THURSDAY, AUGUST 7th, The Harlem School of the Arts
and New York African Film Festival, Inc. will be co-sponsoring an
African Film night in St. Nicholas Park. There will be a free crochet
workshop by Harlem Needle Arts, a live dance performance by Mouminatou
Camara with Seewe African Dance Company, followed by the film, “Shoot
the Messenger”. See below for details.
Explore the world of fiber arts with Harlem Needle Arts
FREE CROCHET WORKSHOP (7:00 pm – 8:00 pm)
Harlem Needle Arts (HNA) an institute designed to promote quilting,
knitting, spinning and beading while improving the quality of life for
area residents. HNA is not only contributing to a resurgence of needle
arts, but also preserving art-forms traditionally used in the African
culture. HNA was founded by Michelle Bishop who will be facilitating
this workshop.
(Live Performance & Film will follow the workshop)
LIVE PERFORMANCE:
Mouminatou Camara with Seewe African Dance Company
Mouminatou Camara, master dancer and choreographer, was the lead
dancer for Les Ballet African for over 10 years. She has since founded
and directed this extraordinary company. Seewe African Dance Company,
a masterful group of dancers and musicians dedicated to African song,
dance and folklore. Their high-energy, colorfully costumed
performances incorporate live music played on traditional instruments.
FILM:
SHOOT THE MESSENGER
(Ngozi Onwurah, Nigeria/UK, 2006, 100m.)
Joe is a teacher with a mission – determined to save the black
youngsters at his school from a life of gangs, crime and under
achievement, whether they like it or not. When a seemingly minor
incident rapidly escalates out of control and he loses his job, he
turns against his own community, quickly descends into madness and
hits rock bottom, before realizing he has a lot to learn about love,
understanding and a different way of seeing his world. This thought-
provoking and unapologetic film breaks the mold by exposing the
debates which are ongoing within the black community. Winner of the
Dennis Potter Screenwriting Award and 2 BAFTA TV Awards.
About the Director: Ngozi moved from Nigeria to Britain with her
family at the age of nine after surviving the Nigerian Civil War. A
passion for cinema led her to St. Martin’s School of Art, where she
graduated with a First Class Honors Degree in Fine Arts, Film & Video.
Her graduation film, COFFEE COLOURED CHILDREN, kick-started her career
when it won first prize in the BBC Showreel competition. She completed
postgraduate studies in Drama Direction at the National Film &
Television School. Ngozi has been widely acknowledged as one of
today’s most talented directors in Britain. She was awarded the
prestigious honor of a special retrospective screening at the New York
Film Festival for her films, The Body Beautiful (1991), Mondays Girls
(1993) and And Still I Rise (1993).
Rain Venue: The Harlem School of the Arts, 645 St. Nicholas Ave. @ 141st St.
As seen on Newyorkology.com
Posted on August 6, 2008 by D. Bell