THE BEST of ADIFF 2015
THE CHAPEL
TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
525 W. 120TH ST
New York, NY 10027
BEST OF ADIFF AT A GLANCE
FRIDAY, JAN. 9, 2015
6:00PM Shadow of Color / Sombra di Kolo
7:35PM Reshipment / Re-embarque
9:00PM Supremacy
SATURDAY, JAN. 10, 2015
2:00PM The Price of Memory
4:00PM Obama Mama
6:00PM Hold Back / Rengaine
8:00PM That Daughter's Crazy – Q&A and Reception
SUNDAY, JAN 11, 2015
2:00PM Azu
4:00PM Tango Negro: The African Roots of Tango
6:00PM Bound: Africans vs African-Americans
8:00PM Njinga, Queen of Angola
Shadow of Color (Sombra di Koló)
In five neighborhoods on the Island of Curaçao – a former Dutch colony – each neighborhood distinct in its racial and class make-up, a total of thirty Curaçaoans of all ages and all walks of life share what "race" and "skin color" mean to them today. Directed by Angela E. Roe and Selwyn de Wind, 2014, Curaçao, Documentary, 72mins, Papiamentu, Dutch, English subt.
Reshipment (Re-embarque)
The voices of prominent historians join the memories of Haitians and their descendants in Cuba to understand a chapter of the complex economic and social history of the Caribbean : the presence in the Island of Cuba of thousands of West Indian laborers, especially from Haiti. That army of black workers who fertilized with their sweat the fields of Cuba from the beginning of the twentieth century. For many, it was a great bargain of cheap labor. For others, the realization of the dream of every immigrant: make money and return home .
Since then, despite the discrimination suffered by the Haitians, the Creole language, and the Haitian religious, musical and dance traditions remain in the cultural landscape of Cuba. Still , remember that older family members with years of stay in Cuba were victims of a reshipment as if they were damaged goods, a forced repatriation to Haiti when they were no longer needed in the sugar cane fields or coffee plantations.
Therefore it is said that life of Haitians in Cuba has moved between dreams and setbacks. So, we have this fitting reminder of a virtually forgotten chapter in our history. It is a tribute to the protagonists, the unsung anonymous heroes who wove an important passage between two people in the Caribbean: Cuba and Haiti. Directed by Gloria Rolando, 2014, Cuba/Haiti, Documentary, 58 min, Spanish, English subt.
Supremacy
Based on a true story, Supremacy follows a high-ranking white supremacist who murders a cop and hides out with his accomplice by taking a black family hostage. Danny Glover plays the patriarch of the house, an ex-con who must rely on his wits and understanding of the supremacist's racist mind to keep his family safe. The enthralling, suspenseful thriller stars Joe Anderson, Dawn Olivieri, Derek Luke, Mahershala Ali, Lela Rochon, Robin Bobeau, and Evan Ross. Directed by Deon Taylor, 2014, 102 min, United States, Drama, English
The Price of Memory
When Queen Elizabeth II visited Jamaica in 2002, she was petitioned by a small group of Rastafari for slavery reparations. For Rastafari, reparations are linked to moving to Africa, from where their ancestors were brought as enslaved people. This timely, important film traces the Rastafarian petition and a reparations lawsuit against the Queen over a decade into both the British and Jamaican parliaments, while interweaving stories of earlier Rastas who pursued reparations in the 1960s. Directed by Karen Marks Mafundikwa, 2014, Jamaica, Documentary, 83 min, English.
Obama Mama
Stanley Ann Dunham was an anthropologist with a Ph.D, a lifelong traveler and the mother of the first Black president of the United States. Her intelligence, progressive politics, and activism made for a profound life—one whose inspiration continues to resonate through her son, President Barack Obama. The "largeness of her heart," as her son describes it, is the centerpiece of this inspiring documentary. Directed by Vivian Norris, 2014, 83 min, United States/Poland/France, Documentary, English.
Hold Back (Rengaine)
In this fresh Paris based romantic drama, Dorcy, a young black Christian and Sabrina, a young North African Muslim, decide to get married. But Sabrina has forty brothers and this carefree, loving desire for marriage crystalizes a taboo still firmly rooted in the mentalities of the two communities: no marriage between Blacks and Arabs. Slimane, the oldest brother and the guardian of traditions, will oppose this union in every way possible. Directed by Rachid Djaïdani, 2012, France, 79 min, French, English subt.
That Daughter's Crazy
GUEST FILM - NY Premiere
Carrying on a career as an actor/singer/comedian, beyond the shadow of her legendary father, Rain Pryor is an original, bold, and energetic voice, who brings us influences of her upbringing with a deep love and respect for her father. Her quest for individuality is exemplified in her award-winning one-woman show, Fried Chicken and Latkes, which dramatizes growing up in Beverly Hills in a bi-racial, half Jewish/half black household. The film features footage, photos, press clippings of Rain's life and career, as well as various interviews. A social commentary, the film explores themes of diversity, relationships between parents and children and a profound perspective of one entertainer's journey. Directed by Elzbieta Szoka, 2014, 59 min, USA, Documentary, English
Q&A with Rain Pryor after the screening and cocktail reception
Azú
After surviving the treacherous Middle Passage, suffering the humiliation of an auction block, and a purchase by slave traders, Azú is brought to the plantation of a sugarcane farmer. Little does her master know that Azú has an ancestral destiny that will completely disrupt the plantation's natural order. Action, mysticism and the African identity come together in this story enveloped in magic and the fight for freedom. Stars Pedro Durán, Carmen Francia, Maryelis Rivas, Flora Sylvestre and Juvel Vielma. Directed by Luis Alberto Lamata, 100 min, 2013, Venezuela, drama, Spanish with English subt.
Tango Negro, The African Roots of Tango
Tango Negro explores the expression of African-ness inherent in the dance of the "tango" and the contribution of African cultures to the dance's creation. Angolan director, Dom Pedro, details the dance's early cultural significance as a depiction of the social life of captured African slaves and provides an expansive compilation of musical performances and interviews from tango enthusiasts and historians alike. Tango Negroprovides a novel insight into the depth of tango's sub-Saharan African musical influence, a presence that has crossed oceans and endured the tides of forced bondage.
Directed by Dom Pedro, 2013, France, Documentary, 93 min, French, Spanish, English subt.
Bound: Africans vs. African-Americans
Bound: African vs African Americans is a hard-hitting documentary that addresses the little known tension that exists between Africans and African Americans. The film opens with personal testimonials that expose this rift then walks us through the corridors of African colonialism and African American enslavement, laying bare their effects and how these have divided and bound Africans and African Americans. Directed by Peres Owino, 2014, 90 min., United States, documentary, English.
Njinga, Queen of Angola
In the 17th century, a warrior woman fights for the independence of Angola. After witnessing the murder of her son and watching her people being humiliated by Portuguese colonizers, Njinga will become a Queen and struggle for the liberation of her people embodying the motto: those who stay fight to win.
This epic drama is based on the real life story of Queen Anna Njinga(c. 1583 –1663), also known as Ana de Sousa Njinga Mbande, queen of the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms of the Mbundu people in Angola. Directed by Sergio Graciano, 2013, 109 min, Angola, Biography, Portuguese with English subt.
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