University of Wales lecturer wins coveted Cannes Prize

A film by a lecturer at the University of Wales, Newport has won one of the most coveted prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, following its world premiere at the prestigious event.
Florence Asiyi’s feature-length documentary film, ‘Sisters In Law’, won the Prix Art et Essai which is awarded for artistic merit and innovation. The feature-length documentary was filmed over three months at a courthouse in Kumba, a small town in Cameroon, and follows various women who bring their cases before the court.
“It was beyond my wildest dream to win this prize,” said 42-year-old Asiyi, who was born in Cameroon but now lives in Cardiff. “I am very proud and touched that an international cinema organisation said this film is a work of high quality that deserves to be seen worldwide.”
Incredibly moving and at times disturbing, the film explores the work of two women in the Cameroonian Judiciary, Vera Ngassa, the State Prosecutor, and Beatrice Ntuba, the judge in the magistrate’s court, and follows four court cases involving women and young girls.
“‘Sisters in Law’ is about strong and positive images of women in Cameroon,” said Asiyi, programme leader on the film and video course at the International Film School Wales (IFSW). “It shows justice in action in modern Africa with women displaying courage, strength and determination to break away from their violent lives with the support of their sisters in the judicial system.
“The film reveals that beneath the stereotypes of Africa there are voices that can touch the global community. It’s not about being African but about being human.
“The women in the film are refusing to be victims. They are finding the courage to be successful. The film is about strong women who are social reformers, changing society through a quiet revolution, delivering justice to women from rural areas who are suffering abuse.”
(GB)