By BAMUTURAKI MUSINGUZI

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The "Engaging Borders Africa" project created by Nigerian novelist Richard Ali has announced the screenwriters for the Sahel Film Making Project under its Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) programme.

The three screenwriters — Africa Ukoh (Nigeria), Samuel Tebandeke (Uganda), and Christopher Doherty (US) — will write screenplays for three selected short films: This Side of the Sun, which was originally The Sound of Silence, by Lucy Wangari (Kenya); Hate is like Party Jollof, by Boládale Tèmítope Maryam (Nigeria); and Travelling, by Suleiman Aigbe Buhari (Nigeria).

“I’m pleased to announce the three stories we have optioned for our short films project, a major component of this project. Beyond your already brilliant stories, accessible on the website, the judges based their decision on three criteria peculiar to film as a medium for our counter narratives,” said Janice Malachi, the administration officer of Engaging Borders Africa, in a statement.

This Side of the Sun follows a victim of multilevel violence, sharing her traumatic story in the aftermath of her sister's death.

Maryam’s Hate is Like Party Jollof explores ethno-religious hate between the Yoruba and Hausa communities in Ibadan.

Travelling uses the metaphor of the road to animate drama around a young girl who does not know that her father has been killed by militant extremists.

“This Side of the Sun was inspired by my special needs background. The voice of people/children with disabilities is often not heard. They exist in other people’s stories but not their own. I just wanted it to be known that they have their own stories they want to tell and can tell if given a voice.

“I would love the opportunity to grow it into a novel,” Wangari said.

Doherty is a US screenwriter, dialogue consultant, and visual artist, based in Munich, Germany, whose writing roll includes The Name of the Rose (1986), starring Sean Connery, and Bagdad Café. He will be working on This Side of the Sun.