The Afro-Brazilian film “Quilombo Country” is now available to watch on line for 94p or $1.49 I haven’t watched it yet but I have watched some of the short video clips on history, dance and and land rights.

Quilombo Country,” a documentary film shot in digital video, provides a portrait of rural communities in Brazil that were either founded by runaway slaves or begun from abandoned plantations. This type of community is known as a quilombo, from an Angolan word that means “encampment.” As many as 2,000 quilombos exist today.

Contrary to Brazil’s national mythology, Brazil was a brutal and deadly place for slaves. But they didn’t submit willingly. Thousands escaped, while others led political and militant movements that forced white farmers to leave. Largely unknown to the outside world, today these communities struggle to preserve a rich heritage born of resistance to oppression.

The film ranges from the Northeastern sugar-growing regions to the heart of the Amazon rainforest, raising issues of political identity, land rights, and racial and socioeconomic discrimination. Included are examples of the material culture that allow the quilombolas to survive in relative isolation, including hunting, fishing, construction and agriculture; as well as rare footage of syncretic Umbanda and Pajelança ceremonies; Tambor de Crioula, Carimbó and Boi Bumba drum and dance celebrations; and Festivals of the Mast.

Tags:
Africa Diaspora
Afro-Brazil
Slavery + Brazil

This year’s Black History Month died and Black History Season was born - it’s not quite clear how long the season lasts but most events are in October and November. The Inner London Borough’s have really made an attempt to put on a diverse range of events covering our hidden his/herstories for the season from Africa and the Diaspora. I am always fascinated by local British his/herstories [Black people have been in England for at least 500 years but there are records of Black people, some soldiers, some slaves with the Roman army as early as 300AD] such as that of Camden which is one of London’s largest boroughs. Last Tuesday, Dr Hakim Adi gave a too short presentation on 40 years of Camden Black history from the 1920s to the 60s which was at the center of the struggle against colonialism.
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Danny Glover discusses the problems in raising money for the forthcoming film on Haiti’s revolutionary hero, Toussaint-Louverture…

Producers said ‘It’s a nice project, a great project… where are the white heroes?’” he told AFP during a stay in Paris this month for a seminar on film.

“I couldn’t get the money here, I couldn’t get the money in Britain. I went to everybody. You wouldn’t believe the number of producers based in Europe, and in the States, that I went to,” he said.

“The first question you get, is ‘Is it a black film?’ All of them agree, it’s not going to do good in Europe, it’s not going to do good in Japan.

“Somebody has to prove that to be a lie!”, he said. “Maybe I’ll have the chance to prove it.”

Don Cheadle, Mos Def, Wesley Snipes and Angela Bassett are to star in the film which is being made in Venezuela - still would have been great to have some Haitians star in the film Danny? Maybe they are going to be flown over to Venezuela as extras?

Tags:

Haiti
Toussaint-Louverture
Danny Glover

For those of you living in New York you may wish to catch this film….

Quilombo Country,” a documentary film shot in digital video, provides a portrait of rural communities in Brazil that were either founded by runaway slaves or begun from abandoned plantations. This type of community is known as a quilombo, from an Angolan word that means “encampment.” As many as 2,000 quilombos exist today.

Tags:
Afro Brazilian

“Yeah, we’re Americans for 10 seconds then we’re just “niggers”! a documentary on the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.

Links: Tibet

Tags:
1968 Olympics Mexico