Rich Mix, in partnership with Africa at the Pictures, are running a monthly programme of recent documentaries, shorts and feature films with focus on African independence days. For more information about the rest of the festival, visit www.africaatthepictures.co.uk.

Sunday 2 November | Barakat
Dir: Djamila Sahraou | Cast: Rachida Brakni, Fettouma Bouamari, Zahir Bouzrar | Algeria | 2007 | 95mins
Set in the 90s when Algeria was in the throes of a terrifying civil war, a doctor is called out to attend a seriously ill boy. When she returns home the next morning she discovers that her husband has disappeared. She sets out to find him with the help of an older nurse, who fought with the freedom fighters and whose familiarity with the hazards of the land become both indispensable and an irritation. The dramatic intensity of the search increases, the generational breach widens, and the women's faces seem to merge with the scarred landscapes of Algeria. Propelled by magnetic central performances, this bold film's cry of protest is in its title translation: enough!

Sunday 16 November | O Hero
Dir: Zézé Gamboa | Cast: Makena Diop, Milton Coelho, Neusa Borges |Angola | 2004 | 97mins
When he was 15, Vitório was recruited by the Angolan army, where he would stay for two decades fighting. In his last mission, he was hit by a mine and lost a leg. After a long time waiting, he finally manages to secure a prothesis. With no job and unable to find his family, he faces indifference and mockery. One night, while sleeping on the street, somebody steals his prothesis. But he finds support in three people: the prostitute Judith, the boy Manu and Joana, Manu's teacher.

Awards: 3 wins
Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival 2005: Won Best Feature - Carla Baptista
Nantes Three Continents Festival 2004: Won Audience Award - Zézé Gamboa
Sundance Film Festival 2005: Won Grand Jury Prize World