ZIFF!

Zanzibar is a festival town. Every few weeks there's some big reason to celebrate. It's fairly sleepy otherwise, so when there is actually some form of entertainment, it's a pretty big deal. This week, the Zanzibar International Film Festival, ZIFF, is on. The self-proclaimed Film Festival of Africa, it features mostly East African and South African films, with a few Arab and one (?) European submission.

Someone gave me VIP tickets, but I can sit next to a British diplomat sweating profusely in a wool suit anyday - I just have to walk into the Serena Hotel and pay $4 for a coffee that costs 3.5 cents on the street; but sitting with Zanzibaris is a rare experience. (Feeling like a Zanzibari is even rarer.) You might know by now that I've been following Zanzibari politics and the separatist movement. (it's kind of like being at home in Quebec) So bahati nzuri, and I find myself watching a separatist movie with separatists. With TIFF, I imagine red carpets, glamour and the celebrities that follow. But Zanzibar, as my Baba frequently tells me, is very 'local.' The amphitheatre in the Old Fort;

gets turned into a cinema for the duration of the festival. (There used to be a cinema, but it burnt down so they make do with the fort and rooms in the ceremonial palace, not a bad venue at all.) All the locals sit together (for free I might add) on those huge stone benches. And as I sat there with them, I'll admit I was initially a little unsure. Ok, to be honest, I was shitting my pants. That was one rowdy group of entertainment-starved Zanzibaris. But as the film went on, it started to feel like one big family. Actually, it felt like high-school again. Every time a familiar sight came up, everyone cheered to see their tiny island up there on the big screen in front of all these foreigners. Whether it was Jaws' Corner or the mzee that dries out cloves on the street, they we roared in laughter, high-fived and even danced together as our little Zanzibar shone in the spotlight. And I realized that when so many people live in a place like this - fairly small, completely walkable, and devoid of public space; everyone is connected by the same few things. Everyone gets married in the same place, everyone buys halua from the same guy, everyone watches the sunset at the same dock.

Afterwards, I even got to meet the MP for Stone Town, a true separatist (and a brown guy which is unusual), and the former culture minister whose portfolio would have included ZIFF. (And he's secretly running for the presidency next election - hopefully no Zanzibaris read this. Although, I soon found out how corrupt he is... maybe it's not such a bad thing if someone ruins his campaign.)

Point being, it was so much fun that it turned me into a true Zanzibari - when the internet was down for a few minutes the next day, I took it as an excuse to leave work early and go watch a few incredible South African films. My Afrikaans is getting quite good too.

(Side note: I found out that you can get a tiny studio apartment, utilities included - water/power/cable tv/cleaning lady (!) in stone town for only $125/month.)