THE SILENT MONOLOGUE

$245.00

DIRECTED BY KHADY SYLLA AND CHARLIE VAN DAMME

SENEGAL AND BELGIUM / 2008 / WOLOF AND FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 48 MIN

SYNOPSIS

In a voice-over, we hear the thoughts of Amy, a girl from a rural area of Senegal who works as a domestic for a well-to-do family in Dakar. She complains about her employer, who continuously criticizes her and gets on her case, and she talks about her dream of one day opening her own eatery. Meanwhile, we see her sweep the pavement, prepare the food and clean the house. The contrast with her vast and barren native region is enormous. In Dakar, some 150,000 young women work as housekeepers for families whose daughters can go to school. "Why does the emancipation of some result in the servitude of others?" Amy wonders. The filmmakers interview other young maids who dream of going to school, and they film a woman who shouts her furious lyrics straight into the camera in rapper-like fashion: "I keep your houses squeaky clean, but you all think I'm dirty!" In a dramatized scene in a slum, the women demonstrate how they'd like to deal with a woman who doesn't pay her housekeeper enough. In response to the situation, the filmmakers make an appeal to change the rules of the world economy.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Khady Sylla and Charlie Van Damme

GENRES

Docu-drama

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THE STORY OF LOVER'S ROCK

$295.00

The Story of Lovers Rock Trailer - ArtMattan Films from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

DIRECTED BY MENELIK SHABAZZ

U.K. AND BARBADOS / 2011 / ENGLISH / 96 MIN

Lovers Rock, often dubbed 'romantic reggae' is a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance- known as 'scrubbing'- at parties and clubs. This dance provided a coping mechanism for what was happening on the streets. Lovers Rock developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands (Police, Culture Club, UB40) These influences underline the impact the music was making in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized the times. The film sheds light on a forgotten period of British music, social and political history.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Menelik Shabazz

Starring: Dennis Bovell

Starring: Paulette Harris-German

Starring: Janet Kay

GENRES

Musical Documentary

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THE VALLEY OF THE BLACK DESCENDANTS (EL VALLE DE LOS NEGROS)

$295.00

THE VALLEY OF THE BLACK DESCENDANTS
(EL VALLE DE LOS NEGROS)

DIRECTED BY Richard Salgado

Chile / 2017/ SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 52 min

SYNOPSIS

In the Azapa Valley (Chile), an oasis in the driest desert in the world, a group of descendants of enslaved men and women brought from Africa are organizing the first African census in the history of Chile. Their aim is to get official recognition from the State that has concealed their culture and African identity for more than 200 years.

DIRECTOR

Director: Richard Salgado

GENRES

Documentary

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TIME AND JUDGEMENT: A STORY OF A 400 YEAR EXILE

$195.00

TIME AND JUDGEMENT: A DIARY OF A 400 YEAR EXILE

DIRECTED BY MENELIK SHABAZZ

U.K. AND BARBADOS / 1988 / ENGLISH / 84 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Time and Judgement is an overview of the African Liberation Movement that spans a period of 400 hundred years. The film narrates the tribulations and successes of people of African descent in and out of Africa with a special focus on the struggles of the last century. Through extensive footage of the movement in the Caribbean, Africa, America and Europe, the viewer is exposed to the critical political analysis of leaders such as: Maurice Bishop of Grenada, Walter Rodney of Guyana, Jessie Jackson, Kwame Ture (Stokley Carmichael) and Louis Farrakhan of the USA, Samora Machel of Mozambique, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey of Jamaica, and more.

Through the creative use of various art forms including theater, poetry, songs and art, Time and Judgement establishes a connection between a biblical prophecy with the times we are living in, leading toward the final confrontation between the heart and money - the heart symbolizing love and life, and money symbolizing greed and lust for power.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Menelik Shabazz

Starring: Doris Harper-Wills

Starring: Thomas Pinnock

Starring: Anita Breveld

GENRES

Documentary

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Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun

$395.00

Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun, directed by Sam Pollard, is an illuminating documentary that captures the life and legacy of one of the most significant African American writers of the 20th century, Zora Neale Hurston. The film takes its audience on a journey through Hurston's eventful life, from her early years in Eatonville, Florida, to her pivotal role in the Harlem Renaissance. It delves into her works, her unique storytelling style that blended folklore with rich depictions of African American life, and her contributions to African American literature. The documentary also addresses the challenges Hurston faced, including her struggle with financial instability and her controversial viewpoints that often placed her at odds with the mainstream civil rights movement. Through interviews with scholars, contemporaries, and excerpts from her own writings, Pollard's film pays homage to Hurston's indomitable spirit and enduring impact on literature and African American culture.

Directed by Sam Pollard, 2008, USA, 84 Min, Documentary, English

"Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun is a moving interpretation of Zora Neale Hurston's life and career. In fact, a viewer can easily sit halfway through the eighty-four-minute film and forget one is watching a documentary," ~Project Muse

"Kudos to Bay Bottom News and American Masters for their professional production, and for bringing to light an amazing and long overdue story of a legendary icon and storyteller of the Harlem Renaissance and beyond,"~ Pennsylvania State University

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