Afro Film Series

5238 South Harper Avenue,Chicago IL 60615

24 March, 2022

Description

A film series that showcases films directed and led by African and Caribbean directors, actors, and actresses. The producers at So Live Experience returns with the second annual of AFRO FILM SERIES where films directed and led by African and Caribbean directors, actors, and actresses will be showcased to spotlight stories, communities, and struggles rarely seen in Western cinema. Every Thursday between February 3 thru March 31, we will have a public screening of the films listed below: February 3 — The Price; 1h 32m. Not Rated (directed by Anthony Onah, Nigerian): Seyi, a 24-year-old Nigerian-American working on Wall Street, is caught engaging in insider trading. When his entire world comes crashing down, he is forced to finally confront his tumultuous relationships. February 10 — The Long Song; 2h 57m. PG-13 (starring Tamara Lawrance, Jamaican-British): “The Long Song” tells the story of young enslaved girl July, living on a plantation in the last days of slavery. The film includes a dramatic depiction of the famous 1831 Baptist War, a slave rebellion led by Jamaican national hero Samuel Sharpe. February 17 — Sometimes in April; 2h 20m. TV-MA (directed by Raoul Peck, Haitian): A Hutu soldier (Idris Elba) tries to get his family to safety during the Rwandan genocide, while years later his brother stands trial for his actions. February 24 — Lumumba; 2h. Not Rated (directed by Raoul Peck, Haitian): “Lumumba" is a gripping political thriller which tells the story of the legendary African leader Patrice Emery Lumumba. Called "the politico of the bush" by journalists of his day, the brilliant and charismatic Lumumba rose rapidly to the office of Prime Minister when Belgium conceded the Congo's independence in June, 1960. He would last two months in office. This is a true story. March 3 — Black Girl; 1h 5m. Not Rated (directed by Ousmane Sembene, Senegalese): A Senegalese (Mbissine Thérèse Diop) works as a maid in France for a couple (Anne-Marie Jelinck, Robert Fontaine) who treat her as a slave. March 10 — Yaaba; 1h 30m. Not Rated (directed by Idriss Ouedraogo, Upper Voltan): In a small African village, elderly Sana (Fatimata Sanga) is ostracized, but 10-year-old Bila (Noufou Ouedraogo) doesn't think she's a witch like everyone else. He even calls her Yaaba, which means grandmother. After Bila's cousin, Nopoko (Roukietou Barry), becomes deathly ill and Sana saves her, Bila comes to Sana's defense when the village medicine man accuses her of taking Nopoko's soul. It isn't until after Sana's death that the real reason behind the village's hatred comes to light. March 17 — Yeelen; 1h 45m. Not Rated (directed by Souleymane Cisse, Malian): In the 13th century, Niankoro (Issiaka Kane) is born to the shaman Soma (Niamanto Sanogo), who fears his offspring's magical powers. Niankoro flees with his mother (Soumba Traore) and masters his skills while staying ahead of his father's attempts to track him down. Setting off on a journey to ask his uncle, Djigui Diarra (Ismaila Sarr), for advice, Niankoro uses his abilities to help tribal king Rouma Boll (Balla Moussa Keita) defeat a neighboring tribe, thereby earning the king's friendship. March 24 — The Wind; 1h 40m. Not Rated (directed by Souleymane Cisse, Malian): College kids Bah and Batrou seem to have inherited the earth, or at least Mali’s part of it: he’s the descendant of an African chieftain, and she’s the daughter of a military governor. But they’re coming of age during a dictatorship, and as their political activism grows they soon start to realize who really holds the power. Joining the pot-smoking hippies and uptight generals of Hollywood antiauthoritarian caricatures with particularly pointed (and high-stakes) Malian plot lines, Cissé’s remarkable satire on Africa’s ruling class is by turns fierce, romantic, and ultimately hopeful; the wind, it seems, could indeed be shifting. March 31 — Waiting For Happiness; 1h 36m. Not Rated (directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauritanian): The film meanders gently from character to character in the town of Nouadhibou on Mauritania’s coast. Abdallah is a teenage boy who feels ill at ease in his homeland; he is heading for Europe for a new life, and that continent’s complex, dramatic pull is most keenly felt during a grainy flashback, showing a local woman who once travelled to France for a man’s sake, and felt only loneliness and alienation. As a film that declines to press its dramatic attentions, Waiting for Happiness needs an investment of patience, repaying it with a sweet and subtle portrait of an island community. *schedule is subject to change* NOTE: Early arrival is strongly suggested! Doors open: 6:30pm / Showtime: 7:00pm. Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, all guests will be asked to show their valid vaccination card (photocopy or digital photo is permissible) with a state issued ID when they arrive at the door for entry. All guests will be required to wear face masks in the lobby, hallways, restrooms, and auditoriums. Masks can be removed inside the auditorium only while eating and drinking.