DATE: Thursday, July 23 to Saturday July 25, 2009.

VENUE: Grosvenor Auditorium, National Geographic Society, 1600 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Nearest Metro: Farragut North (Red Line), L Street Exit, one block away going north; or Farragut West (Orange and Blue Lines), 17th Street Exit (three blocks away going north).
FREE PARKING available at 1600 M Street NW (one hour before program)

DETAILS: TransAfrica Forum's Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. Foreign Policy Library, The African Diaspora Film Festival and the National Geographic's All Roads Film Project present the Fourth Annual Washington DC African Diaspora Film Series. The Washington DC African Diaspora Film series germinates from the annual New York African Diaspora Film Festival. This series offers a wide range of dynamic films from Africa and its Disapora: from the Caribbean to Europe to Latin America to North America and beyond.

TICKET PRICES: $10 general admission • $64 series pass (gives access to all screenings). Senior/Student: $8.00 (available at box office only). Click here for tickets.

SCHEDULE:

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION: July 23, 5:30 – 6:30pm National Geographic’s Dining Hall

NO TIME TO DIE--WASHINGTON DC PREMIERE--Thursday, July 23 at 9:00pm NO TIME TO DIE: No Time To Die tells the story of a hearse driver who will do anything to serve and win the love of a lady he has fallen in love with. This ranges from offering to convoy dead bodies of the relations of the lady he wants to marry, to showering her with gifts, including a grasscutter--a Ghanaian delicacy. He also does not hesitate to drive his hearse out of his regular route to see his girl friend at Kokrobite beach with the justification to his master that there is a dead body there. The suitor faces very stiff opposition from his father-in-law to be who vows that his daughter will not marry a hearse driver. No Time To Die is a very sweet and funny love story directed by renowned Ghanaian filmmaker King Ampaw. By King Ampaw, Ghana/Germany, 2006, 95min, drama, English. 

 

THE OTHER WORLD--WASHINGTON DC PREMIERE--Friday, July 24 at 6:30pm THE OTHER WORLD: Yasmine and Rachid, two young Parisians children of Algerian immigrants, are in love and live a quiet life in France. One day, Rachid disappears and Yasmine learns that he is in Algeria. She decides to follow him, in that country that she does not know, that is filled with violence. As she travels looking for Rachid, she falls deeper into the horror of a country where nothing seems normal, another world, where death is ever present. She learns that Rachid was in a military convoy that was attacked by terrorists. Only two soldiers in the convoy survived. She can't believe Rachid is not one of them.  By Merzak Allouache, France/Algeria, 2001, 90min, Romantic Drama, Arabic and French with English subtitles.

MOVEMENT (R)EVOLUTION AFRICA (A STORY OF AN ART FORM IN FOUR ACTS)--Friday, July 24 at 8:30pm Shown with NORA MOVEMENT (R)EVOLUTION AFRICA (A STORY OF AN ART FORM IN FOUR ACTS): Movement (R)evolution Africa...summates all the riches and frustrations of Africa. Through interviews and performances from nine African choreographers, directors Joan Frosch and Alla Kovgan reveal how acommunity of artists has chosen to communicate the myriad passions and trouble of their homeland through dance. Revering the body as a form of fluid sculpture, these fierce artists from across the continent adapt conventional dance to their unique sense of self, hoping to engage with everyone—whites and the African Diaspora alike—in order to challenge the West's stereotypical ideas of Africa. Movement is their voice and it screams in the film, "Africa must speak!” - Village Voice, April 2007 By Joan Frosch, USA/Senegal/Burkina Faso/Madagascar/South Africa/Cote d’Ivoire/Congo-Kinshasa/Zimbabwe/Cape-Verde/Mozambique, 2007, 65min, dance documentary, English, French/Portuguese with English subtitles Shown with NORA. Q&A After the screening.

NORA--WASHINGTON DC PREMIERE--Friday, July 24 at 8:30pm  NORA: Shot in Southern Africa, “Nora” is based on childhood memories of the self-exiled dancer Nora Chipaumire who was born in Zimbabwe in 1965. Using performance and dance, she brings her history to life in a swiftly-moving poem of sound and image. The original score was composed by a Zimbabwean legend – Thomas Mapfumo. By Alla Kovgan & David Hinton, US/UK/Mozambique, 2008, 35min, dance documentary, English, French/Portuguese with English subtitles. Shown with Movement Revolution Africa. Q&A After the screening.

WHITE LIKE THE MOON--Saturday, July 25 at 1:30pm WHITE LIKE THE MOON: A Mexican-American girl struggles to keep her identity when her mother forces her to bleach her skin white to fit into "Anglo" society in the 1950's. By Marina Gonzalez Palmier, USA, 2001, 23min, drama, English. Shown with Family Motel.

FAMILY MOTEL--WASHINGTON DC PREMIERE--Saturday, July 25 at 1:30pm  FAMILY MOTEL: She’s got an unrewarding service job, a husband stranded in Somalia and a teenage daughter with an attitude. Then, just when she thinks it can’t get worse, Ayan and her kids are slapped with an eviction order. That’s when they check into a seedy Family Motel. Shot in Vancouver with a nonprofessional cast and developed in collaboration with the lead character, Family Motel is a realistic and moving portrait of a strong woman facing life’s many challenges with courage, determination and a beautiful spirit. By Helene Klodawsky, Canada, 2007, 88mins, drama in English. Shown with White Like the Moon.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH--US PREMIERE--Saturday, July 25 at 6pm NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH: Nothing But The Truth is a gripping investigation into the complex dynamic between those blacks who remained in South Africa and risked their lives to lead the struggle against apartheid and those who returned victoriously after living in exile. In New Brighton, South Africa, 63-year-old librarian Sipho Makhaya prepares for the return of the ashes of his brother Themba, recently deceased while in exile in London after gaining a reputation as a hero of the anti-apartheid movement. John Kani, the author and lead actor of Nothing But The Truth, is also the winner of a Tony Award for Best Actor.  Winner Silver Stallion - Fespaco 2009. By John Kani, South Africa, 2008, 118min, drama, English, French with English subtitles. “A deeply felt portrait that delicately weaves the extraordinary and the ordinary in its characters' lives.” - New York Times

 

YOUSSOU N’DOUR: RETURN TO GOREE--Saturday, July 25 at 8:30pm YOUSSOU N’DOUR: RETURN TO GOREE: After its theatrical release in various cities in the US and Canada Youssou N’Dour: Return to Goree is back by popular demand. This remarkable film traces is the journey of the famous Senegalese singer in his quest to humanize through music the story of those who started their journey as slaves. An homage to jazz, and the courage and creativity of those who created this powerful music. By Pierre-Yves Borgeaud, Senegal/USA/ Luxembourg/Switzerland, 2006, 108mins, documentary in English, French, Wolof with English subtitles.