CinemaAfrica 2025/26: A Conversation with ... Ery Claver
- Title
- CinemaAfrica 2025/26: A Conversation with ... Ery Claver
- Abstract
-
Cinema Africa Bayreuth goes into a new round! The first screening took place on 10 November 2025 at Cineplex Bayreuth where a double feature presented two Angolan films "Ar condicionado" and "Our Lady of the Chinese Shop". Ery Claver, who directed the latter and was responsible for cinematography in the former, was present in Bayreuth and answered the questions of the audience. To present two Angolan films to the Bayreuth public could not have come at a better timing as Angola celebrated its 50 anniversary of independence on 11 November 2025.
Ery Claver also sat down with Prof. Dr. Ute Fendler, initiator and curator of the Bayreuth film festival, and Adebanjo Oreoluwa Baderin, who is part of the Cinema Africa organisational team to answer their questions on the thoughts that went into making these two special films. - Date
- February 23, 2026
- Language
- English
- Transcript
- Hello Erie. Uh, thank you for coming to Bro and presenting the two films, Air Conditioner and Our Lady of the Chinese Shop. Um, as we I mean Angolan films are not so common. Let's put it that way. There are not so many of them but they are very at least it seems that they are very particular also in their aesthetics and also in their storyline. Can you say something about your approach to film making also because you are you're in a group in a collective Jerasan Oenta generation 80 so there are a lot of very let's say specific elements um about film making in Angola. I don't know uh first of all lot of questions >> thank you for being here for the invitation but talking about specific uh cinema in langola for me is most difficult I can talk more about the experience that have been uh taking from working in this colleive because we as many countries Portugu Portuguese speaking countries in Africa, we had this colonial heritage and we still have that influence in terms of copper productions. But I think you can see the same in in franophony countries and our cinema were basically build with this kind of influence because most of the feature films that were made in Angola, they were made with French support or Portuguese support. Even the the television was very imposed by Portuguese way of seeing in and dealing with the aesthetics. But from now I think that Jerasenta breaks a little bit. Oh my very much this this this bro because we have um uh cinema more more oriented and to find our memories our way of of dealing with our own influences our cinematic influences. So is a a group with different kind of approach. I have a more orientated approach in literature. For example, we have Fredik that have more interest more interesting in in memories documentary heritage of Angola. We have some people like Camilada that are interested in dance >> in folklore dance. So we have this different approach with a specific aesthetical know because there are people that the works in different kinds of art [snorts] formats and we deal with the similar at same way with different artists not only filmmakers. So I think this this these lots of reference are building what we call Jenta film making. >> Now talking again about Angola cinema overall I think that you've been building with like music with different approaches because I see cinema as music with different genres. Mhm. >> So in Angola we have people who are doing something similar to occurren in Nigeria >> with small budget films very very actionoriented very very uh >> with with very uh extravaganza in in this kind of aoditation. We have a lot of people doing documentaries, very formal documentaries, but very important as well. And we still have this cup production approach with with with European countries. So we we we have different kinds of approach in cinema. >> Mhm. But what you just mentioned about that you for example, you think you come more from literature and that film making is also like like music. Can you say maybe a little bit more about these two approaches? I I I like to say this comparing with music because when you at when most of people think about cinema they think in one one uh box. >> But when you talk about music they will ask what genre of music is jazz is rock >> but cinema people do do not make this question. when when you say cinema they they can put in overall because for example when I tell my mother that I'm I'm make cinema she thinks that I'm making the cinema that she is supposed to to to to think or is use it to to see >> this what happens in institutions they they have a a very >> um limited way of seeing cinema. I like to say this because I observe every cinema that is being made in in Angola and they are different. You >> you have cinema of Jasenta cinema of uh different uh productions because we have now diamond films. They have their way of making films. We have um uh different production companies that they have specific way of making films and they are very recognizable. >> Yeah. >> Okay. But for example, the air conditioner, it would be difficult to say which kind of a film genre this is because it seems to draw on a lot of different jars and to tell to tell a very unique story. >> For sure. But but that's what they call for example in music world music. [laughter] >> Okay. A fusion. >> They put a fusion. A fusion. So we represent this this uh way of the dealing that some of our musicians in Angola are putting in this >> world music. So if it will be a jer will be this kind of of of approach. But it's very recognizable because >> not even in Angola even internationally >> they can identify film. >> Okay. Um we had I mean we had some exchange also with some students and I think um especially the I mean like this there's a lot a lot about metaphors and symbols also in in both films actually in air conditioner and also in uh our lady of the of the Chinese shop. Um so for you is using symbols and metaphors is then part of the cinematographic language. >> For sure. Uh basically when I'm not uh when I don't know much of some subject I have to deal with some >> okay >> and I prefer to use symbols to assume a vision. >> Mhm. Okay. >> So dealing with a complex structure like Lwanda, >> I don't know much about Lwanda even if I born there. M >> I prefer to use particular symbols for me to try to understand in in a whole >> this this kind of environments that is like city of Landangola in terms of history in terms of polit politician polit political structure in terms of religion but uh most important in terms of surviving in this new metropol this new city that is very new >> but full of influences and so I prefer to use symbols because I I cannot assume a vision for for for this because I don't have so I prefer to understand small details that I have that I consume to make a old view and try to create a puzzle that >> someday I will will finish >> but then the conditional for example And the symbol for what it stands for different things >> different [clears throat] for symbols is a like I say before is like a homage for the the the the the city that that we grow up but basically is a it's a symbolic u feeling of of of getting our memories back basically because I see that we We were born in a place but we don't know that place. We don't have these kind of memories. And for me even if it's not imposed in the in the photograph of the film >> is a homage for this city at the same time I will to understand this city in terms of memory to in terms of of try to to to pick up symbols the made we are in that city. M uh yeah at least for for the for the public in broid for example who come to Cinniplex and uh expecting to see an Angolan film and then the voice over starts in Chinese. I think for many people was really a big surprise they weren't really prepared to that. So, did you really I mean on purpose also play with the surprise moment and um I mean but then to draw the public into an Angolan story. What what were your objectives [laughter] there maybe? I think when when when we we uh we are presenting something so unusual to the public, >> the public have to understand as well that I had the same impact when the idea came >> in my mind [laughter] >> I was impactful as well. So I try to understand why I have this idea. So I was this question give me the film because if you watch >> the society we are living now in Angola you will understand better how this idea came from and now after finish the film I cannot understand why we in Angola we not using more this question of the Chinese influence for the bad or for the good >> but I don't know we are talking always about different kinds of subjects important subjects like the colonizations in in other subjects very important but we have to deal with the present as well >> we we talk a lot >> about the past I like to talk about the past but we are forgetting that we have a present specifically in in in Angola we are dealing with with with different approaches external approaches I don't know what these kind of of of of deals with with government this kind of influence in terms of culture will will will will uh how he it will ended >> but I like to be pay attention now >> to because they are important because they are the present. So I think it's a very important issue to to know uh what kinds of of of deals we are dealing with China and what can we make to just we cannot take them out of Rwanda out of Angola out of Africa of course >> but we can communicate better with them is a provocation >> for for for a conversation as well. for us to remind them that there's there's a people living there with us and we need to communicate. We need to share point of points of view in terms of culture because they are imposing in terms of economics >> polit politically but not for example in terms of culture we don't know not about each other we don't share points of view in terms of culture and one of the questions >> that I made in my film one questions no one of the points and we have similarities in points of starting points of conversation in terms of of language communication in terms of this kind of approach I think we have a good start to to a a a good point to start a conversation. >> Mhm. I mean in a previous conversation you also mentioned the proverbs where you could build a bridge maybe you could elaborate on that again >> that's one of them because >> I found that very interesting >> because was one of thing that I found very similar >> that nobody thinks about is that we have ancient proverbs they are very similar the Chinese ancient proverbs >> and some people from Angola they watch the film say oh these Chinese phrases, this blah blah blah is so so um so poetic or so uh magical or something and I say no this is an Angolan uh proverb. So I mixed up different uh proverbs, some Angolan and some some from north of Angola Congo proverbs and some from from from China and both they are very difficult to translate. Mhm. >> So I have two struggles to translate in Chinese >> and to translate the Angolans and >> none of them I understand the language >> because the Angola they are in Kongo we don't know to talk uh to speak Kikongu most of Angolans and we don't know to speak Mandarin as well >> okay >> so we have even our language in the the Chinese language unknow >> and they are the most one of the most important parts of our culture is our or our tradition >> and we do not touch not even ours >> all right thank you very much is nice to have this conversation with you once again >> thank you very much >> u now the first question I would like to ask is about uh your the film hair conditioner uh the main character was a security guard mat and the question I would like to ask is What informed your choice of choosing the security guard as Matisto as your main character? >> Okay, thank you Advanch. It's a good question. Of course, I can answer your question, but let me tell you that I received this uh script from Fredik that was the director. But I know that he had uh firstly idea to pay homage at this kind of of of characters of Lwanda. They are the security guards because they hanging between the building, the houses, but they don't talk too much. they they they they they don't don't interact with not even with the bosses, not even with people in general. So they act act like like oracles of these places and at the same time most of them they are ex soldiers full of scars uh uh physically and symbolically and I think they have a lot to say because they see they saw much and so it's a way to pay homage to these men. They fought for the country but at the same time they continue to act like people. They are seeing the evolution of of of the places or they involved but they cannot tell anything. They are like uh they are yeah stuck they they can't can cannot talk. I think was first the the idea was like this. But the film in general as I say before is a homage to Lwanda to this building is a homage for ourselves at Jasenta. We put a lot of influences of the the times that we grow up the 80s and the the the early 90s. It's so much to that period of time is a is basically a a a memory a box of memories film. Okay. Thank you very much. Um now that you talk about building that will lead me to my next question. Um and I will now try to combine both films. In both films you laid so much emphasis on buildings. Uh for example, uh the building where the security guard was working. You showed us a whole lot of things there. Uh the people living there, how they live, how they survive. And the street, you showed us a view of the street with some modern buildings and some other things. And now let's now combine it with the um the other film, The Our Lady. You showed us a building where maybe the buildings used to be places full of life, full of a whole lot of activity, but now the buildings are in the shape of decay. >> Exactly. >> The buildings are leaking. Exactly. >> The buildings are in ruin. >> Yeah. >> Now uh the question is this uh why this approach? That's the first question. Then the second is are you trying to use this decay as a metaphor for the larger Angolan society? >> Yes. No. But because I I am stuck to to that environment because I was born there in downtown Lwanda. So this the the the the the nature that I know this kind of environment and at the same time as you say that these buildings now they are in in decay but they have a lot of stories they are becoming like a slums vertical slums. So they have a lot of people now they have poor people. They used to carry the middle class people but the middle class people are lefty the the these buildings because we are building a new Lwanda new Lwanda. So we are divided this the this buildings they used to be from middle class now are for for the poor people but they still have the these memories of of not only the the new Angolan middle class but the colonial people as well. So they have a lot of memory. They they like living subjects because they are always changing changing changing. They they've uh life function like life structures. So they are very interesting. They are always changing and they have the great manner of the Angolan society. So they have a a very good uh uh environment to photograph to understand the past, the present and maybe the future. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Now that you mentioned uh the fact that these buildings carry memory and uh they talk about the past, they are showing us the present and there there are ways we can also project into the future. Uh that will lead me to my last question on the first film uh air conditioner. Uh and that will talk about the the the repairer shop uh >> uh Mr. Mano >> Mr. Mino >> Mino Mr. Mino um what is the significance of his shop? His shop is a is a is a the sequence showed us uh a lot of lights. We could see the radio and we saw that he's just trying to fix things. He's u he's everywhere is so lit up. Can you tell us and uh we saw a lot of gadgets that were brought in for repairs and they've been there forever. What can you tell us about the repairer shop in in in in the context of the Angolan [laughter] society? >> This this character actually existed in different places uh of Rwanda by specific in in this repair story. He existed as well. But of course we had to fictionalize with a professional actor. But nothing changed. We only changed the actor. We didn't change the store. The store exists right now in Rwanda. And if you go right now, you will find a old man stuck in in this labor of of pretend that is repay something. And this another good metaphor for Lwanda. It is at the same time the the city is changing very quickly but the minds the mindset most of people there are lot of people stuck the people are changing or the city has changing in the structure the new structure because we are creating new cities or we we are expanding uh Lwanda creating new places, but there are places in downtown in the old one that they still the same. They still keep the the the the same uh ambience and at the same time this story represents at some point our our outer ego of me fra because the preoccupations that Mr. Mino have we have as well because I think he's a mad man that he wants to preserve the memories of the place he live in and I think is my main quest is is is to preserve the memories of of my place because they are they they are gone we have to pick up them again we are chasing our memories I think overall talking personally as a filmmaker my quest is this is is to to pursue our memories. >> Okay. Thank you very much. And now the next question will be from our lady. >> Um in the film you there was a prominence of the status of the statue of Virgin Mary. It was both sacred like a religion and also commercial. >> Mhm. And we saw that um you portrayed uh the Angolan society having a Chinese influence. Could you tell us more about the role religion plays and um what what are you trying to portray to us using the status of the Virgin Mary as um to as a character in that movie? Well, you know, uh the first thing is I I try to understand uh what impact these Chinese influence have in our country for long terms. No, because they are involved most of on economics. They are making deals, closed door deals with government. people in general didn't know the the the the what is in cost what they giving to Chinese what what what what kind of the measure of these deals and we know that Chinese are imposed in other country like commercials as they are very good in that and they sell everything inclusive uh religion uh subjects or or or or materials objects including this our lady. Uh one thing can I tell you is the the first title title that I have in mind for my film was plastic only Mary because the plastic is not only because the the the product the the the the the figure is is made of plastic that is very malleable but at the same time is this is not a strong a strong influence owning position as it it was with the religion, Catholic religion in Angola because the Chinese at the same time they are selling this product. They have nothing to do with this religion. They they just sell but they sell something that is very very special for us and go and was the main reason for us to be colonized. So it's a very important symbol because we were colonized by this symbol because when the religions uh the Portuguese starts imposing the religion that's why we were baptized we lost our names we we lost our land and now they using somehow the same symbol so my question is for us to pay attention to to to this new influence because I don't know what we'll become where we going to But it's just to pay attention for now. >> Okay. Thank you very much. And maybe this will be like my very last question on this aspect of religion. Uh the character of Dominguez. Uh she has a leaking house. She lost her daughter. And at some point um a friend told her that oh the house is being haunted. We need to speak see a spiritualist. And uh when they got to the spiritualist, we could still see the uh the image of the Virgin Mary. But however, there were some rituals performed on her. Could you tell us uh the the the the what the symbol the the symbolism of mixing the mixing catalism with tradition at that time? Could you tell us why you chose that? So >> I I didn't choose it is what it is because we when you have a a colonized uh people is it turns to be a very complex uh uh society. Yeah. Because there are a lot of influence and you have to deal with uh foreign religions. We have to deal with communication because one of it makes me confusion because uh we didn't notice when they are praying for this figure that is white. Mhm. >> The the Holy Mary, the Our Lady is white. >> And one thing that is very costs much for us Africans and and main blacks and we are preaching for a white figure >> and this tells a lot about how we see our representation for for the divine. But at the same time we found a way in in at at that point the Catholic church uh wasn't that smart but now the evangelical church they permit us to mix with our traditional customs but our traditional customs we call it witching witch witch witchcraft >> is not good. We have to deal with this secretly. >> Okay. >> So people still uh invest in traditional customs but secretly. >> Okay. >> You cannot say that you use a traditional way of of praying or way of the dealing with medicine. >> Absolutely. you're dealing with this sacred but you we still do do that but at the same time this conflicts with the religion and people feel sometimes very uh traumatized ashamed of to show they they they use this practice >> they traditional practice they feel ashamed to show so it's very complex and I wanted to show film that we deal with this complexity because if you made part of of a accidental religion in Angola and they know that you use traditional customs maybe they they can h put you out of the the church for example so it's very difficult we have to deal with these different some mix of of of >> and and please permit me to ask the last question before I allow you take your leave u at the end of the movie when the young boy um what's his Zo >> Zoyo um trio fire into the shop and the shop started burning the uh the statue of the Virgin Mary turned black. >> Uh what do you what was your message? What is your message for that? U >> I think it's literally like this because this what I say in the the previous question. We need to find a new version for us of the religion. Yeah. Because if if the Europeans turned this middle east figure into white Scandinavian white, we can turn or create a better version for us of the religion. Then we can put for example our language, our customs and still pray for our sacred figures. We have different figures. Ye mana, we have Kanda, we have our own uh sacred figures and we can as they made we can with no shame at all create our better version a better version for ourselves otherwise we will be always dominated because in the film is very horrendous per se because you have this Scandinav figure created originally in Middle East selling by a Chinese for black people. Yeah, it's it's it's very complex. >> All right, thank you very much. Uh once again, I want to thank you very much for coming to Bioid and uh I want to appreciate you on behalf of African multiple cluster of excellence for granting us this opportunity to meet you. not just to meet you but to also watch your film. And not just watching your film, you also gave us time and you took your time to answer our questions and we want to appreciate you for coming and on this special occasion. We want to congratulate the country of Angola and say happy 50th independence anniversary and we hope to see you some other time. Thank you very much for coming. hope to to come back very soon with new new films. Thank you. >> Thank you very much for coming. >> All right. Thank you.
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