What do Danny Glover and Guinea Bissau have in common?

Did I mention that I went to a birthday celebration for Danny Glover a few years ago? Yes, I did. I think it was the year he turned 65. It was a small and intimate party hosted by Danny's nephew. Danny arrived at the gathering and was very friendly and talkative as he leaned against the wall in the tiny West Oakland flat watching while we played a game of bid whist. Danny was born in San Francisco and is just a regular kind of guy. If you didn't know he was an award winning actor, you would never have been able to tell.

There is more to Danny Glover than just acting in movies such as Lethal Weapon. He is also a film director and political activist.

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Danny Glover will attend the opening of the 3rd African Film Festival (March 18-24, 2014) to present his latest film “The Children’s Republic” that will open the festival. Danny and his wife will attend the event.  They will also have an opportunity to enjoy a stay in the historic city of Luxor, Egypt.

Here's the next thing - I think this is so cool. Also attending, among top African and international guests, is Flora Gomes, the Guinea-Bissau director of the acclaimed film.

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Director Flora Gomes (from Guinea-Bissau) studied film at the ICAIC in Cuba. His directing resume includes films like Mortu Nega (1987), which screened the next year at the Venice International Film Festival. After That, he directed The Blue Eyes of Yonta (1992) and Po di Sangui which screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996.

There isn't much of what I'd call a thriving filmmaking community/industry in Guinea-Bissau, with Gomes likely being the country's most prominent filmmaker. source

and next, wait for it......

The film, is set in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, and was produced with funds from the European Union.

Danny Glover co-stars in the film, along with Melanie Vales Rafael, and Hedviges Mamudo.

WOW!!

here's the synopsis

A futuristic film set in a small country in West Africa that every adult has abandoned after a horrific and tragic civil war. Its only inhabitants are the children, who have to get organized to take over the country and try to succeed where the adults have failed by creating “The Children’s Republic” The Children's Republic becomes a stable and prosperous country. But the children can no longer grow up.

and here's the trailer

    The film also screened at the 22nd anniversary of the Pan African Film Festival in  Los Angeles, February 6-17, 2014   I wish, Danny, the director and the film much success!!