Cultures of Resistance

Our society's best cartoonists use satirical humor and common sense observations to comment on the contemporary political landscape. In one image, the artist can capture the absurdity of politicians' self-serving arguments and lay bare the corruption of established elites. The two shorts films below highlight courageous cartoonists who use clever and pointed images to deliver trenchant denunciations of the injustices they see in their countries.

Hassan Samedi: Cartoons Against Corruption

To many, Hassan Samedi’s work might not appear very dangerous, but the government of Afghanistan views it as a lethal threat. As a political cartoonist, Samedi criticizes the absurdities and contradictions of the state. Newspapers have been closed in response to his work, and he has received numerous threats for his commentary on government waste and the flawed rule of law under a U.S.-supported regime. This short film explores Samedi’s bold work and hears about the consequences he has faced for exercising freedom of expression in Afghanistan.

Thembo Kash: Cartooning for Justice DRC/Congo

Thembo Kash, an illustrator from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), focuses his work on two themes: the corruption that plagues his country’s government and the exploitation of natural resources by foreign corporations. Speaking about one of his illustrations, Kash says, “I’ve drawn Congo as a cake. People are helping themselves, but the Congolese don’t benefit from it.” Perhaps the most well-known of a new generation of visual artists in his country, Kash believes that the collective work of artists seeking to expose injustice can produce revolutionary results. This short film takes a look at some of Kash’s work and features an interview with the artist about the political situation in the DRC.