Jozi Film Festival: Bliss of Ignorance

The Jozi Film Festival is an annual event that showcases the latest films made by South African and international filmmakers in one of Africa’s most vibrant cities – Johannesburg. The sixth Jozi Film Festival will highlight the very best in filmmaking, presenting a multi-genre slate of films from emerging and established filmmakers, exploring a broad range of topics that affect our communities and stir our hearts and minds.

Tickets: R50

The Bliss of Ignorance

Directed by: Simon Waller

29min

Through first-hand testimony The Bliss of Ignorance investigates South Africa’s complex relationship with one of the country’s most abundant resources: coal. With experts predicting the creation of a “sick” generation in the Mpumalanga region (which is home to twelve of the world’s largest power stations), this documentary looks at the impact of South Africa’s energy policy – particularly the support for Eskom’s coal-fired power stations – on public health. In February 2015, the country’s energy utility Eskom was granted five years grace from complying with atmospheric emission standards, making this film even more timely and relevant. Set against the wider climate change debate, The Bliss of Ignorance highlights how the mining and burning of coal affects the environment; polluting air and valuable water resources in a water-scarce country.

Q&A TO FOLLOW SCREENING