Civics and Urban Life

CREATIVELY SPEAKING AT BAM: APRIL 1

In the tradition of the series that began at Aaron Davis Hall in Harlem eleven years ago, this first presentation of Creatively Speaking
is a forum to present works that convey a realistic, universal
portrayal of people of color to Brooklyn audiences and beyond. The
series includes classic features, works-in-progress, and probing
documentaries. Curated by Michelle Materre. All programs followed by Q&As with filmmakers.



Women on the Verge
82min

 
Sun, Apr 1 at 2pm*
*Q&A with the filmmakers


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Features the films:
Tree Shade (1998), 29min
Directed by Lisa Collins
A gifted high school student journeys through time to witness the
prison convictions of three generations of women in her family, from
the 1920s, 1950s, and 1980s.

Miss Ruby’s House (1994), 18min
Directed by Lisa Collins
A mockumentary which sketches the reactions of five women as they each
reflect on their memories of the person who helped raise them—their
former neighborhood babysitter.

One People (2006), 35min
Directed by Al Santana, Laura Fowler
One People follows a revolutionary filmmaker and her sister, a
performance poet, as they discover a politicized Lorraine Hansberry and
her commitment to using art to raise the level of understanding about
social injustices.

 

Haitian Women Speak
74min

 
Sun, Apr 1 at 4:30pm


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Features the films:
Stop Crying In Silence (2001), 57min
Directed by Rachele Magloire
In 1999, a collective of women victims of rape during a military coup
in Haiti produced a play that exposed the pain and atrocities they
suffered. This documentary is a record of that production.
The Violence (Work-In-Progress), 8min
Directed by Michele Stephenson
This film follows the lives of three survivors of domestic violence from within the Haitian community in Brooklyn.
The Wash (1999), 9min Directed by Eve Sandler
An autobiographical video narrative, this painterly work examines the
artist’s own body and memory for scars of childhood sexual abuse.
 

History, Memory, and Recreating Home
98min

 
Sun, Apr 1 at 6:50pm*
*Q&A with the filmmakers


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Features the films:
Ancestors Walk with Us (2006), 22min
Directed by Dana Nzingha Thomlinson
Using photography and archival footage, Thomlinson re-creates a visual
memory of the black experience that invites the audience to re-examine
the community’s history and ancestry.

Homecoming (1998), 56min
Directed by Charlene Gilbert
This provocative film interlaces autobiography and family history with
the story of the African-American farmers in the South and their
migration to the North. Gilbert uses the film to communicate the social
costs of the migration, as well as her own need to remain connected to
both family and soil.

Oscar’s Comeback: Festival of the Unconquered (2007) 20min
Directed by Lisa Collins
This documentary work-in-progress follows a struggling annual film
festival held in the all-white town of Gregory, South Dakota, honoring
their controversial hometown hero: black silent film pioneer Oscar
Micheaux.
 


Music is My Life, Politics My Mistress: The Story of Oscar Brown, Jr.
(2005) 60min

 
Sun, Apr 1 at 9:30pm*
*Q&A with the filmmakers


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Directed by donnie l. betts
In
the beginning there was Oscar Brown Jr.—the high priest of hip. Brown’s
accomplishments as a composer, writer, playwright, and activist
challenged the government and influenced generations. betts focuses on
Brown’s overlooked legacy with an array of historical footage,
performances, and commentary by noted icons such as Al Jarreau, Amiri
Baraka, Al Freeman Jr., Abbey Lincoln, Nichelle Nichols, and Studs
Terkel