Monday 6th October

A few weeks ago I was in Frankfurt to take part in a discussion about the Why Democracy? documentary film project. It was organised under the auspices of the ‘Fernsehworkshop Entwicklungspolitik’.

Few people pay attention to Canadian politics at the best of times, so it should be no surprise that the U.S. Obama-McCain dustup has utterly overshadowed the October 14 Canadian federal election.

The Why Democracy? film, Egypt: We are Watching You, is receiving positive reviews from a number of viewers. This excellent documentary investigates incidents of fraud and corruption in Egypt's first multiparty elections. Told through the experiences of three female political activists, this film highlights the fragile nature of Egypt's young democracy.

Monday 29th September. Cape Town.

Another week. Another Sunday night. Another president. This week we were addressed on TV again by the new president of South Africa – Kgalema Motlanthe. Very reconciliatory, very dignified.

Monday 22nd September. Cape Town.

It’s been an interesting weekend, politically speaking, in South Africa. I had been away travelling for a week and came back on Saturday to find out that the President of South Africa - Thabo Mbeki - had been deposed. He had been ‘asked’ by the ANC to resign. He did.

Monday morning, 8th September. Maseru, Lesotho.

I drove across the border from South Africa to visit the mobile cinema team at Sesotho Media. It is partly because of the project that we started (Steps for the Future) eight years previously, a YLE/Day Zero co-production of 38 documentary and short films about people living in the time of HIV and AIDS

What a weekend for South African politics! Not since 1994, has South Africa had such an abrupt change in leadership. Just having to deal with the global financial meltdown might have been enough for most developing countries, but South Africa's ruling party has increased uncertainty by dropping a political bombshell on an already fragile arrangement.

The recent events in Pakistan have received global attention. Understanding the complexities of these events required an informed opinion. We therefore contacted Dinner With The President director Sabiha Sumar, whose film shares a close connection with the situation in Pakistan.

On September 5th, Angola held their first democratic election in 16 years. In a country devastated by civil war and the scramble for resources, most observers welcomed the chance at peace and stability. However, the elections have been marred by inefficiency and poor organisation. Despite ten parties and four coalitions competing for 220 National Assembly seats, it seems as if the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Thursday night witnessed the official endorsement of Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's nomination for the US presidential elections in November. The festivities at the convention, which resembled the euphoria at a rock concert, demonstrated the excitement Obama supporters have for their candidate.