Films 2012 – blackhistory walks

Queen Nzinga Lecture Series 24. Nov

Inaugural Queen Nzinga Lecture.

A National Association of Black Saturday Schools www.nabss.org.uk and Black History Walks www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk production

This event is sponsored by Birkbeck, University of London

Saturday 24 November 3pm to 6pm. This event will start at 3pm, latecomers will miss out and may not get a seat

Venue: Birkbeck University WC1 E 7HX (entrance on Torrington Square side), Tube Holborn/Russel Square,Tottenham Court Road click here for map and to book http://queennzingalectureseries-eac2.eventbrite.co.uk/?ebtv=C#

Admission free only if booked online via http://queennzingalectureseries-eac2.eventbrite.co.uk/?ebtv=C# Donations accepted on the day

Queen Nzinga was an African Queen who fought against the European invasion of southern Africa (Congo/Angola). The Queen Nzinga lecture series will feature African female academics / holders of expert knowledge, speaking on topics of their choice on a monthly basis. The Nzinga lecture series will provide a regular platform for women of African descent to highlight important issues in an academic setting. Our first lecture will be a double bill featuring Kandace Chimbiri and Dr Michelle Asantewa.

Kandace Chimbiri will speak on Black Warrior Queens of Ancient Sudan. Dr Michelle Asantewa will speak on Black Womens Spirituality and Resistance in English Literature.

Author, K.N. Chimbiri will give an insight and historical exploration into the lives of women leaders in the ancient Nile Valley. She will provide a comprehensive introduction to the less-well known ancient kingdom of Kush which was based in what is today’s Sudan. This fascinating ancient civilisation has left behind three times as many pyramids as ancient Egypt. Kandace will describe the contributions of some of the great women of Kemet (ancient Egypt) and Kush. She will feature, amongst others, the Kushite queen Amanirenas who courageously fought the Romans – her victory stele stands today in Room 65 at the British Museum.

Kandace is the author of two self-published childrens titles, The Story of Early Ancient Egypt and Step Back in Time to Ancient Kush (activity book). Both books are now carried by museums including the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and the Neues Museum in Berlin www.goldendestiny.co.uk

Dr Michelle Asantewa will speak on Black Women Spirituality: The Power of Resistance.

Dr Asantewa will highlight several British literary representations of black women who used spiritual practices during slavery/colonialism to resist. Tituoba/Tituba is a black female agitator, cast aside by patriarchal history, who was accused as one of the Salem Witches and condemned to death. She confessed that she was a witch and was let free whilst her white female counterparts were killed. In Wide Sargasso Sea (which links to the British classic Jane Eyre) there is a reference to African Spirituality as a power used by Christophine that destabilises the patriarchal “Rochester” character. There will be a Q and A after both talks

Maami & Phone Swap, Premiere Sat 10 Nov

Two Great Films from Africa !! This will be packed!!!!

Sat 10 November 2 to 5pm then 5.30 to 8pm

BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road SE1
Tube: Waterloo www.bfi.org.uk

Admission £6.50 best to book early

Maami at 2pm

Set over a two-day period leading up to the 2010 Football World Cup, Maami tells the story of Nigerian footballer Kashimawo’s return to his homeland and his reminiscences of his hardscrabble childhood in the town of Abeokuta, where his single mother struggled to raise him. Based on a well-known novel, Maami sees veteran director Kelani fuse the energy of Nollywood with the seriousness of Yoruba cultural heritage.Plus Q and A with Director

Phone Swap

The director of the award-winning The Figurine returns with a warm comedy in which two people from different walks of life accidentally exchange phones and have to tread in each other’s paths. Breaking out of low-budget, fast-track Nollywood methods, Afolayan combines strong production values with a warm and witty script. The results combine authentic detail of locale and character with a tale of international appeal.

We look forward to welcoming lead actor Wale Ojo, and hope director Kunle Afolayan will join us for a Q&A. This screening is in partnership with New Nigeria Cinema.

Black Women Movies Sat 17 Nov

Black Women Make Movies !

Saturday 17 November 2pm to 4.pm.

This event will start at 2pm, latecomers will miss out and may not get a seat

Admission free. First come, First served no booking required.

Donations accepted on the day

Venue: Room B36, Birkbeck University Malet St WC1 E 7HX (entrance on Torrington Square side), Click here for map http://dev.blackhistorywalks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/centrallondon-9f7.pdf Room B36 is at location 1 and the entrance is on the Torrington Square side

This event is sponsored by National Association of Black Saturday Schools www.nabss.org.uk and Birkbeck, University of London

Two films one drama, one documentary by black women plus Q&A with Funke Oyebanjo scriptwriter of The Window on films and the academic route to the screen

Ugandas Super Ladies directed by Sam Numatebi

Rose, Leila and Susan are three seemingly ordinary Ugandan women concerned with homes, families and jobs, but they also share the dream of becoming champion rally drivers. In Uganda, women traditionally defer to the men in their families and face discrimination in many areas of life. So the three women face the double challenge of achieving sporting success while fighting prejudice and sexism in the male world of motor rallying.The film documents the journey the women take as they struggle to put together their challenges for the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally 2009, the most coveted motor sports title in East Africa.They have to overcome the substantial hurdles of raising sponsorship and preparing a race-worthy and competitive car.It is a daunting challenge – and a race with a dramatic outcome. Super Ladies offers a fascinating insight into the heart of modern Uganda

Plus, The Window

Moji dreams of being a window dresser but is held back by her husband Samson and things start to look even worse for her when Samson’s second wife arrives from Nigeria to live in their one-bedroomed Peckham flat with them. However the two women,rather than being rivals,form a bond and,after a public show-down at Samson’s chieftancy ceremony, attain their independence plus Q and A with Funke Oyebanjo screenwriter

Planet of the Apes: The Breakdown 11, 25 Nov

Andrew Muhammad on the Black History in Planet of the Apes 1960s to 2012 !!

Sunday 11 November 3pm to 5.45pm Part 1

Sunday 25 November 3pm to 5.45pm Part 2

Cottons Caribbean Restaurant, 70 Exmouth Market, Islington EC1 .Tube: Angel

Pay on the door. £8.00 First come, first served.

Black History Walks is working with Cottons Caribbean Restaurant to showcase African/Caribbean history and promote excellent African/Caribbean food. Enjoy the best in black cinema, have stimulating debates and sample the delicious weekend buffet.

The blockbusting ‘Planet of the Apes’ series of films/tv series have many elements which parallel human and civil rights struggles all over the world. Many viewers have consumed these movies and, like the Matrix. not been aware of the coded messages and specific black history references in these films. Over these two sessions Andrew Muhammad: The Investigator, will analyse and demonstrate the double meaning in specific scenes, unveil the hidden agendas and show the black history references that are in plain sight…if you thought the Matrix and Michael Jackson breakdowns were deep, you’ll need scuba gear this time !

Since 1994 Andrew Muhammad has been conducting Hidden Truth Tours nationwide and internationally to Kemet (Egypt), Tunisia, Ireland and Spain. Andrew Muhammad has also designed what is widely known as the ‘Hidden Truth Movie Breakdown’. This delivery is based on the Chinese proverb that a picture paints a thousand words.

The movie industry has perfected the art of using signs and symbols to convey many hidden truths to a very unsuspecting and susceptible audience. This type of communication was first invented in Kemet (Egypt) and was used throughout their society. Many Hollywood blockbuster films and cartoons such as The Matrix and Lion King contain secrets that will amaze the viewers. More info on Andrew Muhammad here http://www.theinvestigator.org.uk/about.html

How Black People Won World War 2. 14 Oct

How Black People Won World War 2

Sunday 14th October 11am to 1pm then 2pm-5.00pm
Conference Room, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road SE1

Tube: Lambeth North.
www.iwm.org.uk

A detailed and extensive look at the African and, Caribbean war effort with video clips and interviews with black Spitfire & bomber pilots, Nigerian and Somali troops fighting in Burma, black and asian women secret agents, u-boats in the Caribbean and the importance of Africa’s raw materials. Plus numerous heroic stories that were excised from history.

This will be an interactive session with quoted resources, great for adults and kids as WW2 is on the curriculum but black faces are strangely absent

From 11am to 1pm we will be screening films on the black american presence in World War 2. This will include the premiere of the Wereth 11 at 11am, then How Black People Won World War 2 at 2pm.

Wereth 11 This remarkable docudrama, written and directed by Robert Child, chronicles the story of 11 African-American soldiers who were captured and brutally murdered near Wereth, Belgium, by the Nazi SS during the Battle of the Bulge. The men were members of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, and their terrible tale has been called one of the least-known atrocities of World War II. Narrated by actor Corey Reynolds, The Wereth Eleven weaves together excellent interviews with WWII veterans and historians, never-before-seen archival footage, and top-notch visual effects (including CGI-animated graphics), while Ken Arnold leads an impressive cast in the reenactments. A winner of the Founder s Choice Award at the 2011 GI Film Festival, DVD extras here include bonus interviews and panel discussions. Highly recommended . Editor s Choice. –Video Librarian

Black Bodies in White Spaces Sat 13 Oct

Performing Black Bodies in White Spaces:Films and talk to explore how African Descendants across the Diaspora use dance to celebrate their African heritage

Saturday 13 October 6pm to 9pm

Peckham Plex Cinema, Rye Lane, SE15. British Rail Peckham Rye

Admission: Free but must book http://performingblackbodies.eventbrite.com/

or phone 020 7525 3415

A screening of films ‘Temporary Sanity: The Skerrit Boy Story’ that features Jamaican dance culture in New York. Followed by ‘Ebony Goddess: Queen of Ile Aiye’, about Brazilian women resisting European beauty standards with dance. The talk will be delivered by Dr Nathalie Montlouis and guests who will explore the perception of African/Caribbean traditional and modern dance and their portrayal in the mainstream media; followed by discussion and performances by Caribbean dance group Zil’Oka .

Delivered in association with Images of Black Women Film Festival and Black History Walks.Part of Southwark Council’s Black History Month 2012 programme.

Skerrit Boy:

A documentary produced by Dan Bruun in 2006 as part of his Visual Anthropology Masters at, University of Manchester. The film explores the cultures, gendered performances and political expressions that form part of Jamaican Dance Hall in New York. By following ‘Skerrit Bwoy‘ a Bronx based performer and promoter of Dance Hall music, the film gives an insider’s view into the dancing, history and social roles of Dance Hall clubs in the lives of the Jamaican and Caribbean Diaspora in the United States

Ebony Goddess

This documentary follows three women competing to be the carnival queen of Ilê Aiyê, a prominent and controversial Afro-Brazilian group with an all-black membership. The selection is based on Afro-centric notions of beauty, in counterpoint to prevailing standards of beauty in Brazil, a country famous for slim supermodels and plastic surgery. Contestants for the title of Ebony Goddess dress in flowing African-style garments, gracefully performing traditional Afro-Brazilian dances to songs praising the beauty of black women

Q and A with

Dr. Lez Henry is a Social Anthropologist who lectured in the Department Of Sociology, Goldsmiths College. He is also is a writer, public speaker and community activist. The author of a number of books on race, culture, history, music and politics Shantelle George is a PhD Student in History of Africa and its Diaspora at SOAS.Her work is based on the. experiences and cultural legacies of the West and Central African immigrants forcibly sent to Grenada and St. Lucia in the mid-nineteenth century.

Nathalie Montlouis shares her doctoral research on African-Caribbean dances and their potential positive effects on the self esteem of people of African descent. She will demonstrate how mainstream medias are doing a symbolic violence to women and men of African decent and how this violence can be counteracted through dance and music. From short music videos, discussion on issues around “the Dancehall queen”, “the righteous woman”, what is “dirty dancing”; to live traditional Caribbean dance demonstration by Zil’Oka with an examination of similarities to African dances and culture by choreographer Madee Ngo, this event will aims to prove how important it is to create and celebrate one’s own standards.

Madee Ngo performer, choreographer and teacher, based in London. A native Congolese who grew up in France and graduated with a degree in choreographic art and show critic expertise. Madee has a huge understanding of the dances from the African diaspora as well as the issues linked to practicing these dances, the representation and the cultural aspects into each style. Founder the African dance workout Active Afro Training.

Carry Beyond Reflections with Dr Lez 27 Sept

Dr Lez Henry speaks on his new book CARRY-BEYOND REFLECTIONS

Thursday 27 September

Pimlico Academy

Lupus Street, SW1

Tube: Pimlico, Victoria line (5 mins walk)

Entry: £5.00 Pay on the door, first come first served

Dr Lez is one of the pioneers of ‘edutainment’ and has been a goal model for Black History Walks and many other history providers. He has delivered numerous sell out interactive presentations and on this day he will ‘freestyle’ and ‘sample’ from his his new book.

Dr. William ‘Lez’ Henry (Lezlee Lyrix) is one of the pioneer, British, Reggae-dancehall Deejays and a Social Anthropologist who lectured in the Department Of Sociology, Goldsmiths College . Dr. Henry is a researcher, consultant and staff trainer for Nu-Beyond Ltd: Learning By Choice!

His research direction seeks to use cultural history as an educational tool to assist our contemporary understanding of many of the problems that affect the various communities in Britain.

Dr. Henry is a founder member of the National Independent Education Coalition (NIEC) who held the 1st annual STOP BLAMING THE CHILDREN – Raising Achievement Through Partnership: Parent, Teacher and Child in 2006 . He is also a founder member of The Black Fathers’ Support Group and meets weekly to discuss all aspects of parenting.

He also has an impressive international profile as a public speaker and has delivered talks at various institutions, including: The African American Studies Department, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA: Department of Humanities, Washington DC, USA: African And African American Studies Program, University Of Oklahoma: Tulsa, USA. University Of The West Indies, Department of Literature-Reggae Studies Unit, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica, WI: University of Gothenburg: Centre for Cultural Studies, Gothenburg, Sweden.Queens University Belfast: Department of Ethnomusicology, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Howard University

http://conta.cc/PseAI6

The Michael Jackson Story 21 & 28 Sept

The Michael Jackson Story: Video History breakdown with Andrew Muhammad The Investigator

Friday 21 and 28 September 7pm to 9pm

Pimlico Academy

Lupus Street, SW1

Tube: Pimlico Victoria line (5 mins walk)

Entry: £7.00 Pay on the door, first come first served.

The Hidden Truth on Michael Jackson….. Who was Michael, was he a … threat to the so-called’Illuminati’, was he murdered and was his doctor just a pawn in a bigger darker plot, was Michael a ‘sell out’? What did he do for the Civil Rights and Black Power movement, did he really honour the ancestors ? How important was he to world history? Did he see himself as black?

All of these questions will be answered and much more. For those who know the Investigator’s approach hold on to your seats its going to be a rocky ride !

Since 1994 Andrew has been conducting Hidden Truth Tours nationwide and internationally to Kemet (Egypt), Tunisia, Ireland and Spain. Andrew Muhammad has also designed what is widely known as the ‘Hidden Truth Movie Breakdown’. This delivery is based on the Chinese proverb that a picture paints a thousand words.. More info on Andrew Muhammad here

http://www.theinvestigator.org.uk/about.html

Fela Kuti, Ancestral Voices Sat 18

fela_kuti

A portrait of the legendary Nigerian black consciousness superstar Fela Kuti in his spectacular prime in the mid-80s. Filled with rare and performance footage, it offers insight into his philosophy and religion and his battles against political corruption. Shortly after his release from prison Fela participated in a huge festivity organized by Amnesty alongside Bono and Carlos Santana. For the first time in 17 years he was back in New York, but this time everything was put down on tape. Director and producer Jaheed Ashley synthesized the 10 hours of film reels that were stored in a vault and meant to be destroyed into this movie. From the press conference where he expounded his political idea’s to the reception in Harlem, just about every Afro-American luminary in the New York area, from Don Cherry (Neneh Cherry’s father) to jazz giant Roy Ayers, came and paid respect to the one and only Fela. Keep in mind this was before the Internet or Broadway, in a time that the charts were dominated by artists like Cindy Lauper and Phil Collins.

PLUS : Ancestral Voices

An educational documentary spanning two continents, opening up a much-needed debate about traditional African spiritual systems; their cosmologies, ideologies and underlying ethical principles.Modern science no longer refutes the origins of mankind being in Africa and similarities in the cosmological ideologies of African esoteric systems with those found many established world religions today, suggest that it was not only people that migrated, but also concepts and themes that then provided bedrock for the formation of other systems of belief. A range of individuals of different faiths in the United Kingdom share their knowledge of these esoteric systems and their perceptions of them in light of other established religions and mainstream media coverage.Traditional shamans from the Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti regions in Ghana also provide religous insight. After the films we join Virgo Foundation in the Blue Room for Q and A with special guests including Rikki Stein (Fela’s ex-manager) with actor Wale Ojo (Meet the Adebanjos)

African Animations Forum Sun 5 Aug

African Animations Forum

Sunday 5th August 3.30-5.30pm

This is separate to and different from African Superheroes Day..

Pimlico Academy

Lupus Street, SW1

Tube: Pimlico, Victoria line (5 mins walk)

Entry: £7.00 adults £5 kids Pay on the door, first come first served.

Two hours of non stop cartoons combined with a black history quiz . Educational fun for adults and kids alike. Cartoons include:

Kwame lives in New York but has been given superpowers by the ancient Egyptian Auset. He has to recharge his superpowers by studying history and must use them to fight the Media Monster

Bel an African village woman has her children kidnapped by Aliens, she becomes a super-soldier and with her secret weapon goes off to outer space to rescue them.

Bino and Fino: produced in Nigeria this brother and sister live in the city and find out about colonialism, african food and culture in their adventures.

Anansi the spider gets into trouble over a pot of beans

Plus 6 other cartoons from all over the world with positive images of black people

Plus Captain America’s Black History !

www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk

Category: Films 2012

Films