Amil Shivji | |
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| Born | 1990 (age 33–34) |
| Citizenship |  Tanzania |
| Education | Master of Fine Arts (MFA), York University, Canada |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Notable work | Tug of War (Vuta N'Kuvute) (2021) T-Junction (2013) |
| Parent |
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| Awards | Tanit d'or, Carthage Film Festival, 2022 |
| Website | www |
Amil Shivji (born 1990) is a Tanzanian filmmaker. His films generally tackle misrepresentations of Africa and its history, as well as the theme of neocolonialism.
Born in Dar es Salaam, Shivi's roots can be traced back to Zanzibar. Often visiting as a child, he frequently draws inspiration from the island. Before launching his film career, Shivji worked as a journalist and radio host. [1] [2] He is the founder of Kijiweni Productions, a production company, and Kijiweni Cinema. [3]
Shivji launched his career with two short fiction films, Shoeshine (2013) and Samaki Mchangani (2014). [4] Both films participated in a number of international film festivals including the Rotterdam International Film Festival and the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso. [5]
In 2015, he produced feature film Aisha, also screened internationally. The filmmaker's prize-winning feature directorial debut T-Junction (2017) opened the prestigious Zanzibar International Film Festival. In 2021, he released Vuta N’Kuvute (Tug of War), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. [6] [7]
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The modern-day African Great Lakes state of Tanzania dates formally from 1964, when it was formed out of the union of the much larger mainland territory of Tanganyika and the coastal archipelago of Zanzibar. The former was a colony and part of German East Africa from the 1880s to 1919 when, under the League of Nations, it became a British mandate. It served as a British military outpost during World War II, providing financial help, munitions, and soldiers. In 1947, Tanganyika became a United Nations Trust Territory under British administration, a status it kept until its independence in 1961. The island of Zanzibar thrived as a trading hub, successively controlled by the Portuguese, the Sultanate of Oman, and then as a British protectorate by the end of the nineteenth century.
Zanzibar is an insular semi-autonomous region which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 km (16–31 mi) off the coast of the African mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre, Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site.
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Indian Tanzanians constitute a significant minority within the demographic landscape of Tanzania, with a population exceeding 60,000 individuals of Indian descent residing in the country. Many among them are traders and entrepreneurs, and despite forming only 0.2% of the population, who of which came control over the majority of the economy. Indians also have a long history in Tanzania, starting with the arrival of Gujarati traders, and they gradually came to control the trade in Zanzibar. Several buildings from that period still stand in Stone Town, the primary trading center on the island.
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