The Renaissance Man of 2022

 #newyear2022

#NewYear

#2022

My first selfies of the New Year 2022.

The Renaissance Man, Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima on 

Sunday, January 2, 2022.

Yaba GRA, Lagos, NIgeria.

Fincho: The Making of the First Nigerian Film in Colour By Sam Zebba

 

Fincho: The Making of the First Nigerian Film in Colour By Sam Zebba

Sam Zebba directing "Fincho" in Nigeria. 

Many people have read about Sam Zebba's "Fincho", the first film shot in colour in Nigeria in 1955 and post production was done in the United States of America and it was released in 1957. But majority of Nigerians and others have little or no knowledge about the great filmmaker, Sam Zebba who passed away in Israel on February 27, 2016.

I have decided to publish this comprehensive documentary report on him, comprising his own memoir on how he made "Fincho"; an article on him before he passed on and a memorial tribute written by David (Dudi) Sebba published by www.esra-magazine.com.

What Sam Zebba documented on the circumstances of the events that occurred during the making of "Fincho" can be a fanstatic movie. And publishing it on a Nigerian website is important in recognition of the Nigerian cast and crew. They have made history and we must remember them in the history of Nigerian cinema. 

Fincho- Adventure in Nigeria 1955:

Adventure in the interior of Nigeria

One night in 1954, at the home of my London relatives, Boria and Rena Behrman, Boria showed some 8mm color footage he had taken at their timber concession in Nigeria. The Behrman family had been in the timber business for several generations, still in the ‘old country’ (Latvia), and the Nigeria concession was a new extension of their UK firm, Finch & Company. What I saw there was formidable. Giant trees were being felled in the jungle and hundreds of bare-handed African workers were pulling the heavy trunks through the mud.

I realized that this could be a starting point for an extraordinary documentary and perhaps even more than that. For some time I had felt a strong desire to move from the short film, my medium hitherto, to full-length form. If I could find a human story to fit into the tree felling process, perhaps the chance of realizing this was here.

Boria generously said I could stay in one of the bungalows built for the white staff at the concession, and film whatever I wanted. Admittedly, it would be foolhardy to go script-less into the unknown, but therein lay the challenge. And so, toward the end of the Central African rainy season in 1955, equipped with a 16mm Arriflex camera, a portable sound recording device, and a reasonable amount of Kodachrome color film, I set out on a flight to Lagos, the capital of Nigeria at the time, and from there, mostly over unpaved and ill-maintained dirt roads, passing through two enormous clusters of mud huts, Ibadan and Benin City, to the Finch timber concession in the faraway Kingdom of the Olowo (Ruler) of Owo.

The bungalow I was given was spacious, though the heat was unbearable. In the outdoor kitchen, an attendant called “house-boy” or “boy” for short, no matter what his age, was on duty 24 hours a day. Plagued at night by mosquitoes infiltrating my net, I could hear the house-boy in the kitchen slapping his back and shoulders incessantly, hunting the malaria-carrying little devils. He did not have the luxury of a mosquito net, nor did he have a bed.

With time I got used to the heat and humidity, and the mosquitoes at night. I almost managed to enjoy an imaginary air-conditioner before falling asleep - someone had kindheartedly handed me a copy of Sir Edmund Hillary’s and Tenzing Norgay’s "The Conquest of Everest", which kept me cool throughout my stay on the concession.

In Owo I met the Olowo, a big man amply robed in a manner quite inconsistent with the climate. His palace was a large two-storey mud structure painted white, and it seemed densely populated. “Who are all these people?” I enquired. “These are the King’s wives and children,” I was told.

Although I examined everything I saw as a potential focal point for the film’s story, I soon realized that neither the harsh colonial exploitation of the natives nor the social hierarchy of traditional African rulers would be my anchor. It was the tree-felling enterprise itself, and the impact this had on those caught in its advance.

My guide and mentor on the concession was an Englishman named Tony Lewis, the second-in-command at Finch and an old hand in the African timber trade. To the Africans he spoke a broken English, which I thought at first to be his own invention, but soon discovered this was genuine 'Pidgin,' a simplified English language in use there, delightful and humorous, and the only way the three main ethnic groups in Nigeria - Yoruba, Ibo, and Hausa - could communicate with each other. I promptly decided that wherever possible this would be the film’s language.

“I de go” was present tense. “I done go” was past. “I go go” was future. “Make you go bringam” was a command. Just a minute was “wait small.” Dialogue, such as “na whei he dei?” (now, where is he?) “he dei for house,” referred to either male, female, or neuter. Father was “Small Fahda,” while “Big Fahda” meant Grandfather. “Plenty palavah” was big trouble. Great satisfaction: “He de tickle me propa.” Disbelief: “na lie! You think you go deceive me like small boy?” Two Africans talking to a White Man: “Sah. Dis man, he be my brudda.” “Oh, really? Same mudda same fahda?” “No, Sah. My brudda.”

A most impressive man was the concession’s CEO. A WW2 ex-military man with a hyphenated name, Gordon Parry-Holroyd seemed the quintessence of a gentleman and servant  of the Empire. He had a family and a cottage in the Midlands of England, but after the war, preferred the wilds of Africa to life in civilization. He was a mix of tenacity and gentleness, reminiscent of Conrad’s Lord Jim, with a tinge of a "Heart of Darkness".

Slowly the story I was looking for began to materialize in my mind. The protagonist would be a young African torn between the preservation of age-old traditions and the acceptance of encroaching modernization. His final choice would ultimately be his embracing the modern world.

To tell the story, other characters would have to be created. Representing the conservative view would be the village’s spiritual leader, the feared and angry Jujuman. Pitted against him would be the young schoolmaster who champions progress and enlightenment. Into the village enters a white timber extractor, “Mistah” Finch, who persuades the village chief to allow the felling of trees, but is refused permission to hire local labor. Our protagonist, eager to marry his girl but perpetually short of the needed dowry to buy her from her father, starts working for the White Man in spite of the proscription. Called now “Fincho” because he is “dancing around with the White Man”, he becomes something of a leader, many young men joining him. But when new earth- moving equipment is brought in to replace the local labor, violence is about to erupt against the White Man. It is Fincho who succeeds in calming the uprising, renewing the work, and thus bringing about momentous change in his community. He even triggers an understanding between the Jujuman and the schoolmaster.

The film would alternate between scenes of direct dialogue and voice-over narration, and the narrator would be Fincho himself. Many of the scenes would show local color, like at the market or at the Chief’s court, and the awesome tree-felling process would be followed in detail. Some scenes, like Fincho’s engagement in negotiations between the two families, or the naming ceremony of his first-born, were actually written out in detail by the cast and crew on rainy days when shooting was impossible.

It is my conviction that any work of fiction contains, or should contain, a message, a moral if you like, implied or explicit, that makes the story relevant. Writing this account more than 50 years after the event, I would be hard put today to vehemently defend the story’s point of view. Unfortunately, the price of deforestation and the resulting ills to society and to the planet have proven to be much higher than at first conceived, yet sadly the process goes on as before.

Clearly, a lot of thought and time is required to turn a skeleton of a story into a detailed plan, a full screenplay with dialogue written out. Simultaneously a production crew had to be trained, the actors cast, scene locations determined, costumes and props chosen, a story board devised, and a shooting schedule worked out before shooting could actually begin.

The production crew, kept to a minimum, consisted of four young local men who, obviously, had no previous connection to film-making. Samson Orhokpocha, a natural organizer, became a sort of Production Manager. Michael Nwaitabo, whose job was to carry the camera and tripod, became Assistant Cameraman. Sound recordist was Sunday Obende. He recorded the dialogue scenes, albeit as cue tracks only, for later dubbing in the studio. He also recorded the felling of trees, which sounded like heavy cloth being torn slowly, followed after the fall by a symphony of terrified animals and birds. Although sound effects were later added in the studio, Sunday’s work was extraordinary in itself. The fourth member of the crew was Rufus Atangbayila, who carried lightweight tin-foil reflectors to lighten the shadows, particularly in close-up shots. The whole picture would be shot in daylight, so no electric lighting equipment was needed.

Casting was not always easy or smooth, at times illuminating the tribal atmosphere of life deep in the jungle. Early in the production, looking for a suitable Fincho, I found a healthy-looking young man on the concession, named Aladdi. We shot some tests with him, which were sent to a London film lab for development. It took weeks before a print came back, during which Aladdi fell mysteriously ill, and soon died. Rumor had it that someone had wished him dead, presumably over an issue with a woman, and that he had died of a juju. Having been a popular figure in the community, Aladdi’s death was much talked about. One fellow on a trip to Benin City said he had seen him there alive, and another had met and spoken with him in faraway Ibadan. Both reported that Aladdi looked healthy and was well dressed, and would soon come back to close the account with his murderer.

At the compound there stood a large board built of wooden planks painted white, which served as a movie screen, and some distance away was a hut with an old 16mm projector in it. From time to time rented feature films were shown to the workers as a bonus. When the test including Aladdi arrived, I decided to run it for the crew after dark. Word leaked fast, and quickly several hundred Africans assembled there. It was a still, moonless night, and when Aladdi’s image appeared on the board in full color, a terrified hush fell over the audience. Someone screamed, women hid their babies, others fled. “He finally came back,” my crew explained to me as we dismantled the test, “and tonight he will find the man who killed him.”

My remonstration that it was only his image we saw convinced no one. In truth, it was I who felt uncomfortable that evening.

When Aladdi had fallen ill, and I suggested that he see a doctor, he said only a black man could cure him. When his condition deteriorated, and I offered to take him to them mission hospital, half a day’s drive away, he said, “If I go to a white doctor, I shall die.” I persisted, perhaps too strongly, and when we arrived at the small hospital the only doctor there, a youngish German with a heavy accent, said I should leave Aladdi there for a few days.

After some 10 days without a sign of Aladdi, I drove to the hospital again. “Good zat you come,” the doctor welcomed me, “your man is just now dying.” Indeed, in the ward Aladdi lay dying. “What of?” I demanded. “We gave him every test,” the doctore explained “All negative. There is a lot we don’t know about African diseases and Juju. And we cannot perform autopsies because we have no refrigeration. Do you want to take the body back with you or should we bury him in the mission graveyard?” I stayed till after the burial, and when I got back to the outpost, there was no need to say anything. Mysteriously, everyone already knew the sad news.

Whether by power of the Juju or by plain coincidence, during the night of the screening a thunderstorm broke out over the outpost, and next morning half the compound’s thatched roofs were gone. The crew informed me that Aladdi had been there and had found his killer. After that, Aladdi no longer returned to the living.

The role of Fincho finally went to Patrick Akponu, a conductor on the Lagos-Owo bus line, which was actually an open truck. He was a proud young tribesman from Onitsha, on the Niger River. Would he like to work on a film? Yes, he would. Could he read English? Yes, he had gone to school until his father had died, though his education had never been completed. A week later he came to the concession. He wore no shoes and ate with his fingers and he was natural and friendly. While learning his lines, he suddenly exclaimed, “I did this before, in the village school.” “You did what?” I asked. “Shakespeare,” he said. And while I marveled at the sound of this word coming from his lips, he stood up, looked about as if confronting an audience, and said boldly, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears,” and broke into a hearty laugh. At that moment I knew I was lucky, and indeed it became a pleasure to work with him.

For the role of Fincho’s Girl I found a charming, expressive young girl named Amukpe. Only when I handed her the dialogue lines, it turned out she was illiterate. Her role went to a young vocalist from a band in Lagos, who could read English, memorize her lines, and act them out without effort. Her name was Comfort Ajilo.

Casting the White Man was a bit of a problem, the supply of candidates being so narrow. The only man who looked the part was the concession’s CEO, who, I feared, would decline considering his status and responsibilities. When in desperation I turned to Gordon Parry-Holroyd, he accepted with great pleasure, and filled his part conscientiously and convincingly.

To play the Jujuman I approached the real fellow, who spoke no English. His part, however, did not require it, Yoruba being sufficient, and it would add authenticity to his character. The problem arose when, after several rehearsals of a shot, as soon as the camera started rolling he would freeze completely and just stand still. One of the onlookers, a lean middle-aged man, jumped in to show him what to do. His name was Adebayo Fuwa, and in the end he got the part.

Two cast members actually played themselves - the schoolmaster, Bashiru Abibu, a bright and obliging fellow who invested in his part the same commitment he had for his profession; and Chief Adedigba, the village chief. There were also Mistah Finch’s driver, Gabriel Adebisi, forever busy polishing the boss’s LandRover, Fincho’s Father Pa, George Agho, the girl’s father, Augustine Ihonde, and a white woman on the compound who played Finch’s wife joining him in the jungle, a non-speaking and therefore a non-credited part. 

Those were days before zoom lenses, and if one wanted a moving shot, one could only pan sideways or tilt up and down. To heighten intimacy by moving in slowly, imperceptibly, on a close-up or a two-shot, one needed a dolly. We built one, using two bicycles with a platform between them.

Shooting the felling of trees was particularly dramatic. The fellers always knew which way the giant trees would fall, and directed us where to place the camera for safety. Once, however, their calculation fell short. I was filming the beginning of a fall, concentrating on the trunk at the tree’s base and expecting it to fall away from us, when suddenly, amid frenzied shouting, camera and tripod were grabbed away from me as the huge mass above was crashing down toward me. There was barely time to escape when, like in a nightmare, I discovered my foot was stuck in the undergrowth. It was only a split second between the crew pulling me free from my shoe and the mammoth trunk hitting the ground. A Kingdom for a Horse? A Shoe for a Life.

All in all I spent six months in “the interior”. Except for the test with Aladdi, I saw no rushes in Africa, relying rather on the lab reports from London than having the material shipped out. I left many friends in the Kingdom of Owo, black and white. In particular Fincho remained dear to my heart. I sent him several packages and books, and hoped he would advance to a better life than he had had before. This did not come to pass. Within a month or two, one of my letters to him was returned with an official stamp “Deceased.”

The next stage was the editing and finishing of the film. This took place in Los Angeles, where I had an assistantship teaching film at UCLA, my Alma Mater. Editing was made easy as I had kept the entire film on story board, which I had updated daily during shooting. All I had to do now was to arrange the shots in sequence, and fine cut. I rounded up several Nigerian students at the university for the dubbing of voices, and was elated, amid raucous laughter, to practice Pidgin again. The dialogue and the narration of Fincho’s voice I dubbed myself. Even the short Fincho song, words written by well-known lyricist Sid Robin, I sang and recorded with a small Mexican band. As befits an almost budget-less home production, I cut the negative myself.

Film, I believe, can be made more suggestive by the use of images and sounds not necessarily connected to the scene at hand, much like metaphors in language.

When, for example, Fincho and his girl, alone in an empty riverbed, discuss their future, a close shot of a tropical bird overhearing their conversation appears momentarily.

This is not a planned shot in the screenplay, but an editing idea, and

the short clip of the bird is purchased from a ‘stock library’ in the film capital. When Fincho, riding with the timber down the river, reaches the ocean freighter, which he sees for the first time, we hear the big ship sounding its horn. This would not happen in reality, but the sound effect adds a dimension to the scene.

A kindly Hollywood composer, Alexander Laszlo, offered to compose and record an original score for the film. I was not convinced that a symphonic score was the most appropriate addition to the film, thinking a small combo or a single African instrument would be better. Eventually I was persuaded that a big orchestration would add stature to the film, an assumption I still question in my mind to this day. In any event, I had brought with me recordings of what was known as Lagos Highlife, and Laszlo adapted the syncopated rhythms with his own melody as the leitmotiv of the film, including that of the Fincho song. For the title background sheets, art student Shelley Schoenberg drew actual key scenes from the film in ink and color, to familiarize the viewer subliminally with coming events.

The final cut ran 75 minutes, a bit short perhaps for a feature, but better, I thought, than dragging it out another five or six minutes and slowing down the pace. My shooting ratio (the ratio between exposed stock to that actually used in the finished film) was 3:1, an efficient rate, made possible by the use of a detailed story board, and also by the necessity to be prudent. The net running time of finished film achieved during the shooting period was about one minute per shooting day, not a bad yield at all.

Deeply moved at the time by the enormously popular singer and black activist, Harry Belafonte, I boldly wrote him to ask if he would consider adding an introduction to the film. To my surprise he responded. He would gladly see the film, and suggested that I come to Las Vegas, where he was appearing nightly in one of the leading hotels, and show him the film. Packing a Movieola (a somewhat bulky editing machine with a small screen) and the “work-print” of the not quite finished film into my car, I drove to Nevada. Belafonte saw the film in his hotel room and agreed on the spot to cooperate. We made a date to meet at a small New York studio a few weeks later, and filmed Belafonte delivering a short address I had prepared. He did this entirely on a voluntary basis.

My Nigerian gamble thus worked out beyond my wildest dreams. After the film was completed, a most touching accolade came in the form of an unsolicited letter written by three leading Hollywood figures to the Production Head of 20th Century Fox, calling his attention to my work. The three renowned signatories were screenwriter, Norman Corwin, director Fred Zinnemann and composer Bernard Herrmann. I shall forever remain grateful for their munificence. Lastly, I also deepened a lifelong friendship with the Behrmans, who made it all possible.

Source

Esra Magazine. 

Fincho: The Making of the First Nigerian Film in Colour By Sam Zebba

Fincho: The Making of the First Nigerian Film in Colour By Sam Zebba

Sam Zebba directing "Fincho" in Nigeria.

Many people have read about Sam Zebba's "Fincho", the first film shot in colour in Nigeria in 1955 and post production was done in the United States of America and it was released in 1957. But majority of Nigerians and others have little or no knowledge about the great filmmaker, Sam Zebba who passed away in Israel on February 27, 2016.

I have decided to publish this comprehensive documentary report on him, comprising his own memoir on how he made "Fincho"; an article on him before he passed on and a memorial tribute written by David (Dudi) Sebba published by www.esra-magazine.com.

What Sam Zebba documented on the circumstances of the events that occurred during the making of "Fincho" can be a fanstatic movie. And publishing it on a Nigerian website is important in recognition of the Nigerian cast and crew. They have made history and we must remember them in the history of Nigerian cinema.

Fincho- Adventure in Nigeria 1955:
Adventure in the interior of Nigeria

One night in 1954, at the home of my London relatives, Boria and Rena Behrman, Boria showed some 8mm color footage he had taken at their timber concession in Nigeria. The Behrman family had been in the timber business for several generations, still in the ‘old country’ (Latvia), and the Nigeria concession was a new extension of their UK firm, Finch & Company. What I saw there was formidable. Giant trees were being felled in the jungle and hundreds of bare-handed African workers were pulling the heavy trunks through the mud.
I realized that this could be a starting point for an extraordinary documentary and perhaps even more than that. For some time I had felt a strong desire to move from the short film, my medium hitherto, to full-length form. If I could find a human story to fit into the tree felling process, perhaps the chance of realizing this was here.
Boria generously said I could stay in one of the bungalows built for the white staff at the concession, and film whatever I wanted. Admittedly, it would be foolhardy to go script-less into the unknown, but therein lay the challenge. And so, toward the end of the Central African rainy season in 1955, equipped with a 16mm Arriflex camera, a portable sound recording device, and a reasonable amount of Kodachrome color film, I set out on a flight to Lagos, the capital of Nigeria at the time, and from there, mostly over unpaved and ill-maintained dirt roads, passing through two enormous clusters of mud huts, Ibadan and Benin City, to the Finch timber concession in the faraway Kingdom of the Olowo (Ruler) of Owo.

World War II Atrocity to Be Told for the First Time in Film During Black History Month

"The Wereth Eleven" premieres on National Geographic Channel on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. EST. (PRNewsFoto/The Ardennes Group)

8 Feb 2011 16:11 Africa/Lagos

World War II Atrocity to Be Told for the First Time in Film on National Geographic Channel Feb. 16 During Black History Month




"The Wereth Eleven" will Premiere Nationwide on National Geographic Channel on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. EST and on the Big Screen at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. CST

PR Newswire

SOUTHOLD, N.Y., Feb. 8, 2011

SOUTHOLD, N.Y., Feb. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Wereth Eleven" is an epic docudrama based on the true story of the heroic battle waged against the attacking German army at the start of the Battle of the Bulge, and the dramatic escape made by 11 American soldiers. The film premieres nationwide on National Geographic Channel on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. EST and the screening will be at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. CST.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110208/LA43995)

"The Wereth Eleven" retraces the steps of the 11 soldiers of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion who escaped The 18th Volksgrenadiers after their unit was overrun at the start of the Battle of the Bulge. Their 10-mile trek from their battery position to Wereth, Belgium led them to refuge with a Belgian family until a Nazi sympathizer revealed their presence to an SS Reconn Patrol. The soldiers surrendered, but were taken to a field, where they were tortured, maimed, and shot on Dec. 17, 1944. The killings were investigated, but never prosecuted.

"I was really moved and saddened by this story. I thought the men's dignity was taken from them, and that really bothered me," stated Joseph Small, executive producer of "The Wereth Eleven." "I set out on a mission to make sure the citizens of America and Europe knew what happened to the 11 men and make sure they knew the contribution of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion during World War II."

Small spent the next two years researching the events that took place on the fateful day and eventually enlisted the help of writer and director, Robert Child ("Lincoln and Lee at Antietam: The Cost of Freedom") to bring the gut wrenching story to the screen.

"This film is the result of a dedicated team working together to achieve one goal: to create a film worthy of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion and the 11 men," stated Child. "I knew, to pull off the project, I had to put the right people in place. Frederic Lumiere, an outstanding filmmaker in his own right, had produced and directed History Channel's groundbreaking 10-Part series, 'WWII in HD.' If there was anyone I knew who could rise to the challenge of Wereth, it was Frederic."

The filmmakers set out to elevate war documentary recreations to a new level. The film had to portray the epic and harsh nature of the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the Americans in World War II. "Rob's vision was very ambitious: To create visuals for the film that rivaled epic Hollywood blockbusters," stated Lumiere, who edited the film. "But we also knew we had a very important story on our hands. We had the responsibility to continue Joseph Small's quest to let the world know about this incredible injustice, which occurred 67 years ago to 11 American heroes, while remaining historically accurate."

The powerful and poignant film is an epic docudrama with stunning Hollywood-grade visual effects, interviews with people who were there, and archival footage.

In one of the archival films, captured men of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion are paraded for German propaganda. After some investigating, one of the men was identified and interviewed: Retired Staff Sergeant George Shomo. Now 90 years old and a resident of northern New Jersey, Shomo offers a shocking and brutally honest personal account of what it was like to be an African American in World War II. "As a black soldier in the United States Army, you weren't as good as a dog," stated Shomo. Outnumbered 10 to one, Shomo and his fellow soldiers were left behind to fight the Germans. "We fired until we ran out of ammunition. It's hard when a man's got a rifle coming at you and all you got is a trench knife. But I got a couple (of men) and some of the other guys got a couple. I'd say the Germans had to walk over piles of their dead to get to us."

A memorial now stands on the site of the soldier's murders, dedicated to the Wereth 11 and all African-American soldiers who fought in The European Theatre. It is believed to be the only memorial to African-American soldiers of World War II in Europe.

"The Wereth Eleven" was produced by The Ardennes Group with executive producers Small, Child, and Lumiere.

The world premiere will be on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. EST on National Geographic Channel. A theatrical screening and Q&A with the filmmakers and George Shomo will be at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. CST. Click here to view the trailer for "The Wereth Eleven."

About Robert Child

Originally from New England, Robert Child has worked behind the scenes as a writer, technical director, and director for more than a decade with network clients including HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NBC, ABC, and CBS. Child has been working on independent historical projects since 2001 and has won numerous awards including two CINE Golden Eagles and a Special Jury Award at World Fest Houston. His work has also been named as an Official Selection at major United States film festivals including the New York Independent Film Festival and the Washington DC Independent Film Festival.

About Frederic Lumiere

Lumiere is an award-winning filmmaker who's first feature film, "Tomorrow is Today" starring Scout Taylor-Compton ("Halloween I," "Halloween II") received 11 awards, including the Directorial Discovery Award from the Rhode Island International Film Festival. He has also produced, directed, and edited award-winning programming for Cinemax, A&E, History, Biography, and The National Geographic Channel. Before executive producing and editing "The Wereth Eleven," Lumiere produced, directed, and edited the groundbreaking Emmy Award-winning series "WWII in HD," narrated by Gary Sinise.

For press information, contact:
Verena King
Verena King Public Relations
702-354-3527
Verena@verenakingpr.com
Twitter: # WWII Atrocity @TheWereth11 Told for 1st Time in Film on @NatGeoChannel 2/16 During Black History Month #Wereth11 http://bit.ly/hy3u8m

For Official Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YULUUoc-fI

SOURCE The Ardennes Group

CONTACT: Verena King of Verena King Public Relations, +1-702-354-3527, Verena@verenakingpr.com, for The Ardennes Group

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
10 Feb 2011
18:57	Fifth Third Bank Chicago Celebrates Black History Month
18:38	Commonwealth Agencies Join to Celebrate Black History Month
06:01	U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for February 10
00:30	Nestle Celebrates Black History Month
9 Feb 2011
22:06	State Agencies to Celebrate Black History Month on Feb. 10
00:22	Hundreds of Women and Girls from 8 - 90 Years Young and Older Attend 'Healthy, Wealthy & Wise' National Empowerment Tour Events
06:01	U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for February 9
8 Feb 2011
16:11	World War II Atrocity to Be Told for the First Time in Film on National Geographic Channel Feb. 16 During Black History Month
15:00	University of Texas Documentary 'When I Rise' Premiering Tonight on the PBS Series Independent Lens
13:00	Cox Communications Commemorates Black History Month
06:01	U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for February 8
7 Feb 2011
21:29	Susan Taylor, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine to Host The Harlem Fine Arts Show 2011 Opening Night

More Top Headlines:

11:00 Man Charged With Allure of the Seas Crew Member's Death

05:17	Soudan / Une mobilisation pour les libertés inspirée des évènements en Tunisie et en Égypte sévèrement réprimée par le service national de renseignement et de sécurité / Arrestations, détentions arbitraires et actes de torture contre des manifestants pacifiques
05:14	Togo / News magazine's appeal hearing delayed, ban remains in place
05:12	Togo / Le procès de Tribune d'Afrique reporté, le journal toujours empêché de paraître
05:11	Suites du référendum d'autodétermination du Sud Soudan (11 février 2011)
05:07	République Centrafricaine / Point de presse du porte-parole du Quai d'Orsay
05:05	Egypte / Point de presse du porte-parole du Quai d'Orsay
05:04	Soudan / Point de presse du porte-parole du Quai d'Orsay
04:53	Statement from the Egyptian Press and Information Office on Today's Announcement by President Hosni Mubarak
04:50	Entretien du ministre d'état avec le président élu de l'Union des Comores / Point de presse du porte-parole du Quai d'Orsay
04:48	Norway regrets Somali parliament's decision
02:09	LETS Educational Foundation Responds to Arizona Shooting with Solutions That Address Stigma of Mental Illness
02:00	The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Japan Declines
01:41	MEDIA ADVISORY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fiscal 2012 Civil Works Budget Press Conference Scheduled
01:33	NAMM Sees Positive Signs Ahead for Music Products Industry
01:18	Velazquez on Regulations Resolution

Volkswagen Becomes First Auto Manufacturer To Launch a Car Exclusively on a Mobile Device

All-new Volkswagen 2010 GTI Launches Through Real Racing GTI App (PRNewsFoto/Volkswagen of America, Inc.) HERNDON, VA UNITED STATES 20091021T00:00:00-04:00 0-04:00
Six U.S. Players of the Real Racing GTI App Can Compete to Win One of Six Limited-Edition, Fully-Customized 2010 GTIs. (PRNewsFoto/Volkswagen of America, Inc.) HERNDON, VA UNITED STATES 20091021T00:00:00-04:00 0-04:00

22 Oct 2009 13:00 Africa/Lagos

Volkswagen Becomes First Auto Manufacturer To Launch a Car Exclusively on a Mobile Device

Free Real Racing GTI Game Brings Volkswagen All-New 2010 GTI to iPhone(R) and iPod touch(R) Six U.S. Players Will Each Win One of Six Customized Limited-Edition GTI MkVI Vehicles Through December 2

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced the launch of the all-new 2010 GTI via the App Store by making available a free version of the popular Firemint Real Racing game that exclusively features the all-new 2010 GTI. This is the first time an automotive manufacturer has used the App Store to launch a new vehicle. Additionally, users of the Real Racing GTI App in the U.S. can compete for the chance to win one of six, limited-edition 2010 GTIs that are fully-customized inside and out.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091022/DE96311-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091022/DE96311-b )


The free Real Racing GTI App is available worldwide and spares no detail, allowing players to experience every thrilling aspect of the all-new 2010 GTI right in the palms of their hands on iPhone and iPod touch. From the redesigned exterior with more aggressive headlights and the famous red-striped grille, to the sporty interior with a race-inspired steering wheel, the all-new 2010 GTI races its way to life on the screen for a thrilling gaming experience.


"With the personalization of media and the challenges inherent with reaching constantly connected consumers, we tasked ourselves to rethink the way we launch vehicles in order to engage our consumers in a meaningful way," said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "The GTI customer is a tech-savvy consumer who enjoys social networking, playing games and spending time on mobile devices - most often an iPhone. Launching the all-new 2010 GTI via the Real Racing GTI App allows us to connect with this savvy GTI consumer within his or her everyday life in a way that no 30-second spot ever could."


U.S.-registered players enjoying the action of the Real Racing GTI App will be challenged to put their skills to the test for a chance to win one of six limited-edition 2010 GTI models. The more they play, the more chances they have to win. Each week for six consecutive weeks beginning today, one player will be chosen to win the ultimate racing prize: the exclusive GTI MkVI, an individually-numbered, specially-tuned version of the legendary hatchback. Each model includes the GTI's 2.0T 200hp four-cylinder engine, a performance tuned suspension finished with black, Volkswagen motorsport 18-inch all-new wheels, and special interior touches, including carbon fiber-look trim, a numbered dash plaque, and unique stitching in the front headrests. For more information on the competition please visit: www.vw.com/RealRacingGTI.


Given the ever-increasing prominence of social networking in the lives of the games' target consumers, Real Racing GTI includes several features designed to foster social connectivity. These include the ability of players to send messages to their competitors via Twitter and to capture and upload videos of their best laps to the game's YouTube channel for international bragging rights. Additionally, GTI MkVI buyers will also be able to configure their vehicles, modeled after the six prize cars, at participating Volkswagen dealerships throughout the U.S.


The Real Racing GTI App is available for free from the App Store on the iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. No purchase is necessary to enter the contest, which officially ends on December 2 at 11:59PM.


For more about the 2010 Volkswagen GTI, the Real Racing GTI game, and an in-depth look at the six GTI prize editions that are waiting to hit the streets, please visit www.media.vw.com.


About Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.


Founded in 1955, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Through its Volkswagen division, VWGoA sells the Golf, GTI, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, Passat, Passat Wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2010 Volkswagen models come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.


About Firemint


Firemint creates fun, addictive games. The studio has worked with the industry's leading publishers developing over 30 titles from notable franchises as well as originals. Firemint's first self-published iPhone game Flight Control has been a world-wide #1 App Store hit. Firemint's second self-published iPhone game, the high-end 3D pro racing title Real Racing, has been critically acclaimed as a triumph for the platform. Founded in 1999 by CEO Robert Murray, Firemint is located in Melbourne, Australia's games development hub, and employs 35 people. For more information about Firemint, please visit www.firemint.com.


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091022/DE96311-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091022/DE96311-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN2 3
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc.

CONTACT: Mya Walters of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.,
+1-703-364-7692, mya.walters@vw.com


Web Site: http://www.vw.com/

WIN A TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY FOR A SHOPPING SPREE!

Bloomberg is First to Provide Real-Time Nigerian Exchange Data

8 Oct 2009 12:00 Africa/Lagos

Bloomberg is First to Provide Real-Time Nigerian Exchange Data

NEW YORK, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The real-time market data feed from the Nigerian Stock Exchange is now available to investors across the globe via the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL® service. With this development, Bloomberg users can access real-time trade reports, orderbook updates and index pricing from the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Bloomberg is the first vendor to carry Nigerian Stock Exchange data in real-time.


"We are excited to have our data available to Bloomberg users, which will boost our international presence and further position The Nigerian Stock Exchange as an investment destination of choice in the global securities market arena", said the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of The Exchange, Professor Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke.


"Bloomberg is the first vendor to offer the global distribution of real time data from Nigeria. This addition reinforces Bloomberg's commitment to the emerging markets and to offer the widest possible choice of real-time data and analytical tools for our users," said Gerard Francis, Bloomberg's head of Global Emerging Markets.


About Bloomberg


Bloomberg is the world's most trusted source of information for businesses and professionals. Bloomberg combines innovative technology with unmatched analytic, data, news, display and distribution capabilities, to deliver critical information via the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL® service and multimedia platforms. Bloomberg's media services cover the world with more than 2,200 news and multimedia professionals at 145 bureaus in 68 countries. The BLOOMBERG TELEVISION® 24-hour network reaches more than 200 million homes. BLOOMBERG RADIO® services broadcast via XM, Sirius and WorldSpace satellite radio globally and on WBBR 1130AM in New York. The award-winning monthly BLOOMBERG MARKETS® magazine, the BLOOMBERG.COM® financial news and information Web site and BLOOMBERG PRESS® books provide news and insight to investors. For more information, please visit http://www.bloomberg.com/.


The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service and data products are owned and distributed by Bloomberg Finance L.P. (BFLP) except that Bloomberg L.P. and its subsidiaries (BLP) distribute these products in Argentina, Bermuda, China, India, Japan and Korea. BLOOMBERG and BLOOMBERG NEWS are trademarks and service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.


Source: Bloomberg

CONTACT: Angela Martin, +1-212-617-1211, angelamartin@bloomberg.net


Web Site: http://www.bloomberg.com/


Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
9 Oct 2009
13:40
Nigéria / Assassinat d'un ressortissant français (8 octobre 2009)
8 Oct 2009
20:34
Bloomberg est le premier à offrir des données en temps réel sur la bourse du Nigeria
20:08
Platts Survey: OPEC Oil Output Rises to 28.83 Million Barrels per Day in September
16:59
Commit Media Makes Change, Takes Cause and Entertainment to New Levels
12:00
Bloomberg is First to Provide Real-Time Nigerian Exchange Data
00:33
L'industrie du mobile étend la portée des programmes de santé dans les marchés émergents
00:11
Mobiele industrie breidt bereik van gezondheidsprogramma's om opkomende markten uit
7 Oct 2009
15:44
Third session of the African Union conference of ministers of sport (SCSA) / Theme: Africa's chance through sport
6 Oct 2009
18:21
Mobile Industry Extends Reach of Healthcare Programs in Emerging Markets
5 Oct 2009
16:26
PENTAX Medical Company Grants $50,000 to Support the ASGE Ambassador Program for GI Endoscopic Training in Developing Countries
14:30
KPMG Study: Despite Economic Downturn, U.S. Companies Remain Leading Acquirers of Emerging Market Companies
13:00
ContourGlobal y la OPIC firman un acuerdo de asociación para proyectos de energía
12:00
ContourGlobal y OPIC firman un acuerdo para asociarse en proyectos energéticos
12:00
ContourGlobal e OPIC sottoscrivono un accordo di collaborazione per progetti energetici
12:00
ContourGlobal en OPIC tekenen overeenkomst om partner te worden in energieprojecten
12:00
ContourGlobal et l'OPIC signent un accord de partenariat dans des projets énergétiques
12:00
ContourGlobal und die OPIC zeichnen Partnerschaftsabkommen für Energieprojekte
12:00
ContourGlobal and OPIC Sign Agreement to Partner in Energy Projects

Nigeria builds first Ozone village in Africa

24 Aug 2009 19:08 Africa/Lagos

Nigeria builds first Ozone village in Africa


ABUJA, August 24, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Nigerian Government is building an Ozone village to serve as a technology development.


The announcement was made by the Nigerian Federal Minster of Environment, John Ode at the opening of the 4 days ODS Officers Network (ODSONET) Joint meeting, which is being held in Abuja, Nigeria.


The village is located in Ogun State. As part of this project, some locally fabricated prototype Ozone friendly machines have been developed. The machines include a box of foaming machines, CFC recovery and recycling machine and hydrocarbon refrigerant production machine.


The box is said to be globally competitive and the initiative will be presented to the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol to consider the Hydro carbon production machine as a pilot demonstration project to be considered under the HCFC programme.


The Montreal Protocol requires countries to also start freeze the consumption of hydro fluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 1st January, 2013 and some countries have already started restricting the importation of HCFCs to enable them meet the 2013 target.


The Head of Paris-based UNEP OzonAction Branch, Rajendra Shende said: “HCFCs have a high potential of global warming. Unlike for the CFCs where the phase out plans were only meant to address the ozone depleting potential, we now want to also consider the value added to the mitigation of the climate change. In phase out the HCFC we will also be counting how much global warming potential we will help reduce”.


Judging from past experience in CFC phase out, it is likely that there will be an influx in import of equipment using HCFCs towards African countries as other parts of the world will be grappling to get rid of there unwanted uses.


“This will surely increase to demand in HCFC making it difficult to many countries to meet their obligation. Most countries present here are enforcing their ODS Regulations which controls importation of ODS including HCFC. But I can assure you that regulations alone will not help if they are not backed up with a good and well funded and assisted phase-out Programme” Mr. Shende added.


The ongoing meeting is meant to provide a platform for Ozone Officers to compare note on the measures taken in the past years and draw the lessons learnt and in a few specific case still needing readjustment.


It is expected that this Joint meeting, which also brings together journalists from different parts of Africa, would allow countries in the region to exchange views on the process for the development of their respective HCFC Management Plans.


Note to editors:





Hydro chlorofluorocarbons, known as HCFCs are ozone depleting substances (ODS) that are used mostly as refrigerants or foam blowing agents.


For More Information Please Contact: Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson, Office of the Executive Director, on Tel: +254 20 762 3084; Mobile: +254 733 632 755, E-mail: Nick.Nuttall@unep.org or Angele Luh-Sy, Regional Information Officer, on Tel: 254 20 762 4292, Mobile: 254 722 429 770, E-mail: Angele.Luh@unep.org


Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
27 Aug 2009
06:03
Darfur / UNAMID Daily Media Brief
05:32
Addax Petroleum initie une campagne d'exploration dans une zone de <<>> (développement en partenariat)
05:27
Addax Petroleum beginnt mit Explorationskampagne in der gemeinsamen Entwicklungszone (Joint Development Zone/JDZ) > (développement en partenariat)" src="http://media.prnewswire.com/en/images/icons/french.gif" border=0>
26 Aug 2009
11:53
Addax Petroleum Commences Exploration Campaign in Joint Development Zone
10:58
Addax Petroleum commences exploration campaign in joint development zone
09:23
CNOOC Ltd. Announces First Half-Year Results with Great Increase of Production and Excellent Exploration Performance
08:00
Leading Fingerprint Software Chosen to Enroll and Verify Pilgrims at Hajj by the Kaduna State Muslims Pilgrims Board in Nigeria
24 Aug 2009
21:06
AllianceBernstein Global High Income Fund Releases Monthly Portfolio Update
19:08
Nigeria builds first Ozone village in Africa
19:08
Sealing the Hole and Sealing the Deal / Resolve of African Countries 135 days Before 2010 Deadline for Total Phase out of CFCs / Confirming the success story as 100% African countries are set to meet the deadline
15:51
IBM Expands Corporate Service Corps in Emerging Markets
14:54
Bristow Group Announces Preferred Dividend and Mandatory Conversion of Preferred Stock
12:50
CDII Trading, a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of China Direct Industries, and China Armco Metals Enter into Strategic Partnership Agreement for Metals Procurement