Afro-Latino Films

MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE
MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE

MARIGHELLA + THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE

Regular price $445.00
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MARIGHELLA

After fighting censorship for two years in Brazil, MARIGHELLA became #1 at the Box Office in Brazil.

Marighella is a new Brazilian action drama set in 1969 based on the life of Afro-Brazilian politician and guerrilla fighter Carlos Marighella. Facing a violent military dictatorship and with little support from a timid opposition, writer-turned-politician Carlos Marighella organizes a resistance movement. Alongside revolutionaries 30 years younger than him and willing to fight, the revolutionary leader opts for action. The film is adapted from the biography Marighella - O Guerrilheiro que Incendiou o Mundo, by Mario Magalhaes. Brazilian musical artist, songwriter, and actor Seu Jorge plays Carlos Marighella.

Directed by Wagner Moura, 2019, Brazil, 155min, historical action drama, Portuguese w/ English subtitles

* Berlinale 2019 | Official Selection - Out of Competition
* INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT CRITICS PRIZE (Premio Giuseppe Becce)
* ONE OF SCREEN CRITICS' TOP FILMS FROM BERLIN 2019

"Angry and brutally necessary for the Brazil of today, Marighella is put together coolly and confidently by the green [Wagner] Moura." ~ One Room With A View

"Marighella works fine as an exciting and highly assured debut, with a terrific ensemble cast at its heart." ~ Hollywood Reporter

Visit film site 

 

THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE

DIRECTED BY JOEL ZITO ARAUJO
BRAZIL / 1997 / PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 38 MIN

SYNOPSIS

On March 13, 1992, Vicente Francisco do Espirito Santo, a Black Brazilian who worked in a government-owned electricity company, was fired from his job.  It did not take long for him to realize that his dismissal was directly linked to his skin color.  Encouraged by his union and a strong Black empowerment movement, he began a judicial process which he won, and as a result was reinstated in his former position.  This informative documentary about an unknown victory illustrates how the courts of Brazil did recognize the company's prejudice and racism in a country where such realities are usually dismissed as atypical. 

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THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA
THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA
THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA
THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA
THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA
THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA
THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA
THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA

THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION / AFRICA MIA

Regular price $395.00
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In the midst of the Cold War, ten young promising musicians from Mali are sent to Cuba to study music and strengthen cultural links between the two socialist countries. Combining Malian and Afro-Cuban influences, they develop a revolutionary new sound and become the iconic ensemble ‘Las Maravillas de Mali’. New Year’s Eve 2000. Richard Minier, a French music producer meets a former member of the band in Bamako and decides to bring the band back together.

Directed by Edouard Salier and Richard Minier | 2020 | 81min | France, Cuba, Mali | Documentary | Spanish, French with English subtitles

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Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA
Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA

Sugar Cane Malice / MAL DE CAÑA

Regular price $395.00
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SUGAR CANE MALICE / MAL DE CAÑA
 
A documentary about the working conditions of Haitian workers in one of the largest sugar cane plantations in the world, located in the Dominican Republic and belonging to the Fanjul Family, one of the most powerful families in America.
 

When Maria’s husband died, she was told to either leave the sugarcane plantation or to work in the only existent job: cutting and planting cane.

She decided to work in exchange for a miserable wage and a rudimentary barrack she and her five children call home. With that, she was accepting a precarious life without electricity, drinkable water and sanitary services. This is how people are stuck in a house provided by the Company, ensuring that no other basic service neither civil rights are provided, maintaining people in a life of misery. The vast extension of a sugarcane plantation in Dominican Republic offers this deal to thousands of Haitian workers. Some struggle to leave – like Maria’s daughter, with few chances of working in a hotel by the coast. Some others are forced to leave – like Leidy and her baby, when her father-in-law retires after 50 years of work. Yet, some others – like Yudelka and Telemin – organize and try to change the miserable situation everyone is living in the cane fields. They are an obstacle that hinders the functioning of the great machine that is the Plantation.

Directed by Juan A. Zapata, Dominican Republic/Spain, 2021, 76min, Documentary, Spanish w/English subtitles

 Sugar Cane Malice is the third film from director [Juan A.] Zapata, a native of the Dominican Republic, who is also an architect and visual artist. Both sensibilities are on display in Sugar Cane Malice, which pays particular attention to the built environment of the workers, and contrasts it through a series of helicopter (or drone) shots with modern construction in the island’s cities and the luxurious beach resorts that are beloved of tourists. He also finds beauty even in the sugar cane fields where these workers labor for the benefits of others. Above all, he respects the dignity of his subjects, who haven’t let their difficult lives become their only story." ~ Sarah Boslaugh

AWARDS

FULL FRAME Documentary Film Festival 2021
Official Competition 

Festival des Libertés 2021
Official Competition 

EATSA Art & Tourism is an International Film Festival 2021
Official Competition 

SOMCINEMA Festival (Spain) 2021
Official Competition 

Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam 2021
Official Competition

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KAFE NEGRO: CUBA & THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION
KAFE NEGRO: CUBA & THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION
KAFE NEGRO: CUBA & THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION
KAFE NEGRO: CUBA & THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

KAFE NEGRO: CUBA & THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

Regular price $395.00
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Kafe Negro Trailer from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

Kafe Negro: Cuba & The Haitian Revolution is a film that explores the social, economic & historical ramification of the Haitian Revolution on Cuba.

Kafe Negro tells the story of migrations around a small grain that became the second most important raw material on the global market. This film tells the story of the waves of migration of Haitian workers who, over time, profoundly transformed the culture and demographics of Cuba and developed coffee growing on the island.

Directed by Mario Delatour | Cuba & Haiti | 52min | 2020 | Documentary | French and Spanish with English subtitles

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ANGELICA
ANGELICA
ANGELICA
ANGELICA
ANGELICA
ANGELICA
ANGELICA
ANGELICA

ANGELICA

Regular price $395.00
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ANGELICA

Angelica, after a long absence from Puerto Rico, returns home when her father, Wilfredo, suffers a stroke. This unexpected return and her father's illness force Angelica to re-evaluate her relationship with her mother and family members who don't accept her because of her skin color. She must face herself and discovers that she does not know who she is. After her father's death, Angelica must decide whether to return to the comfort of her previous life, dissatisfied, but secure, or set on an adventurous path to rediscover herself as an independent, modern, strong, black, and Puerto Rican woman.


Directed by Marisol Gómez-Mouakad, Puerto Rico, 2016, 100min, Drama, English & Spanish w/English subtitles

"Purposely challenging the Eurocentric beauty standards that blatantly plague Latin America on and off screen, Puerto Rican director Marisol Gómez-Mouakad sets out to tell the story of an empowered Afro-Latina fighting colorism at home in her debut feature Angélica." ~ Remezcla

People talk about racism and sexism in the U.S.,” Gómez-Mouakad explains. “They may not do much, but in talking about it they are at least addressing the problem. In Puerto Rico — and across the Caribbean and Latin America — there is a lot of denial. If you do talk about the issues, you are accused of being over sensitive. But words have power and words can hurt.” ~ director Marisol Gómez-Mouakad

"In addition to the theme of racism, the film touches upon the implications of machismo in a patriarchal society from the perspective of women." ~ Repeating Islands 

"Another glorious, glorious portrait on race and the roles women play—by pressure, by tradition, by choice. " ~ Guilie Castillo Oriard

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QUILOMBO

QUILOMBO

Regular price $395.00
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QUILOMBO

DIRECTED BY Carlos Diegues
BRAZIL / 1984 / EPIC DRAMA / BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 114 MIN

SYNOPSIS

This historical saga is a stirring fusion of folklore, political impact and dynamic story-telling, realized in vibrant tropical colors and set to the pulsing beat of Gilberto Gil's musical score. After the slave revolt of 1641, groups of enslaved black Brazilians escaped to mountainous jungle strongholds where they formed self-governing communities. This film is the chronicle of the most famous of these communities which flourished for several decades under the reign of the legendary chieftain Ganga Zumba.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Carlos Diegues
Starring: Antônio Pompêo, Tony Tornado, Zeze Motta, Zózimo Bulbul
 

GENRES

  • Epic Drama
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Executive Order (Medida Provisora)
Executive Order (Medida Provisora)
Executive Order (Medida Provisora)
Executive Order (Medida Provisora)
Executive Order (Medida Provisora)
Executive Order (Medida Provisora)

Executive Order (Medida Provisora)

Regular price $395.00
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EXECUTIVE ORDER
(Medida Provisória)

Set in a dystopian near future in Rio de Janeiro, a lawyer (Alfred Enoch) sues the Brazilian government for reparation of all descendants of African slaves in the country. The authoritarian government responds by signing an executive order sending all black citizens to Africa as an excuse to repay the debts of slavery. 

Directed by Lázaro Ramos, 2020, Brazil, 101min, Drama, Portuguese w/ English subtitles.

"A chilling believability creeps into this dystopian debut from actor-turned-director Lázaro Ramos that’s hard to shake off." ~ Cath Clarke, Guardian

"[Executive Order] is Bacurau on a global scale, Get Out without the humor. It's Armee Guineenne unleashed in movie form, a melancholic prophecy of a coming war and a sendoff to those brave African soldiers who dared to fight for their heartland." ~ Asher Luberto, L.A. Weekly

"The directing is excellent, the cast is giving it their all, and the themes are relevant and need to be discussed." ~ Bobby LePire, Film Threat

"Politically and culturally driven it may be, Executive Order still ultimately aims for entertainment and education in equal measure." ~ Peter Gray, The AU Review

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Ludi

Ludi

Regular price $395.00
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Trailer LUDI Art.mp4 from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

"Ludi," directed by Edson Jean, is a compelling exploration of the Haitian immigrant experience set in the vibrant community of Little Haiti in Miami. The film follows the resilient protagonist, Ludi, portrayed by the talented Shein Mompremier, as she grapples with the challenges of forging a new life in America. In the pursuit of the elusive American dream, Ludi confronts the harsh realities of the immigrant experience.

Edson Jean's directorial finesse captures the nuances of cultural identity, economic struggle, and the indomitable spirit that propels individuals to persevere against adversity.  The film not only sheds light on the immigrant narrative but also serves as a poignant reflection on the strength and resilience of those who dare to seek a better life in a new land. "Ludi" stands as a significant contribution to the cinematic exploration of diasporic experiences within the Afro-Caribbean context.

Directed by Edson Jean, USA, 2021, 81 Minutes, drama, English and Haitian Creole with English subtitles

"Jean's "Ludi" is the type of low-stakes drama that's easy to root for, and even more wonderful to see" - Robert Daniels, The Playlist

"This is one of the best films of the year so far, and that comes as a result of the hard work and dedication from everyone involved." - Kyle Bain, Film Threat

"An examination of the difficulties inherent in that so-called American Dream, with a magnetic lead performance from Shein Mompremier. Ludi is a charming, tragic, painful, and beautiful film to behold." -Aaron PetersonHollywood Outsider 



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THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH
THE ESMERALDAS BEACH

THE ESMERALDAS BEACH

Regular price $395.00
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The Esmeraldas Beach Trailer  from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

THE ESMERALDAS BEACH 

In today’s Ecuador, the black population, the descendants of enslaved Africans, continue to experience strong racial and social discrimination. Yet people in the community still strive to value their specific culture and transmit the rebellious memory of their ancestors who fought for freedom. The Es­meraldas Beach sets out to expose the invisibility of Afro-Ecuadorians and rectify the narrative of the country’s history with the film’s central protagonist, Juan García, who has worked on that project for years. He developed a school book that presents black Ecuadorians prominently since the only Afro-descendants shown in local school books are portrayed next to a marimba and football.  The documentary also addresses the 1999 assassination of Afro-Ecuadorian legislator and presidential hopeful, Jaime Hurtado.

Directed by Patrice Raynal, 2020, France/Ecuador, 58 minutes, documentary, French and Spanish with English subtitles.

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ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET
ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET

ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET

Regular price $395.00
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Angels On Diamond Street Trailer - Art HD from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

ANGELS ON DIAMOND STREET

DIRECTED BY Petr Lom
U.S.A. / Netherlands / 2019 / ENGLISH / SPANISH w/English Subtitles / 88 MIN


SYNOPSIS

Angels on Diamond Street spotlights three women fighting for social justice in an African-American church in Philadelphia. We follow head cook Mamie Mather, former Black Panther Barbara Easley-Cox and Pastor Renee Mackenzie at the soup kitchen of the Church of the Advocate: a national monument with a rich history in the civil rights movement.

When an undocumented Mexican immigrant family - Carmela Apolonio Hernandez and her children - asks the church for sanctuary, they are welcome with open arms. Pastor Mackenzie courageously defies the ICE immigration authorities in an act of civil disobedience.

A documentary about compassion that invites us to forget about all borders, be they of race, nationality or religion.

 

"Angels on Diamond Street, by the Netherlands-based director Petr Lom, is rich with quotable quotes. It is a tender look at an American church with an old, persevering, social justice soul, and the people who make their soup kitchen a communal magnet.

The film was recorded during a two-year focus on North Philadelphia's activist congregation of the Church of the Advocate in the heart of a poor, African American neighborhood. The church building is a huge, stone beauty finished in 1887, named the George W. South Memorial Church, but is best known by its current moniker. Informative and strung together chronologically, it grows into an occasional conversation between the man behind the camera and the people he follows. You can read a lot in its details." ~ JoAnne Velin, moderntimes.review.com

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BLACK MEXICANS / LA NEGRADA

BLACK MEXICANS / LA NEGRADA

Regular price $295.00
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Black Mexicans Trailer Eng Sub - ArtMattan Films from ArtMattan Productions on Vimeo.

THE BLACK MEXICANS / LA NEGRADA

DIRECTED BY JORGE PEREZ SOLANO
MEXICO / 2018 / SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 104 MIN
SYNOPSIS

Critically acclaimed drama Black Mexicans / La Negrada by Jorge Pérez has recently been acquired by Artmattan Productions!

Black Mexicans / La Negrada is the first Mexican feature film about the Afro-Mexican community, filmed entirely with people from different towns around the Costa Chica in Oaxaca.

Among the black people in the Costa Chica in Oaxaca, it is socially accepted that a man lives with more than one woman. Juana and Magdalena share Neri’s love, they both know that this situation is hurting them. Juana will have to die in order to show Magdalena a new path for her life.

In Mexico, the afro communities represents only 1% of the total population. They have never been recognized as an ethnic group, nation or culture, suffering discrimination as an outcast group. LA NEGRADA is the first Mexican fiction movie filmed entirely in one of those black communities, with local people, no professional actors. An effort to give them voice and make them visible.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Jorge Perez Solano
 

GENRES

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POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)
POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)

POWER ALLEY (LEVANTE)

Regular price $395.00
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POWER ALLEY / LEVANTE


The compelling Brazilian drama - 2023 Cannes Film Festival Semaine de la Critique selection - Power Alley (Levante) by Lillah Halla is a poignant exploration of the challenges faced by young women in contemporary Brazil, particularly around issues of reproductive rights and gender identity.  
It tells the story of Sofia (17), a promising volleyball player from a humble suburb of São Paulo in Brazil who, on the eve of a future-defining championship, is faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Seeking an illegal termination, she becomes the target of a fundamentalist group determined to stop her at any cost.

The film delves into the challenges Sofia faces in her community, dominated by conservative values. Her extraordinary talent offers her a glimpse of a different life, but she soon finds herself at a crossroads when unforeseen circumstances threaten her future.

The narrative explores themes of community, resilience, and self-expression, as Sofia and her diverse group of friends, who are rebellious and supportive, navigate these trials. Their solidarity and collective strength form the core of this vibrant and emotionally charged story, showcasing the power of unity and defiance in the face of adversity. This film is a testament to the fierce spirit of youth and the unyielding pursuit of freedom and agency.

"A punchy, confrontational energy infuses this celebration of queer sisterhood in the face of Brazilian conservatism,"  Screen Daily

"The context of the team environment being a highly queer space, complete with trans and non-binary players... gives the notion of overcoming an unwanted pregnancy a unique charge: with a far-right, Bolsonaroist group catching wind of her situation as neighborhood gossip circulates...," Cineuropa

"...This spirited feature debut from Lillah Halla is a vivid, dynamic piece of filmmaking driven by the sparky connections between the teammates and a terrific, pulsing electronic score," ~ Screen Daily

Brazil/France/Uruguay, 2023, 99 mins, drama in Portuguese (With English subtitles), Lillah Halla, dir. 

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Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls
Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls
Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls
Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls
Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls
Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls

Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls

Regular price $395.00
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Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls


Protests against the violence of security guards and shopping mall employees in Brazil have mobilized thousands of people in recent years. This form of protest showed the barriers imposed by racial discrimination and social exclusion. This documentary describes the lives and memories of three black activists that went through traumatic racism situations and took part in the protests which recently took place in shopping malls in Brazil. Discover the dreams, beauty, poetry, art and politics of a generation that has found new ways of dealing with violence by promoting an intense debate across the country.

Directed by Vladimir Seixas / 2021 / 82 minutes / Documentary / Brazil

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Vladimir Seixas
 

GENRES

  • Documentary
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RACE & HISTORY IN BRAZIL

RACE & HISTORY IN BRAZIL

Regular price $295.00
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Race and its impact on the art and history of Brazil are highlighted in this two-disc set with Joel Zito Araujo's documentary Denying Brazil (A Negacao do Brasil, 92 mins) and Geraldo Santos Pereira's Aleijadinho: Passion, Glory and Torment (Aleijadinho: Paixao, Gloria e Suplicio, 100 mins.)

 

 


Denying Brazil

A Negacao do Brasil


A documentary film about the taboos, stereotypes, and struggles of Black actors in Brazilian television "soaps." Based on his own memories and on a sturdy body of research evidence, the director analyzes race relations in Brazilian soap operas, calling attention to their likely influence on Black people's identity-forming processes

 

 

Aleijadinho: Passion, Glory and Torment
Aleijadinho: Paixao, Gloria e Suplicio

Set in 18th century Brazil - a time when slavery was still the foundation of the Latin American economy - this fascinating historical drama is loosely based on the life of Black sculptor Antonio Francisco Lisboa "Aleijadinho," one of the greatest sculptors of Latin America.
“[DENYING BRAZIL is] a strong and significant work of intelligence."
– Phil Hall, FILM THREAT

“[Aleijadinho is an] ambitious biopic of 18th century black Brazilian sculptor/architect Antonio Francisco Lisboa (aka Aleijadinho).”
– Ronnie Scheib, VARIETY

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SARA GOMEZ: AN AFRO-CUBAN FILMMAKER

SARA GOMEZ: AN AFRO-CUBAN FILMMAKER

Regular price $295.00
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SARA GOMEZ: AN AFRO-CUBAN FILMMAKER 

DIRECTED BY ALESSANDRA MULLER
CUBA AND SWITZERLAND / 2005 / SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 76 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Sara Gomez, An Afro-Cuban Filmmaker is a rich, multilayered documentary about Afro-Cuban director Sarah Gomez. Born in 1943, she studied literature, piano, and Afro-Cuban ethnography before becoming the first female Cuban filmmaker. A woman of great intelligence, independence and generosity, she was a revolutionary filmmaker with intersecting concerns about the Afro-Cuban community and the value of its cultural traditions, women's issues, and the treatment of the marginalized sectors of society. Through archival footage of her works and interviews with her children and husband Germinal Hernandez, cast members of her best-know film De cierta manera,as well as colleagues and friends, we get closer to a filmmaker who invented new landscapes and brought together opposite worlds.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Alessandra Muller
Starring: Sara Gómez
 

GENRES

  • Documentary
  • Part of 2-set DVD Afro-Cuba: Yesterday and Today which also includes The last Rumba of Papa Montero.
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HUMAN BEHAVIOR

HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Regular price $145.00
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HUMAN BEHAVIOR

DIRECTED BY FLAVIO LEANDRO 

BRAZIL / 1995 / SILENT FILM / 12 MIN                                                                          
                                                                                                                          SYNOPSIS

In 1993, death squads opened fire on a group of sleeping street children camped on the steps of a cathedral in Rio de Janeiro’s central financial district, killing six. This event, later called the Candelaria massacre, is vividly depicted in this short film about the plight of street children in Brazil.  

DIRECTOR

Director: Flavio Leandro
 

GENRE

  • Drama

                                                                      

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ALEIJADINHO, PASSION, GLORY AND TORMENT

ALEIJADINHO, PASSION, GLORY AND TORMENT

Regular price $295.00
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ALEIJADINHO, PASSION, GLORY AND TORMENT 

DIRECTED BY GERALDO SANTOS PEREIRA 
BRAZIL / 2001 / PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 100 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Set in 19th century Brazil - at a time when slavery was still at the foundation of the Latin American economy - this fascinating historical drama is loosely based on the life of Black sculptor Antonio Francisco Lisboa "Aleijadinho," one of the greatest sculptors of Latin America.
DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Geraldo Santos Pereira
 

GENRES

  • Drama

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AFRO-LATINO EXPERIENCE: ECUADOR & PERU

AFRO-LATINO EXPERIENCE: ECUADOR & PERU

Regular price $395.00
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THE ESMERALDAS BEACH 

In today’s Ecuador, the black population, the descendants of enslaved Africans, continue to experience strong racial and social discrimination. Yet people in the community still strive to value their specific culture and transmit the rebellious memory of their ancestors who fought for freedom. The Es­meraldas Beach sets out to expose the invisibility of Afro-Ecuadorians and rectify the narrative of the country’s history with the film’s central protagonist, Juan García, who has worked on that project for years. He developed a school book that presents black Ecuadorians prominently since the only Afro-descendants shown in local school books are portrayed next to a marimba and football.  The documentary also addresses the 1999 assassination of Prime Minister Jaime Hurtado, the first Black to hold this office.

Directed by Patrice Raynal, 2020, France/Ecuador, 58 minutes, documentary, French and Spanish with English subtitles.

 

SUSANA BACA: MEMORIA VIVA

Susana Baca is not only a champion in the performance and preservation of Afro-Peruvian heritage, but also an elegant singer whose shimmering voice sings of love, loss and life. Susana and her husband Ricardo Pereira have founded the Instituto Negrocontinuo “Black Continuum” in Lima, a spirited facility for the exploration, expression, and creation of Black Peruvian culture. While Baca has dedicated herself to researching and performing virtually all forms of Afro-Peruvian folklore, it is the Lando that has become her trademark. This slow to mid-tempo, highly evocative mix of Spanish, Indigenous and African rhythms has become what the son is to Cuba, or the samba to Brazil--the Lando is the sound of Black Peru.

Directed by Marc Dixon, 2003, Peru/Belgium, 54 minutes, documentary, English & Spanish with English subtitles.

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STORIES FROM 2 ISLANDS: PUERTO RICO & MAURITIUS

STORIES FROM 2 ISLANDS: PUERTO RICO & MAURITIUS

Regular price $395.00
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Two coming of age stories that explore the life of 2 young women on 2 islands.

Set in Puerto Rico, ANGÉLICA is a drama about a young Afro- Latino woman who must fight to find her voice.

THE CATHEDRAL, from Mauritius, follows free spirited Lina as she faces an important decision that will impact her life.




ANGÉLICA

Angélica, after a long absence from Puerto Rico, returns home when her father, Wilfredo, suffers a stroke. This unexpected return and her father’s illness force Angelica to re-evaluate her relationship with her mother and family members who don’t accept her because of her skin color. She must face herself and discovers that she does not know who she is. After her father’s death, Angelica must decide whether to return to the comfort of her previous life, dissatisfied, but secure, or set on an adventurous path to rediscover herself as an independent, modern, strong, black, and Puerto Rican woman.

Directed by Marisol Gómez-Mouakad, Puerto Rico, 2016, 100min, Drama, English & Spanish w/English subtitles

 

THE CATHEDRAL

The Cathedral is a lyrical narration set in the beautiful and unusual setting of Port-Louis,   capital of Mauritius. Lina, a young woman in search of her identity interacts daily with friends and family in a carefree happy manner that will be challenged when one day her dancing    catches the eye of a photographer... The Cathedral is based on a short story by Ananda Devi.

Directed By Harrikrisna Anenden , Mauritius, 2006, 78 Min, drama in Creole With English Subtitles. 

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THE INVISIBLE COLOR: BLACK CUBANS IN MIAMI

THE INVISIBLE COLOR: BLACK CUBANS IN MIAMI

Regular price $295.00
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THE INVISIBLE COLOR: BLACK CUBANS IN MIAMI

DIRECTED BY SERGIO GIRAL

USA / 2017 / ENGLISH AND SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 47 MIN

SYNOPSIS

This latest documentary by the Dean of Afro-Cuban Cinema Sergio Giral investigates the black Cuban exile community in South Florida, since the first wave of political refugees in the 1959 revolutionary aftermath, to today. It tracks its presence throughout the region, and highlights its contribution to Miami's civic culture through testimonies and visual documentation.

DIRECTOR

Director: Sergio Giral
 

GENRE

  • Documentary
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THE PRESIDENT HAS AIDS?

THE PRESIDENT HAS AIDS?

Regular price $245.00
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THE PRESIDENT HAS AIDS?

DIRECTED BY ARNOLD ANTONIN
HAITI / 2007 / CREOLE AND FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 110 MIN

SYNOPSIS

Jimmy Jean-Louis -- featured among the cast of the television phenomenon “Heroes,”  -- stars as musician extraordinaire in denial, President, in this Haitian comedy-drama about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Dao is the biggest movie star in Haiti, the self-proclaimed "President of Compas." He has women falling at his feet and men emulating him. He feels invincible-living the life of a rock star--sex, drugs and alcohol--except that he can no longer hide his illness which is threatening to derail his career. Despite pressure from his manager, he refuses to get tested for AIDS, turning instead to rituals, spells, and the church. At one of his concerts, he rescues Nina from the leery advances of Larieux, a wealthy and powerful businessman, who Nina's mother wants her to marry. As romance blossoms between Dao and Nina, who likes Dao despite his fame, not because of it, Larieux plots his revenge. Also starring Riccardo Lefeuvre and Jessica Geneus. 

 

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Arnold Antonin
Starring: Jimmy Jean-Louis
Starring: Jessica Geneus
Starring: Riccardo Lefeuvre
 

GENRES

  • Dramatic comedy
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LOOKING FOR LIFE (CHERCHER LA VIE)

LOOKING FOR LIFE (CHERCHER LA VIE)

Regular price $195.00
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LOOKING FOR LIFE (CHERCHER LA VIE) 

DIRECTED BY CLAUDETTE COULANGES
HAITI AND GERMANY / 1999 / CREOLE WITH FRENCH AND ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 60 MIN

 

SYNOPSIS


Looking for Life introduces the viewer to two women, Anne-Rose and Rosemene, who each one has their own particular way of battling through life. The former makes lunches in a factory yard in Port-au-Prince and sells her meals to the factory workers; the latter is employed in the same factory as a production worker making pullovers and T-shirts. Every day she buys her midday meal on credit from Anne-Rose. Through the connection between these two women the film shows part of their daily work and the constant battle for survival that they lead together with other women in Haiti. Going beyond this, however the film demonstrates the extent to which the importation of North American goods has brought about the collapse of Haitian regional production and ruined Haiti's economy. The connection between the two topics of the film reveals the significant role that Haitian women of today play in an economy that has been bled dry.

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Claudette Coulanges
 

GENRES

  • Documentary

 

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THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE

THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE

Regular price $145.00
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THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE 

DIRECTED BY JOEL ZITO ARAUJO
BRAZIL / 1997 / PORTUGUESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 38 MIN

SYNOPSIS

On March 13, 1992, Vicente Francisco do Espirito Santo, a Black Brazilian who worked in a government-owned electricity company, was fired from his job.  It did not take long for him to realize that his dismissal was directly linked to his skin color.  Encouraged by his union and a strong Black empowerment movement, he began a judicial process which he won, and as a result was reinstated in his former position.  This informative documentary about an unknown victory illustrates how the courts of Brazil did recognize the company's prejudice and racism in a country where such realities are usually dismissed as atypical. 

 

DIRECTOR AND CAST

Director: Joel Zito Araujo
 

GENRES

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

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

Regular price $295.00
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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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