“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” — Nelson Mandela
Colours of the Alphabet tells the story of three children and their families over two school terms, and asks the question: does the future have to be in English? The official language in Zambia is English, but there are seven national languages and 72 ethnic languages spoken in the country. How does anyone communicate in this living Tower of Babel?
This lyrical and beautifully-filmed documentary is an eye-opening tale of the relationship between children and language from those first apprehensive days at school to the playground excitement at the end of term.
In a world where nearly 40% of the population lack access to education in their own language, Colours of the Alphabet is an affectionate and humorous portrayal of childhood innocence, misplaced hope, and the role of language as a means of binding a nation together - with multi-coloured subtitles to reflect the multilingual reality of the classroom.
"...delicately presents the complexities that Steward, M'barak and Elizabeth confront in their first two terms of primary education, in a classroom where the local language, Soli, has no place. Their experiences suggest that lack of access to education in one's own language, while a surprisingly common phenomenon on a global level, helps to create or entrench serious inequalities in our societies: at the very least, these students have to work much harder to achieve what other students learn through their first languages. This film is therefore an important one in drawing our attention to this very real and pervasive challenge"
- Laura Smith-Khan, University of Technology Sydney
"The Colours of the Alphabet is ...l a beautifully shot and heart warming piece of film from start to finish. Featuring multi-coloured subtitles that reflect the many dialects and languages in contemporary Zambia, this bright documentary about communication and education is a real eye opener."
- Ann Taylor, Across the Arts, Glasgow
SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS
Glasgow Film Festival 2016 Glasgow (Official Selection), UK, 2016 (Home Premiere)
Watch Africa Wales Film Festival Cardiff, UK, 2016 (Wales Premiere)
AfrikaEye Film Festival Bristol, UK, 2016 (England Premiere)
Lusaka International Film and Arts Festival 2016 Lusaka, Zambia, 2016 (Africa Premiere)
Grierson Awards - Best Newcomer, Shortlisted, London, UK, 2016
Mother Tongue Film Festival Manchester, UK, 2017
One World Film Festival Prague, Czech Republic, 2017 (continental European Premiere)
World Film Festival, Tartuu, Estonia, 2017
Addis International Film Festival, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2017
Human Rights Nights Film Festival, Italy, 2017
Cinema Screenings
UK: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Oban, Portree, Lochmaddy, Stornoway, 2016
Zambia: Fresh View Cinemas, 2017