Leaving Africa

Filmmaker Iiris Härmä's documentary focuses on two women struggling to achieve social change in today's Uganda. Ritta, a 66-year-old Finnish doctor has lived in Uganda for over a quarter-century, and Kata is a 63-year-old local with whom Ritta shares a home and runs the nonprofit COFCAWE, which aims to provide sex education curriculums to rural villages. Ritta and Kata run into continuous obstacles: both Christian and Muslim leaders are appalled at the COFCAWE mission, while many Ugandan men are baffled over the concept of gender equality. The women face a serious challenge when they are anonymously and falsely accused of being lesbians who are trying to impose a homosexual political agenda on the country, which results in Uganda's parliament moving to shut down their work. And Ritta has bittersweet emotions over her plans to retire from social work and return to Finland—even though her bonds to her homeland have grown thin. A powerful portrait of a pair of strong-willed women trying to create positive social change in an extremely negative environment, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)