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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>(New York)
–
Of the 93 feature films
representing 40 countries at the 10th annual Tribeca
Film Festival, 15 were specific to black people – three of those to
African Americans. But these films would capture the essence of the
festival.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Storylines and subject matter of these movies varied to say the least: sports, music, politics, HIV/AIDS, war, hip-hop, Haiti, civil rights, apartheid.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Just as the Tribeca Film Festival rose from the ashes of 9/11 and grew to become one of the most popular film festivals in the world, the tragedy-turned-triumph situations that recur among black people around the world gave birth to some of the most popular and critically acclaimed selections this year.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>People waited three hours for Susanne Rostock’s film
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>Sing Your Song opportunity to take part in a Q&A with human rights icon and film subject Harry Belafonte.
“mso-spacerun: yes;”> “mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>Fire in Babylon Stevan Riley’s documentary about the West Indies cricket team – the rush audience who stood on standby for a chance to view the film was twice the size of Tribeca Cinema’s capacity.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Bang Bang Club “font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>, Steven Silver’s fact-based story of South African combat photographers grappling with the brutal unraveling of apartheid, was the “it” film among industry insiders, while Michael Rappaport’s
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest people.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Pablo Croce’s
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>Like Water Tribeca’s five top overall winners with honors in several categories. Most notably, Croce’s portrait of Brazilian “ultimate” mixed martial arts fighter Anderson Silva landed him “Best New Documentary Director.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Kivu Ruhorahoza’s post-traumatic Rwandan war tale
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>Grey Matter jury mention and a “
“font-family: Verdana; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;”>Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film” award for Ramadhan “Shami” Bizimana.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>And while the Heineken Audience Award would eventually be given to Michael Collins’ Give Up Tomorrow, it was a tooth-and-nail battle that changed by the minute as Like Water, ‘Beats, Rhymes & Life, Whitney Dow’s
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>When the Drum is Beating Nancy Buirski’s The Loving Story – all focused on blackness – gave the winner a run for its money.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Each of the black films screened had a common bond of dignity and a special black brand of peace found through locating stillness in the center of a storm – and a victory against the insurmountable. “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Haiti’s heartbeat, ‘Mama’ Makeba and the Lovings “mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;”>
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Mama Africa
is
director
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black;”> Mika Kaurismäki’s “font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>tribute to singer Miriam Makeba. She remains an icon in her native South Africa and her entire home continent three years after her death.
“mso-spacerun: yes;”> against apartheid had to be fought from beyond the border because of her 30-year banishment.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Mama Africa
displays
Makeba’s loves, her life and her fight for the freedom of her
people and a right to return home. The film creates a colorful and
insightful portrait of a woman brave enough to sacrifice popularity
and personal safety for the sake of lending her voice to a
political movement.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I never sing politics,” Makeba said. “Only the truth.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Before Makeba became an anti-apartheid activist, Richard and Mildred Loving were fighting for the right to simply love each other.
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>The Loving Story compilation of archival footage of the highly publicized
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>Loving v. Virginia Court Case. The interracial couple married in 1958, but it would be 1967 before they could legally live as man and wife.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Long before the U.S. Civil Rights Movements – 70 years before the U.S. Civil War – the people of Haiti revolted.
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>When the Drum is Beating the music of Haiti’s most celebrated band, Septentrional, as the center of the country’s initial triumph, which turned into tragedy. But somehow the band – like the country – has managed to survive. Political turmoil, poverty and catastrophic earthquakes could not destroy the rhythm of their nation.
