Black Star, presented by BFI, describes itself as “a celebration of the range, versatility and power of black actors on film and TV, taking place in cinemas nationwide” and there are a number of events happening in Wales to coincide with the ground-breaking new film season.
There have been showings of films, such as the highly influential African-American classic Boyz in the Hood, along with many others. A renewed focus has been a focus on African cinema, with the work of seminal Senegalese director Ousmane Sembène, often described as “the father of African cinema” being shown in Cardiff.
BFI Black Star has coincided with part of Artes Mundi, Wales’ internationally renowned contemporary arts festival. One of the artists exhibited is John Akomfrah, a founding member of the Black Audio Film Collective. Chapter Arts organisation showed Akomfrah’s The Stuart Hall Project, looking at the life of cultural theorist and writer Stuart Hall as part of BFI Black Star. More screenings are planned for Artes Mundi, keep in the loop by regularly checking their website.
Black Star is not without a Welsh focus, as The Proud Valley has recently been remastered, the first feature film shot in Wales. It was shot in 1940s and looks at an African-American miner in the South Wales valleys as he joins the local choir. It stars renaissance man Paul Robeson, one of the foremost intellectuals of the 20th century. Robeson was a singer, actor, solicitor, writer, sportsman and communist who was active in social movements in mining communities in South Wales.
Robeson first visited Wales in 1928 and sang with many choirs in Wales. In 1957, like the previous five years beforehand, Robeson was invited to sing at the Porthcawl Miners Eisteddfod but wasn’t able to travel to the UK. His passport had been confiscated by the US authorities because he refused to say he wasn’t a Communist. He rang the Eisteddfod from New York from a secret studio and they sang to each other down the phone. These tapes were “lost for decades before being rediscovered” and this recording was played in November by Chapter Arts Centre.
Black Star is running until the end of December 2016 and includes A United Kingdom, directed by Amma Asante whose début, A Way of Life, was set in Cardiff. A United Kingdom, a biographic romantic drama film about the marriage of a Botswanan prince to a white working class woman from London in the 1940s, has had a wide release in cinemas. So far, it’s been rated 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and features David Oyewolo, who starred as Dr Martin Luther King Jr in Ave DuVernay’s Selma. Chapter Arts Centre is running a number of films as part of Black Star, including a rare showing of the iconic The Harder They Come with famous reggae singer Jimmy Cliff and many more.
words FATIMA BIBI
The Harder They Come is showing in Chapter Arts Centre on 13th December
Car Wash is showing in Chapter Arts Centre on 18th December.
Trading Places is showing in on December in Chapter Arts Centre from 20th-22nd December
A United Kingdom is showing at the Welfare in Ystradgynlais on 4th Jan, Penarth Pier Pavilion Cinema 16-21st December, Theatr Clwyd from 6-11th January , 13-15th December in Llandudno Odeon, 13th-14th Dec at Swansea Vue Cinema and 12th-30th December in Chapter Arts Centre
For more information on BFI Blackstar, head over to the BFI Black Star website.