Joséphine Baker: Black Diva in a White Man’s World (Germany, 2006; 45 min.)

Annette von Wangenheim, Director

A WDR (Westdeutschser Rundfunk) television production

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, in cooperation with the Seattle Art Museum Community Partnership

Program presents the Seattle premiere of Annette von Wangenheim's documentary. An examination of Baker's life and performance, both as a mirror of European colonial fantasies and as a symbol of the 20^th century's Black consciousness movement.

Tuesday, January 26 at 7:30 PM at the Seattle Art Museum, downtown Seattle, 1300 First Avenue. Admission: suggested donation of $5 at the door. A panel discussion with visual and performing artists will follow the screening.

This documentary focuses on Joséphine Baker's life and work from a black perspective and presents the artist both as a mirror of European colonial fantasies and as a symbol of the worldwide black consciousness movement of the 20th century. Pioneers of black dance, such as Geoffrey Holder, Arthur Mitchell, Carmen de Lavallade, Maurice Hines and Elsa Wolliaston, recall their stage appearances and encounters with Baker; biographers and historians comment on well-known and unknown footage and photographs. Clichés that have persisted to this day are deconstructed and the underlying facts are set in a new historical context. Joséphine Baker was the first black diva who thought and acted in global dimensions. She became a star in Europe and a world-wide symbol of peace and a better understanding among nations and different cultures.

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival (LHAAFF) is an annual event presented by the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center in central Seattle. The LHAAFF presents films from independent filmmakers from around the world. The LHAAFF features panel discussions, screenplay readings, training workshops, matinée screenings for middle and high school youth and in-depth discussions with filmmakers, industry professionals and local community leaders.

The Underground Railroad, a project of the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, is a fall - through -winter film and discussion series. Using the metaphor of a series of strategically located "Safe Houses" in Seattle neighborhoods, the Underground Railroad is a series of intimate screenings designed to build community across the aisle and across neighborhoods. Each Safe House along the trail brings forth a different provocative work about African American life, leading to 'freedom' at the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival in April. www.langstonblackfilmfest.org

Pressure Cooker Screens November 24 @ 7pm

Pressure Cooker Screens November 24 @ 7pm

Location: SOHO Coffee, corner of 20^th Avenue South and Yesler Way, Seattle's Central District

There's a force-of-nature behind the door to Room 325 at Frankford High School in Philadelphia. Her name is Wilma Stephenson and she teaches Culinary Arts. Infamously blunt, Mrs. Stephenson runs a "boot camp" at Frankford, disciplining her students into capable chefs and responsible students. Behind her tough-talking exterior is a teacher, who cares passionately about getting the best out of her students and making sure they receive the opportunities – including scholarships to top programs – that will help them escape the meager minimum-wage job opportunities of Northeast Philly.

Wilma Stephenson has taught at Frankford for 40 years, long before Culinary Arts became part of the school's curriculum. She can be cantankerous, and she knows it, but she will do anything for the students who get with the program and show true promise and the hunger to succeed. Those who fall short of her discipline will not be missed; many will drop out before the first week is over.

The documentary documents Mrs. Stephenson and those students committed enough to surrender themselves to her enlightened despotism through both semesters in Culinary Arts. By the end of the school year, 13 of her students will have made it through the gauntlet. These seniors aspire to scholarships that can enable them to escape the status quo of Northeast Philly and move on to a future of more opportunities. Mrs. Stephenson spells it out on the first day of school by telling the newcomers that 11 members of last year's class earned over $750,000 in scholarships, a staggering amount. At a school where over 40% of students don't even make it to their senior year, Ms. Stephenson's class stands in stark contrast. She offers these kids her version of the American Dream: You choose a realistic goal. You work hard. You work the system. You get out of Northeast Philly.

At the end of their school year, there is a one-day scholarship competition, where top Philadelphia chefs judge the students' skills and talent. But, in the end, the scholarships are even more dependent on the kids' capacity for sustained drive throughout their senior year. Can they endure the stressful challenges wrought by their home lives – having to hold minimum-wage jobs after school, and acting as surrogate parents to their siblings –
while still finding the motivation to wake up at 6AM to get to Mrs. Stephenson's class early enough to master their crepes and tournee potatoes…

Oct. 13 Underground Railroad Film & Discussion Series: October 2010

The Underground Railroad, a project of the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, is a fall - through -winter film and discussion series. Using the metaphor of a series of strategically located “Safe Houses” in Seattle neighborhoods, the Underground Railroad is a series of intimate screenings designed to build community across the aisle and across neighborhoods. Each Safe House along the trail brings forth a different provocative work about African American life, leading to ‘freedom’ at the annual Langston Hughes African American Film Festival in April. We are pleased to attract diverse audiences every year. All are welcome.

Dates and locations for all screenings are not yet confirmed; please visit our website, www.langstonblackfilmfest.org or our blog, http://lhaaffbside.blogspot.com/, or call 206-326-1088 to listen to schedule updates.

October 13, 2009 at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center: MY FATHER THE LUO (USA/Kenya)
Tomasz Magierski, Dir

Suggested donation: $5/pay what you can

Synopsis: My Father the Luo is a film about finding one’s identity. The main character is Roma Ndolo, a young woman who grew up in Germany with parents from Poland and Kenya. She had always longed to find out more about her “African side” so she travels to her late father’s homeland. While there she recognizes the parallels between her own life and that of President Barack Obama. Each of their fathers were from the Luo tribe and Obama’s half sister is Roma’s family friend. This film was shot during the Democratic Convention in Denver 2008. Not surprisingly there is also historic footage of Senator Obama’s trip to Kenya in 2006.

Underground Railroad film & discussion series returns!

SEPTEMBER 16 SAFE HOUSE SCREENING: Two films featuring Afro-Ururguyan people and culture
Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 PM
Location: Central Cinema - $5.00 admission
1411 21st Avenue (21st Avenue & Union Street), Central Seattle

CANDOMBE
Directed by Rafael Deugenio
16 minutes.Spanish with English subtitles.

More than two hundred years ago, there was an influx into Uruguay of slaves from Africa whom, after being freed, continued to make up the poorest and most marginalized strata in society. Fernado Nunez, a Black man, a musician, and a maker of drums, sees himself as the heir to "Candombe", an important social and cultural legacy from his slave forefathers. The official history and culture of Uruguay, on the other hand, which has never acknowledged this contribution to the degree which it deserves, continues to marginalize expressions of Black culture. Fernando Nunez and his friends from the Barrio Sur back street quarter of Montevideo have decided to fight to keep these important cultural roots alive in the consciousness of the Uruguayan people.

followed by

A DIOS MOMO
Uruguay, 2005



Directed by Leonardo Ricagni. Starring Jorge Esmoris, Mathias Acuna, and Washington Luna.
100 minutes.Spanish with English subtitles.

Obdulio is an 11-year-old Afro-Uruguayan street boy who lives with his grandmother and sells newspapers for a living while he cannot read or write. Obdulio is not interested in going to school until he finds out that the night watchman of the newspaper's office is a charismatic magical "Maestro" who not only introduces him to the world of literacy but also teaches him the real meaning of life through the lyrics of the "Murgas" (Carnival Pierrots) during the mythical nights of the irreverent and provocative Uruguayan carnival.

With a poetic nod to Fellini, Leonardo Ricagni uses the carnival atmosphere to transport the viewer to a magical place where realism and surrealism live side by side in Uruguay—and what a wonderful place to be. With sweeping directorial vision and gorgeously shot with rich, vibrant colors, A DIOS MOMO achieves a rich visual and spiritual sensibility unparalleled today.

– Shaz Bennett AFI Fest 2005

Presented in celebration of the Seattle International Latino Film Festival, September 24-27, 2009.
The Seattle International Latino Film Festival aims to exhibit films that recognize the richness and diversity of Spanish speaking communities worldwide. The broad range of Latino cultural expression cannot be minimized to stereotypes.

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Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center Special Events

Summer Youth Musical

Bobos

Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center

104 - 17th Avenue South, Seattle

17th Avenue South & Yesler Way - Metro bus #27

Date: August 17 - 23

Quincy Jones, legendary composer arranger, says "...Bobos is the future of musical theatre." This urban opera deals with the tough choices facing youth in the streets of Seattle. Forty-Eight (48) youth fill this ensemble with vibrancy and difficult choices under peer pressure. Call 206-684-4758 for information.

SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP FEBRUARY SAFE HOUSE SCREENING

REBIRTH OF A NATION
Experimental - 94min
Director-Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky
Date: Sunday, February 8
Time: 2PM
Location: Seattle Art Museum
Pletscheeff Auditorium
1300 First Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101-2003
FREE

In honor of Black History Month, the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival and the Seattle Art Museum are partners in presenting a special free screening of the film Rebirth of a Nation by Paul Miller (aka DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid).

The film is a 'remix' of D.W. Griffith's 1915 "Birth of a Nation" that was highly controversial due to its graphic portrayal of racism in the post-Civil War south. Miller's remix deconstructs one of the most influential and inflammatory movies ever made, while drawing striking parallels to present socio-political conflicts in America. The film includes Paul's original score, performed by Kronos Quartet.

Community post-screening discussion facilitated by Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Seattle Art Museum Kayla Skinner Deputy Director of Education + Public Programs/Adjunct Curator

Underground Railroad Film Series continues Feb. 19

FEBRUARY ONE
Documentary: 61 mins
Directors: Dr. Steven Channing & Rebecca Cerese
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2009
Location:MezzaLuna
2608 S Judkins St
Seattle, WA 98144
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Admission: $5 suggested donation
Langston Hughes African American Film Festival Info line: 206-326-1088

ABOUT THE FILM


Organization of American Historians Erik Barnouw Award Honorable Mention Recipient

In one remarkable day, four college freshmen changed the course of American history. February One tells the inspiring story surrounding the 1960 Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins that revitalized the Civil Rights Movement and set an example of student militancy for the coming decade. This moving film shows how a small group of determined individuals can galvanize a mass movement and focus a nation’s attention on injustice.

The Greensboro Four, Ezell Blair, Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil, were close friends at North Carolina A&T University before they became political activists. Two of the four had grown up where segregation was not legal, while another’s father was active in the NAACP. They recount how the idea for the sit-in grew out of those late night “bull sessions” that make college years so rich. Prof. William Chafe helps set the historical context the four young men confronted: the Civil Rights Movement had stalled since the Brown decision and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. On the night of January 31, 1960 the four dared each other to do something that would change the South and their own lives forever. They decided to sit-in at the whites-only lunch counter at Woolworth’s in downtown Greensboro the next day.

On February 1st, dressed in their Sunday best, the four men sat down at the lunch counter. Frank McCain remembers that he knew then this would be the high point of his life, “I felt clean...I had gained my manhood by that simple act.” The four were refused service; when they did not leave the store the manager closed the lunch counter. In the days that followed they were joined by more students from local Black colleges and a few white students who also sat-in at other lunch counters in Greensboro. Prof. Vincent Harding reminds us that the Civil Rights Movement was the first major social movement to be covered by television news so word of the events in Greensboro spread across the nation like a prairie fire. Within just a few days students were sitting in at lunch counters in fifty-four cities around the South.

Greensboro’s civic leadership pressured the President of North Carolina A&T to halt the protests but he counseled the students to follow their own consciences. Finally after months of protests the Woolworth management quietly integrated its lunch counter. The wave of direct action started by the Greensboro Four coalesced in the formation of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the vanguard of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. February One not only fills in one of the most important chapters in the Civil Rights Movement, it reminds us that this was a movement of ordinary people motivated to extraordinary deeds by the need to assert their basic human dignity. It provides an eloquent argument to today’s generation of students that involvement in the politics of our own time is a vital part of any college education.

Afro-Peruvian Culture - HANDS OF GOD, January 15

Underground Railroad Film Series
CINEMA AND CONVERSATION

A new year, a new President and new ways to celebrate, nurture, present, preserve and share our heritage and culture through the arts! January brings us many stops on the Underground Railroad, with films from far and wide.

JANUARY SAFE HOUSE SCREENING

HANDS OF GOD
Documentary - PERU 2004; 54 min

Director- Delia Ackerman

Date: Thursday, January 15
Time: 7PM
New Location: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 104 - 17th Avenue South at Yesler Way
Central District, Seattle (Metro bus #27
Suggested donation: $5 at the door

The stunning dexterity and mastery of famous Afro-Peruvian percussionist Julio "Chocolate" Algendones are on display in this affectionate documentary about the great master. Afro-Peruvian music is rooted in multiples rhythms coming from Africa. Mixing the traditional and the contemporary, from cajón to Jazz, Chocolate composed and played many music styles, taught all over the world and contributed to the creative development of numerous artists including the dance group Peru Negro.

Post Screening Discussion with Rose Cano, Director "Callejon: The Alley", a bi-lingual musical co-production of North South Conexions and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center.

12/18 FILM RESCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 29

Due to the current heavy snowfall and uncertain travel conditions in Central Seattle, tonight's 7:00 p.m. screening of the film TROUBLE THE WATER has been postponed.

The film will be shown at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 104 - 17th Avenue South, on Monday December 29th at 7:00 p.m. Admission is a sliding scale if $5-$7.

Please inform any friends who may have been planning to attend that there is a new show date. The LHAAFF looks forward to showing the film and we hope that everyone will be able to join us on December 29th!

Underground Railroad Cinema & Conversation Series continues Dec. 18 with TROUBLE THE WATER

Dec. 18 – TROUBLE THE WATER

Documentary – USA 2008, 96mins

Dir: Tia Lessin, Carl Deal

Trouble the Water is the award winning film that goes inside Hurricane Katrina through the lens of unlikely heroes, Kim and Scott Roberts. A powerful and moving tale of grace and humanity.


Time: 7PM

Location: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 104 17th Avenue South, Seattle (corner of 17th Avenue South & Yesler Way; the #27 Metro bus stops in front)

Admission: Suggested donation of $5-$7

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Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Trouble the Water is directed and produced by Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine producers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. The film tells the story of an aspiring rap artist and her streetwise husband, trapped in New Orleans by deadly floodwaters, who survive the storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning. It’s a redemptive tale of self-described street hustlers who become heroes that takes you inside Hurricane Katrina in a way never before seen on screen.

Trouble the Water opens the day before Katrina makes landfall, just blocks away from the French Quarter but far from the New Orleans that tourists know. Kimberly Rivers Roberts is turning her video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbors trapped in the city. “It’s going to be a day to remember,” Kim says excitedly into her new camera as the storm is brewing. It’s her first time shooting video and it’s rough, jumpy but dense with reality. Kim’s playful home-grown newscast tone grinds against the audience’s knowledge that hell is just hours away. There is no way for the audience to warn her. And for New Orleans’ poor, there is nowhere to run.

As the hurricane begins to rage and the floodwaters fill their world and the screen, Kim and her husband Scott continue to film, documenting their harrowing voyage to higher ground and dramatic rescues of friends and neighbors.

Intertwining Kim and Scott’s insider’s view of Katrina and powerful video with a mix of verite and in-your-face filmmaking, Deal and Lessin follow their story through the storm and its aftermath, and into a new life. Along the way, they discover Kim’s musical talent as rap artist Black Kold Madina when she finds the only existing copy of her recorded music survived the storm with a relative in Memphis. Kim’s performance in that moment reveals not only devastating skills as a musician, but compacts her life story into explosive poetry that paints a devastating picture of poverty.

Directed and produced by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal and Executive Produced by Joslyn Barnes and Danny Glover of Louverture Films, edited and co-produced by T. Woody Richman, with additonal editing by Mary Lampson, Trouble the Water features an original musical score by Neil Davidge and Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, and the music of Dr. John, Mary Mary, Citizen Cope, TK Soul, John Lee Hooker, and the Free Agents Brass Band and introduces the music of Black Kold Madina.

Trouble the Water has been supported by grants from the Sundance Institute,the Open Society Institute, and is a project of Creative Capital.