African Rhythms

A compilation of three animated stories for children, the first two titles on the National Film Board of Canada's African Rhythms are based on African stories, while the third derives from the African-Canadian experience. The Magic Lion, a tale from Kenya, revolves around a boy who must find medicine for his sick grandfather, while The Cora Player is a love story from Burkina Faso about crossing socioeconomic lines. Jump-Up: Caribbean Carnival in Canada, told from the viewpoint of young girl named Lisa, who recently emigrated with her family from the West Indies, is about her friendship with Sophie, a white Canadian neighbor. In both style and story content, each film is very different, but the animation is somewhat rudimentary on all, and the stories move a bit slowly (kids may especially have difficulty paying attention to The Cora Player, which contains no dialogue). Optional. Aud: E, I, P. (E. Gieschen)