Films are shown at 7p.m. in Lyons 301.  The film series is presented by the African and African Diaspora Studies Program and AADS core faculty member Régine Michelle Jean-Charles. All events are free and open to the public.

Spring 2011 Films:

March 2: Faat Kine

A forty-year-old woman refuses to give into the stigma of unwed motherhood and climbs the ladder of success in a male dominated field.

March 21: Family Motel 

A Somali refugee and her teenage daughters, confront the unexpected when they are evicted from their apartment for arrears in rent. The film follows their subsequent move to a beaten down motel for the homeless on the “other side” of town.

April 6:  The Neo African Americans 

How rapid, voluntary immigration from Africa and the Caribbean is transforming the "African-American" narrative.

April 11: La noire de...

A black girl from Senegal becomes a servant in France.

May 2:  Hip Hop:  The New World Order

A look at hip-hop around the world, with stops in Cuba, London, Paris, Hamburg, and Amsterdam.

Past Film Series:

 

Fall 2010: Haiti in Film

September 29th, 2010:

L’homme sur les quais/ Man by the Shores (1993)In the 1960s, during the dictatorship of "Papa Doc" Duvalier, this highly symbolic tale of Hiati's hopes and desires follows a young girl haunted by nightmares of a man who put an end to her childhood.

October 27th, 2010:

The Agronomist (2003)

A Profile of Haitian radio journalist, human rights activist, and host of Radio Haiti-Inter, Jean Dominique, this documentary with historical footage of Haiti's vivid and tumultuous past incorporates footage shot before Dominique's assassination on April 3, 2000

November 10th, 2010:

Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy (2008)

Told through the compelling lives of five courageous Haitian women workers, Poto Mitan gives the global economy a human face. Each woman’s personal story explains neoliberal globalization, how it is gendered, and how it impacts Haiti.

December 1st, 2010:

The Price of Sugar (2007)

The Price of Sugar follows a charismatic Spanish priest, Father Christopher Hartley, as he organizes workers on sugarcane plantations in the Dominican Republic, challenging the powerful  corporate sugar interests profiting from their work.

Spring 2010 Films: Documenting the Diaspora

May 5th: Darwin's Nightmare (2004)

• The Nile perch was put into Tanzania's Lake Victoria and wiped out the native fish.
• This predatory fish is sold in European markets, while Tanzanians survive on the leftovers.

April 28th: Lalibela Wonders and Mystery (2007)

• A journey through the majestic city of Lalibela Ethiopia, describing the history of the ancient rock hewn churches.

April 21st: Before They Die (2008)

• In 1921 white mobs destroyed a black town in Oklahoma ... 79 years later the survivors continue to fight for reparations.

April 7th: Very Young Girls (2007)

• This film chronicles the journey of young women through the underground world of sexual exploitation in New York City.

March 31st: Afro-Punk (2003)

• Following the lives of four persons of color who have dedicated themselves to punk rock.

March 24th: Hip-Hop Colony: The African Hip-Hop Explosion (2007)

• An exploration of Genge, Kenya's unique brand of Hip-Hop.
• Witness the style's global popularity.

March 17th: New York Then and Now
The Fighting Shirley Chisholm (2003)

• In 1964, Chisholm ran for a state assembly seat and won.
• In 1968, Chisholm campaigned to represent New York's 12th Congressional District and won
• On January 25, 1972, Chisholm announced her candidacy for president.

All Our Sons: Fallen Heroes of 9/11 (2004)

• Twelve African Americans fire fighters were among the World Trade Center victims on September 11th, 2001
• This moving documentary profiles these heroes, their families, and the ultimate sacrifices they made.

March 10th
Looking for Langston (1988)

• Issac Julien's Looking for Langston combines authentic archival news reel footage with scripted scenes to produce a non-linear impressionistic story line celebrating black gay identity and desire during the Harlem Renaissance in New York.

Fall 2009 Films

November 30th:  Bamako (2006)

• Depicts a trial in Bamako, the capital of Mali, addressing whether the World Bank and the IMF, or perhaps corruption, are guilty of the current financial state of many poverty-striken African countries.
  
• Director: Abderrahmmane Sissako

November 16th:  La Malentendu Colonial (2004)

• A look at Christian evangelism in Africa and how it destroyed African beliefs and social systems and replaced them with European ones.
  
• Director:  Jean-Marie Teno

November 9th:  Rosewood (2002)

• This documentary recaps the recent history of the African nation of Cameroon as it changed hands three times in this century
  
• Director:  Jean Marie Teno

November 2nd:  Lumumba (2000)

• Based on the rise to power and brutal assassination of  the former vilified  and later redeemed  leader of the independent Congo, Patrice  Lumumba
  
• Director:  Raul Peck

October 26th:  Moolade (2004)

• Set in Burkina Faso, this is an inspiring story about a group of women who stand up for their rights against the traditions of their village.
  
• Director:  Sembene Ousmane

October 19th:  Taafe Fanga (1999)

• Describes the adventure of a group of women in an African village, as they discover a mystical mask. Using the mask, they reverse gender roles.
  
• Director:  Adama Drabo

October 12th:  Mossane (1996)

• The trials and tribulations of Mossane, a striking 14 year old girl whose recognized and praised beauty cause conflicts, and general discontent towards their identity.
  
• Director:  Safi Faye

October 5th:  Femme Aux Yeux Ouverts (1994)

• Portraits of contemporary African women from four West African nations; Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, and Benin.
  
• Director:  Anne-Laure Folly

September 28th:  Moolade (1992)

• To satisfy her curiosity, a witch turns a naughty girl into a young man. The girl is challenged by young men to court a tyrannical cop's daughter.
  
• Director:  Jean-Pierre Bekolo