Opening doors in a changing society –
Black International Cinema Berlin
Culture, April 21, 2016
From May 13 to 15, the Black International Cinema Berlin festival occurs for the 31st time. Under the motto "The Message is our Direction – A Complexion Change", films from Africa and the Diaspora will be presented.
Directed by Fountainhead® Tanz Théâtre and Prof. Donald Muldrow Griffith,
the Black International Cinema Berlin Festival takes place from May 13 to 15
at the Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte (House of Democracy and Human
Rights) in Berlin. Subject matter of this year's event is the change in the
appearance of society, which becomes aware of being influenced by social,
economic and political adjustments. Internationally produced films and the
exhibition "Footprints in the Sand" build the framework of cultural
exchange. In 2015, Black International Cinema Berlin was awarded the EFFE
Award as one of Europe's best festivals.
"Africa does not need help," reads the statement of an Angolan immigrant in
Brazil. But is there any truth to this statement in times of growing migrant
flow to Europe? Is there really no help needed or in which form does help
make sense? No society can remain the same over progressive years, says
Professor Donald Muldrow Griffith. Historically viewed, global
diversification is inevitable.
The contributed films of the festival are intended to encourage the
coexistence of societies with increasing ethnic diversity more constructive.
Instead of fighting diversification, the festival aims to open doors and
through communication, make conflicts and customs in the African community
more known and accessible. This is not processed through an academic way or
by mere media coverage, but in the form of an art forum, which provides the
framework for a cultural exchange.
The Brazilian documentary "The Other Side Of The Atlantic" illuminates the
challenges faced by migrants from Angola or Cape Verde in Brazil. False
perception of reality through television productions is discussed as well as
the omnipresent subject matter of racism. In an eight-part series of short
films entitled "Sierra Leone on the Mend", the Ebola epidemic in Sierra
Leone is represented. The village population is torn between the deep-rooted
desire to care for their families and the state's order of quarantine to
prevent further Ebola spread. "Black Ballerina", an American production
highlights the difficult conditions for African-American ballerinas in an
environment characterized by racial prejudice.
For several years, the festival has cooperated with Iranian filmmakers, who
in recent years were personally present during the event and provided an
opportunity for exchange.
These are just some examples of the variety of the multicultural,
independently produced film projects, some of which are only presented
during the Black International Cinema Berlin Festival. Here the artists are
to be provided with a platform from which they can present impressions of
the African community through their art, which otherwise remains
inaccessible for society.
Sandra Tebroke
