Films highlighting the current landscape of African cinema were at the forefront of the recent series curated by journalism student Kika Memeh for Black History Month at the VIFF Centre in Vancouver.
Kika Memeh, UBC Master of Journalism student. Photo credit: Poornima Francis (2nd year Journalism student)
The Celebrating Black Futures film series at the VIFF Centre, co-presented with the Vancouver Art Gallery, showed three feature films and a collection of shorts. The series will end on Thursday, February 29 with the Kelly Fyffe-Marshall directed feature “When Morning Comes“.
Each film in the series presented a different dimension of Black and African cinema. In selecting the films, Memeh focused on identifying those that featured dialogue and narratives highlighting Black Futures, showcasing breakthroughs in storytelling and accomplishments.
“I had been thinking deeply about putting together intimate and wholesome programs and what’s cozier than a watch party with friends and family, surrounded by art?” said Memeh.
“... when discussing Black cinema the focus is usually on films that centre on black trauma or pain, forgetting the wide array of incredible stories and visual experiences that are constantly churned out.”
“When people discuss African cinema they believe the only films worth talking about are those that came up in the 60s or 50s,” she said. “Or when discussing Black cinema the focus is usually on films that centre on black trauma or pain, forgetting the wide array of incredible stories and visual experiences that are constantly churned out.” With this series Memeh sought to show the contemporary essence and future prospects of African, African-American, Caribbean, and Black Canadian culture within the cinematic realm.
The series included: Babatunde Apalowo’s All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White, a story of forbidden love amidst societal disapproval; Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro’s documentary Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes, offering essential insights into the life of the American jazz legend; and, Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s When Morning Comes, which explores the familiar theme of Jamaican-Canadian immigration.
Memeh hopes audiences gained “a fresh perspective on Black and African cinema; a new perspective on what it is and what it can be” during the screenings in February.
“Each film speaks to different themes, like love, pain, immigration and touch on other topics and I hope viewers learn to understand the multifaceted nature of Blackness. I ultimately want them to leave with a longing for more African films.”
Memeh is in the second year of her Master of Journalism degree. Before joining the program, she had already established herself in the field of journalism within her home country of Nigeria, where she honed her skills in both broadcast and digital media.
