasti väkivallatonta vastarintaa kansansa itsemääräämisoikeuden puolesta. Vastarintaa harjoittaessaan nuorten on pysyttävä lujana törmäävien voimien ristitulessa. Samalla kun he ovat vaarassa joutua marokkolaisten viranomaisten kiduttamiksi, joutuvat he myös vastustamaan niitä, jotka ovat menettäneet uskonsa kansainväliseen yhteisöön ja ovat valmiita aloittamaan uuden sissisodan.

Life is Waiting tarkastelee moninaisia jännitteitä kertoessaan tarinaa miehitetyn kansan kokemasta päivittäisestä väkivallasta. Elokuva antaa äänen aavikon kansalle, jonka kohdalla kolonialismi ei ole vielä päättynyt.

Ohjaaja: Iara Lee

Genre: Dokumentti
Vuosi: 2014
Maa: Länsi-Sahara, Yhdysvallat
Pituus: 60 min
Kieli: Hassaniyya, espanja, englanti, ranska
Tekstitys: Englanti

Screenings:

2015 | Helsinki African Film Festival - HAFF 2015, FINLAND
* Selection : Arabian katufestivaali (ilmainen)
* Screening: 2015 MAY 16 at 1:00PM, Kinoteltta
http://haff.fi/2015/life-is-waiting/

UNITED STATES / PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY - ROCKEFELLER THEATER
2015 MAY 13 at 7:30PM

ALBANIA / TIRANA
DocuTIFF - TIRANA INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
2015 MAY 12 at 12:00PM

May 3, 2015, TAWANG FESTIVAL, Tawang, India
May 1, 2015, FiSAHARA FILM FESTIVAL, Dahkla, Western Sahara
April 29, 2015, FESTICAB - FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DU CINEMA ET DE L'AUDIOVISUEL, Bujumbura, Burundi
April 25, 2015, FESTICAB - FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DU CINEMA ET DE L'AUDIOVISUEL, Ngozi, Burundi
April 23, 2015, INSTIDOC FESTIVAL, Maputo, Mozambique
March 19, 2015, HARGEYSA CULTURAL CENTER, Hargeysa, Somaliland