Guillaume Robillard, France, 2016, 52 min
Nominated several times for the Nobel Prize in Literature, for which he was shortlisted in 1992 alongside Derek Walcott, the French Caribbean poet, philosopher and novelist Édouard Glissant wrote major works on cultural hybridity that continue to speak to us today. From New York, where Édouard Glissant was a Distinguished Professor at CUNY for more than 20 years, to Japan, or from Colombia to Tunisia, his concepts, such as the Whole-World, the creolization of cultures or Relation as a new way of bringing together differences remain highly appreciated by a wide range of philosophers and writers. This documentary is a journey through the mind of the Caribbean writer Édouard Glissant. The poet and philosopher of worldwide acclaim talks to us along with writers, scholars and popular figures.
Preceded by
Julian Bond: Stolen Moments (World Premiere)
J. Michelle Hill, 2014, 5 min
This short animation film depicts the first civil rights experience of Julian Bond, one of our great civil right leaders and political figures. Julian Bond talks openly about his first exposure to the civil rights movement, in organization of the Atlanta sit ins. He tells us the story in his deep, rich elderly voice, of how groups of students within the Atlanta college and university communities decided to pull together and “do something” in support of the Greensboro sit-in demonstration.
Maria Varela: Beloved Chariot (World Premiere)
J. Michelle Hill, 2017, 5 min
This short animation depicts the story of Maria Varela, a Mexican-American activist, and her commitment to the civil rights movement. Listen to the story of a young Maria who also heard the call and committed to voter registration and reading programs essential to the civil rights movement coming to life in the rural south. How she, attended marches, developed photo documentation skills and listened closely to the advice of Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hammer.
The African Burial Ground National Monument Museum: Guardian of a Legacy (World Premiere)
J. Michelle Hill, 2017, 5 min
This short animation depicts the story of the African Burial Ground National Monument located in lower Manhattan, as told by its staff and project team members. This monument, tucked away within the bustling financial district, is home to a colonial slave cemetery. It is considered the most important anthropological find of the 20th century. Through this story, we come to understand how these special individuals came to serve this important project.
Dans la cours de Viviane Gauthier (New York Premiere)
Marie-Claude Fournier, 2017, 12 min
“I have no regrets,” said the late Vivianne Gauthier sitting on the bed in her room where she slept for more than eighty years. A unique, strong, disciplined and energetic woman, this choreographer and dance teacher led her life as she pleased, marking the cultural history of her country, Haiti. This film offers an overview of her life through the visit of her home, a “gingerbread house” where every nook is full of trinkets and memories. Here is a portrait of an endearing woman showing a face of Haiti that we know too little about.
Q&A with J. Michelle Hill.
