Sophie Okonedo

Written by Grace Yama | May 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Sophie Okonedo was born in England to a Nigerian father and a Jewish mother. Sophie’s father left the family when she was only 5 years old. Coupled with her multiracial makeup, she endured a rough childhood, therefore as she grew up, she found comfort and solace in art of performing. » Read more…

Tags: , , aeon flux, alicia keys, amanda peet, carolyn chikezie, charlize theron, chiwetel ojiofor, don cheadle, hotel rwanda, john cusak, martian child, peoples choice award, queen latifah, secret life of bees, Sophie Okonedo, toronto international film festival, tsunami: the aftermath

Lights, Camera, Action: Liya Kebede

Written by Laura Adibe | May 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment

According to AOL Black Voices, Ethiopian supermodel Liya Kebede has been tapped to play Somali model Waris Dirie in Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad, a film based on Dirie’s successful autobiography about her experience with female circumcision. Kebede will start filming in Europe in June. » Read more…

Tags: , , AoL Black Voices, Desert Flower, Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert No, Liya Kebede, Waris dirie

Battle of the Souls

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | May 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Directly from film school in Amsterdam in 2005, Matt Bish returned home to Kampala to direct his maiden film, Battle of the Souls, a film inspired by his young brother, Roger Mugisha. Without a professional cast and crew, he assembled one that has today made the first Ugandan feature film. » Read more…

Tags: , Battle of the Souls, Matt Bish, Roger Mugisha

Betty Okino -Dancer, Gymnyst, Actress

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | May 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Betty Okino is the daughter of a Ugandan father and Romanian mother. She got the first taste of the limelight performing in tap dance competitions with her brother (for which they won several awards). Mary Lou Retton inspired her to go into gymnastics where she excelled, turning elite at the age of 13. » Read more…

Tags: , 1991 World Championships, 99 billboard awards, Betty Okino, disney channel, drew Carey, Mary Lou Retton, popular, sea world, The Okino, Undressed, world rhythm on ice, z-games

As Old As My Tongue

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | April 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment

This is a documentary of a living legend, Bi Kidude, who is probably the oldest singer on the world stage today. She sings the traditional Taarab and Unyago music and is very popular internationally.

Bi Kidude was born at least ninety years ago (she isn’t sure what year she was born and estimates she could be as old as 113) and lives in Zanzibar, a strongly Muslim island. She has been the center of controversy for her constant challenges to traditional Muslim values for women. » Read more…

Tags: , , As Old as my tongue, Bi Kidude, swahili, taarab, unyago, Zanzibar

Mirt Sost Shi Amit (aka Harvest: 3000 Years)

Written by Laura Adibe | April 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment

This powerful film written and directed by veteran filmmaker Haile Gerima (Sankofa, Bush Mama) will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival. » Read more…

Tags: , amharic, Bush Mama, Ethiopia, Haile Gerima, Locarno International Film Festival, Mirt Sost Shi Amit, Sankofa, Semitic, Tribeca Film Festival

Black to Our Roots

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | April 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment

This is the story of a group of Atlanta teenagers who raise money to travel to Ghana to learn more about their ancestors. In the process they learn about the stereotypes and misconceptions that surround Africans and African-Americans.

The story also follows the story of Sylvia Dorsey, a 17-year-old girl from the housing projects who learns more about herself from the trip and rediscovers the power of who she is. » Read more…

Tags: , black to our roots, sylvia dorsey

I Am Because We Are

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | April 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Madonna was at the Tribeca Film Festival screening of her documentary on HIV/AIDS and it’s effect on the children in Africa. The film follows the lives of several children and highlights the problems they are facing and the changes that can be made today to help make a difference. » Read more…

Tags: , HIV/AIDS, I am because we are, madonna, Tribeca Film Festival

Bling: A Planet Rock

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | April 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

American hip hop artists travel to Sierra Leone to see the source of the diamonds that create the “Bling” and fueled the 10-year civil war in which over one million people were killed, maimed, raped or displaced. » Read more…

Tags: , Big Daddy Kane, Bishop Don Juan, Bling: the planet rock, hip hop industry, Ishmael Beah, Jada Kiss, Johnny Dang, Kanye West, Paul Wall, Raekwon, Sierra leone diamonds, Tego Calderon

Kassim The Dream

Written by Laura Adibe | April 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Kief Davidson directs the story of Kassim “The Dream” Ouma, a former junior middleweight boxing world champ. Kassim, born in Uganda, had been trained as a child soldier at six years old and forced to commit unspeakable atrocities until he was eighteen. Eventually, Kasim comes to the United States and tries to start a new life for himself, although the memories of his past continue to haunt him. » Read more…

Tags: , child soldier, Forest whitaker, Kassim the Dream, keisha whitaker, kief davidson, middleweight boxing champ, Tribeca Film Festival, Uganda

A Walk to Beautiful

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | April 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

A Walk to Beautiful, the award winning feature-length documentary, tells the stories of five Ethiopian women who suffer from devastating childbirth injuries and embark on a journey to reclaim their lost dignity. » Read more…

Tags: , , a walk to beautiful, addis ababa fistula hospital, amharic, english, nova, oromiffa, pbs.org