Handmade in Africa

Filmed in the remote Gamo highlands of southern Ethiopia, this episode tells the story of Dorze house builders as they weave a traditional bamboo home for an elderly woman in their community. The Dorze are a minority ethnic group who live in the mountains and have retained their distinct culture and dialect. They are renowned as producers of colourful cloth and for their unique houses, which are woven from strips of bamboo. The film follows village elder Admasu Ourage as he oversees the building of a new house for his friend Dasanshi, whose old house is falling down. The whole process is captured, from the moment Dasanshi’s old house is moved, and the cutting and preparation of the bamboo, to the construction and completion of the new house. Their work is a window on to the significance of Orthodox Christian faith in Ethiopia; each stage of the build is accompanied by blessings and prayers of thanks, led by Admasu. The film is also a portrait of a community in flux, as more and more Dorze people choose to build their houses with corrugated iron roofs instead of traditional, woven bamboo. For the Dorze, the construction of a new woven house is like ‘a child being born’. It is testament to a thriving community. Once complete, the whole village comes together to sing and dance in celebration.

Master kora-maker Seydou Kane crafts a new kora from scratch in his studio in downtown Dakar, Senegal. Dating back to the 13th century, the kora, also known as a west African lute or harp, has long been of sacred importance to the people of Senegal. Many believe it to be imbued with the essence of Allah, and that it has the power to ward off evil spirits. The film follows Seydou as he gathers the natural materials he needs to make the kora: cow hide, a calabash gourd and rosewood. Seydou shows how making a kora involves several intricate processes and skills, from tightening the cowskin to carving wooden handles and tuning the strings. The instrument is the principal instrument of the griots, a caste of musicians, storytellers and oral historians who, a little like European minstrels, are cultural custodians of traditional myths and stories. They sing songs of royal legend and Islamic faith. With the kora complete, the film culminates in a performance of a traditional song by a local griot musician.

For the Maasai people of the Great Rift Valley, beaded jewellery is of great ceremonial significance. Jane Semanto, a master beadmaker, crafts a traditional Maasai wedding necklace.