Smartphones become tools of resistance in queer film project

IT TOOK four years, from conception to completion, to put together the anthology film, Map Your Love. Shot entirely on smartphones, by activists in countries such as Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Jamaica, Peru and Canada, the four films that make up the anthology “showcase deeply personal stories that explore the complexities of queer love, identity, and resilience in nations where homosexuality is criminalised”.

- CARL COLLISON

GHANAIAN queer rights activist, Prince Frimpong, is one of the creators of the anthology film, Map Your Love. For Frimpong, filmmaking offers them the opportunity to 'continue telling Ghanaian queer stories and using these tools to Africanise and reshape our narrative'.

(Prince Frimpong)

In 2024, screenings of the anthology were held in various countries across Africa.

Karin Hazé is the founder and director of 75 Shots, the Canada-based organisation which spearheaded the project.

Hazé says: “Every screening in Africa was conducted underground, ranging from private gatherings in homes where traditional coffee ceremonies and food were shared, to full-scale festivals at undisclosed locations for safety reasons. Some were also held in community centres run by feminist activists. Each screening was unique, courageous, and extraordinary.”

For Beyond the Margins, Carl Collison spoke to three queer rights activists - Ghana's Prince Frimpong, Tanzania's Mwamba T Nyanda and Zimbabwe-based Kudzai Kay-Dee - all of whom participated in the creation of this anthology and also put together a screening of the four-part film in their respective countries.

In this conversation, the activists discuss what drew them to film as an advocacy tool, how the medium is shaping their activism, and how, especially in repressive contexts, there is great power in telling one’s story. Carl Collison (CC): So, tell us about the screenings. How did it go? What stood out for you?