In my grade school history class, I remember my history teacher talking about the War of 1812. He spoke of “savages” and Tecumseh. It was in the late 70s, and I wondered what he was talking about, who were the “savages”? In high school, I did a study on Indigenous women and the unfair loss... Continue Reading →
Night of the Kings (La Nuit des Rois): The AAFCA Virtual Roundtable Interview
Philippe Lacôte’s Night of the Kings defies genre. Through dance, music and calling upon the pageantry of the stage, he creates a world of storytellers and danger within MACA, one of the most notorious jails on the Côte D’Ivoire, in D’Abijan. This critically-acclaimed film draws on Lacôte’s own experiences as a child visiting his mother in MACA,... Continue Reading →
TIFF Next Wave Film Festival 2021: Unapologetic
Black women and girls have a heavy load to bear. We are nurturers and fighters, supporters and innovators, working behind the scenes caring for families, lovers and doing the work. Often, we go unnoticed because that has been the narrative for so long. We can be rendered voiceless, and when we speak up, we are... Continue Reading →
Black Art: In The Absence Of Light Uplifts Black Artists
Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a father who was an artist, and I have fond memories of gazing at each brushstroke that made up his vibrant paintings hung all over our house. In general, however, black artists seem to be an invisible resource. They have always been here, creating anything from paintings... Continue Reading →
End of the World Fun with Save Yourselves!
In act of bettering ourselves and being less self-absorbed, we become self-aware and more self-absorbed, and it’s facilitated through technology. If you’re not following me, you might get it when you watch the alien invasion comedy Save Yourselves! Su (Sunita Mani) and Jack (John Reynolds) are a millennial couple. They live in Green Point, Brooklyn... Continue Reading →
BBC America Brings Pratchett’s The Watch to Life
Fans of Sir Terry Pratchett are vehemently protective of the worlds he creates. One, in particular, Discworld, is a place of mystical beings and magic. With trolls, imps, dragons and wizards, Pratchett wrote about social issues by using the world of fantasy to illustrate social injustice and classism, to name a few. Now, BBC America... Continue Reading →
Minor Premise
Ego and personal demons come into play with Eric Schultz’s sci-fi noir thriller Minor Premise. Ethan Kochar (Sathya Sridharan) is the son of a neuroscientist who recently passed away. He continues his father’s research dedicated to preserving and replaying memories with an apparatus called the R9. The experimental project is almost perfected, but Ethan’s goal... Continue Reading →
Afrofuturism: Vision of the Future from “The Other” Side: Presentation and Extra Reading
I did a presentation on Afrofuturism for the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival. If you missed it, you can watch it here. There will be other great panels available on this playlist too! And check out the festival if you're in Canada because there are lots of amazing films. If you are interested in more... Continue Reading →
Review: Useless Humans
Living in these quarantine times can be heavy since our lives have drastically changed. With all the disturbing news reports, sometimes a laugh is in order, and the sillier, the better. You’ll find an abundance of LOL silliness with Stephen Ohl’s first feature, Useless Humans. Brian (Josh Zuckerman) is turning thirty and looking forward to... Continue Reading →