This year as we celebrate our 30th anniversary as a festival, we continue to push towards the future through the amplification of fresh new films, but we also decided that such a large milestone in the history of the festival warrants pause, so we’re taking a moment to look back at films that have shaped the industry. This year we have the privilege of screening four amazing films within our Immigrant’s Tale strand, two premieres and two classics. Let’s first take a look at two groundbreaking films from directors who weren’t afraid to break the rules and challenge societal norms through their filmmaking.
Black Girl
Directed by the critically acclaimed Ousmane Sembène, the innovative filmmaker widely regarded as the father of African cinema, this Sengalese film confronted the issues surrounding post-colonial racism. Semebène’s influence is so widely felt within the world of cinema because he aimed not only to create beautiful films, but also to promote freedom and social justice. The film’s release in 1966 broke new grounds for the film industry in that it challenged conventions formally considered commonplace and acceptable. Black Girl tells the seemingly simple story of a young Sengalese woman who moves to France to work for a wealthy white couple. Her life transforms into a figurative and literal prison as she grapples with the racism of a post-colonial world. This year we will be screening this seminal film at Genesis Cinema on Saturday 29 October at 2PM.
(credit BBC)
Daughters Of The Dust
Daughters Of The Dust is a 1991 film by director Julie Dash that tells the story of three generations of Gullah women at the turn of the 20th century as their family struggles with the decision to migrate from their sea island home off the coast of South Carolina to the mainland. It is a poignant portrait that displays the power, beauty, and resilience of black women. Julie Dash, a trailblazing director, was the first African American woman to have a wide theatrical release of her feature film. We are honored to be screening this film as part of our Immigrant’s Tale strand of films. Daughters Of The Dust will be showing at Genesis Cinema on Wednesday 2 November at 9PM.
(credit Walker Art Center)
In addition to these two wonderful films, we have the privilege of screening two radical and relevant films within this strand, Nanny and Father’s Day.
Nanny
Directed by American filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu, Nanny is an eerie supernatural thriller and at the same time a relatable tale about the struggles of women, mothers and immigrant workers. The film portrays the life of Aisha, a young Sengalese woman who has recently moved to New York to work as a nanny for an upper class family. It plays on the same themes examined in Black Girl, but its modern context makes it a highly relevant and thought provoking film. This dark psychological horror is Jusu’s directorial feature debut, and was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2022. It is the perfect addition to this strand of films as it addresses many of the same conflicts found in Black Girl, despite the nearly sixty year difference in their releases. Nanny will be screening at Genesis Cinema on Saturday 5 November at 6:20PM.
(credit IndieWire)
Father’s Day
From director Kivu Ruhorahoza, Father’s Day is an innovative new film that seamlessly weaves together three stories from in and around Kigali, Rwanda. Zaninka, a masseuse in her mid 40s, just lost her only son. Mukobwa, mid 20s, faces the dilemma of donating a lobe of her lung to a father with a murky past. Kadogo, a young boy, roams the city with his father, a small-time crook with anger management issues. Director Ruhorahoza is internationally known for his acclaimed 2011 film, Grey Matter. Father’s Day is a fantastic new film that fits perfectly into our Immigrant’s Tale strand of films as it is a mature and perceptive exploration of the generational traumas exposed by a patriarchal society in crisis. Father’s Day will premiere at Genesis Cinema on Thursday 27 October at 8:40PM.
(credit Bates College)
As a festival that has always strived to promote the innovators and rule breakers, we could not be more excited to screen these four marvelous films, both old and new, that teach us all important lessons in pushing back against the status quo.
Ellen is an English and Film student at Samford University who is currently working for Raindance Film Festival this fall. She hopes to one day teach film at a university level.
