Today, 17th October 2012 is a very satisfying day for me as an animation film maker resident in Berlin. As a result of my short Film “meine heimat” , a poem written by the German Poet Ulrike Almut Sandig which is going to be shown at the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival come the 20th of October, Susanne Messmer, a journalist from the TAZ (Die Tageszeitung), (a well-known and respected cultural and social-critical newspaper in Germany) wrote a GREAT article about me..actually the best I have had since I live here in Germany. Not that one should make noise whenever an article is written, I am doing so with this one because it holds something special for me as regarding the theme, content and circumstances surrounding it (long story)

I wish I could translate the article in English but here is a Hires image and a LINK to the same article online for those who are interested.

On the same note and as a result of the same film, I was also interviewed this morning by Deutschlandradio Kultur, the most respected cultural radio channel in Germany. HERE is the link to the Radio interview
The Film is not a masterpiece, not even near one. (I cannot say this enough) It was only an interpretation of the images I got in my head when I heard the Poem., but obviously, through the images, I was able to touch on a cord there which people who see Berlin as their homeland could identify with.
The film is not yet to be seen in full length online because I want to give the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival the honor of being the first to show it. It was also at the same festival that “Anna Blume”, another Poetry Film that I produced and animated between 2007 and 2009 won the Ritter Sport Award in 2010.
In retrospect, this has done good not just to my career BUT also to my psyche and to my person as Nigerian. One might wonder what I mean with it. No! I am not racially attacked in Germany, so I have no problems in that direction. As the article clearly states, Germany and Nigeria have become my home countries and I love both lands despite their different social constellations and  “issues” as may arise.

Here is a  VERY BRIEF insight to one of the things today’s occurrences has done for my psyche.

For sometime now, news of a lot of  gruesome things happening in my home country Nigeria has filled the media. This includes  the brutal murder and setting ablaze of four young university students in a place called Aluu, near Port Harcourt. This incident is still making waves through facebook and other social media sites.

A good number of people condemned the act (as should be expected) but only very few made an “issue” out of it, starting campaigns and trying to win others to speak out and do something against such barbarism. I am glad to be one of these few. As is well known in a country with over 40 Million people, with a social and justice system that seems to be retrogressive,  one will always step on toes by making such noise about such happenings, which some of those living in the country have come to accept as the normal course of life. Jungle justice should NEVER be accepted by any civilized society as “normal”. Yes! I personally did “step on toes” that I had not expected would be hurt by my constantly speaking out against such things as jungle justice amongst other things like including homophobia.

In any case, it got to a point that I really needed something “strong” to wash away the dent these happenings have left on my emotions and psyche.
So having had such a wonderful day today with these interviews, I have started to get rid of the BITTERNESS and confusion that these incidents have deposited in my head and heart.

Thank you TAZ and Deutschlandradio Kultur not just for giving me a confirmation that I am not just marking time in my career BUT for unknowingly giving me this psychological lift from the sadness that my second “Heimat” with its barabric social system has deposited in my heart.