Africa’s Last Colony

Welcome to a film screening of Haiyu - Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for Free Western Sahara, followed by a panel discussion with the film's producer and Lund University researchers. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

Filmed in the Western Sahara refugee camp in Algeria, the documentary Haiyu - Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for Free Western Sahara is about Africa’s last remaining colony and the role of Mariem Hassan’s music and songs in the struggle for the Western Sahara’s right to self-determination. This event will include a screening of Haiyu, a Q&A with one the film’s producers, Mohamedsalem Werad, and a panel discussion on the broader situation in West Sahara with Yahia Mahmoud, associate professor in Human Geography, and Maria Padrón Hernández, researcher in Social Anthropology.

Panel participants

• Yahia Mahmoud, Associate Professor in Human Geography, Lund University
• Maria Padrón Hernández, Researcher in Social Anthropology, Lund University, and Head of Solidarity at Björkåfrihet
• Mohamedsalem Werad, Film Producer and co-founder of Saharawi Voice - a collective of Saharawi storytellers who aspire to raise awareness on issues in Western Sahara.

This event is organised by the Critical Studies Research Node at the Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences, Lund university, in collaboration with Lund Academics for Palestine and Solidarity Rising.