I Could Live in Africa, 1983
《非洲也能活》，1983年
16mm film transferred to DVD, 21 min.
16mm电影，DVD, 21分钟
Courtesy of the artist
作品由艺术家提供

Jacques de Koning traveled to Poland in 1982 after the imposition of martial law and encountered an underground punk and reggae scene full of dreams for a better life. One band, formed by Robert Brylewski and Pawel Kelner (who called themselves Izrael, in opposition to the anti-semitism they found around them), became the subject of de Koning’s poetic documentary. The film’s title – which is borrowed from one of the band’s best-known songs – expresses the longing for a faraway continent that none of the protagonists have visited. It also announces an unlikely openness to the world and an optimism about freedom of movement in the face of an increasingly difficult political situation. De Koning captures the stark contrast between the young men’s aspirations and their actuality: Poland’s proverbial and real winter on the one hand; the fantasy of Africa as sun, rhythm and the easy life on the other. Earlier this year, the film also lent its title to an exhibition on the Polish Punk scene organized at Witte de With, which became the fifth act of Morality.
Jacques de Koning于1982年来到波兰，当时正值波兰战争法强迫通过之后，他与一群玩地下朋克和雷鬼的人不期而遇，一群对更好的生活充满幻想的人。有一支名为Izrael（波兰语的以色列，取这个名字是为了和他们周围的反犹情绪唱反调）的乐队，由Robert Brylewski和Pawel建立，这个乐队成为de Koning这部诗意的电影的主角。电影的标题来自于这个乐队最为人熟悉的一首歌曲，表达了对一个遥远大陆的渴望，尽管电影中的主角从未到过那里。这个标题同时宣示了一种不大可能的向世界开放的未来以及面对越来越艰难的政治状况仍然对自由运动满怀乐观的情绪。de Koning抓住了这群年轻人的抱负与自身状况的强烈矛盾：一方面是众所周知的波兰“严冬”，另一方面则是对非洲的阳光、节拍、和惬意生活的想象。今年早些时候，这部电影的标题还被借用到一次有关波兰朋克音乐的展览中，展览在Witte de With当代艺术中心举行，是项目“道德”的第五次活动。

Jacques de Koning (b. 1956) is a Dutch screenwriter and filmmaker who lives and works in Amsterdam. He studied Public Administration at the Technical University of Twente, Psychology at the University of Amsterdam and went on to graduate from the Dutch Film and Television Academy in 1984.  Himself a member of the reggae band High Live and the punk band TOP DOG (1978-1982), de Koning’s early documentary work reflected this interest and he also produced the documenary Punk in Poland in 1985 for IKON TV. He has continued to combine documentary filmmaking and music making, among other projects managing SeneMali, an 8-piece band from Senegal Africa. Recent projects include the animated film Hufter (2010), a social commentary on life in the Netherlands. 
Jacques de Koning（1956年生）是编剧家和电影制作人，生活工作于阿姆斯特丹。他曾于特温特技术大学学习行政管理，在阿姆斯特丹大学攻读心理学，1984年毕业于荷兰电影与电视学院。1978年到1982年间，他曾是雷鬼乐队High Live和朋克乐队TOP DOG的成员，他早期的纪实作品也反映出了他的这种兴趣；同时，他还为IKON TV电视台拍摄了纪录片《朋克在波兰》（Punk in Poland, 1985年）。此后，他继续将纪实拍摄和音乐制作联系起来，此外还管理过来自塞内加尔的SeneMali这样八人组的乐队。他最近的项目是电影<Hufter>（2010年），这部生动的社会纪实片反映了荷兰的当下生活状态。