Afropop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange

Against a backdrop of prejudice and political turmoil in the 1970s, The Real Thing was the first all-black British band to hit #1 in the UK pop charts. Dubbed "the Black Beatles" by the British tabloids, their incredible story takes them from the tough streets of Toxteth, an inner-city area of Liverpool, to the bright lights of New York as Britain's pioneering million-selling soul and funk band.

A young Black Tunisian woman, a committed activist who speaks her mind, embodies Tunisia's current political upheaval. As a victim of racial discrimination, she decides to go into politics. Following her extraordinary path, through her attempts to persuade both close friends and complete strangers to vote for her, her campaign reveals the many faces of a country seeking to forge a new identity.

A harrowing documentary about the victims of the Six-Day War in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For two decades, the victims have been fighting with authorities in the city of Kisangani for the recognition of this bloody conflict and demanding compensation. Tired of unsuccessful pleas, they finally voice their claims in the capital Kinshasa, after a long journey down the Congo River.

The troubling story of the African artwork that fills European museums, and whose return is now being demanded by their countries of origin. Through the burning question of their possible restitution, the film invites us to reconsider both our cultural heritage and museums' role in reinventing our relationship with Africa.

A crop of young poets and musicians advocating in support of the revolution in Sudan that followed the 2019 toppling of the dictator Omar al-Bashir and military takeover of the country. Gathering in Brooklyn and Denver, these vibrant young people, whose families left Sudan years earlier reflect on their identity and how can they best help the Sudanese people an ocean away.

Filmmakers Rosalynde LeBlanc and Tom Hurwitz trace the history and legacy of choreographer-dancer-director Bill T. Jones' ballet, "D-Man in the Waters." Emerging in the age of AIDS, the 1989 ballet gave physical manifestation to the fear, anger, grief, and hope for salvation that Jones and colleagues experienced as AIDS took the life of their beloved co-founder Arnie Zane and other troupe members.

Claire Duguet's film is a guided tour of the life and indomitable spirit of international music icon and activist Angélique Kidjo. Featuring archival footage of the artist appearing with superstars Miriam Makeba, Celia Cruz, Youssou N'dour, Ziggy Marley, Philip Glass, and Peter Gabriel, the film also includes cameo appearances by contemporary music stars including Alicia Keys and Yemi Alade.

Born into slavery in 1853, Bill Traylor spent most of his life working the land in rural Alabama. He began drawing and painting in his later years, often with found materials. This film, by Jeffrey Wolf and Daphne McWilliams, is a compelling narrative about a man who, despite the hardships of legalized racism, produced a body of work exhibited in today's leading museums and collections worldwide.

Mapiko is a traditional masked dance performed by the Makonde men of Northern Mozambique. Filmmaker Sara CF de Gouveia's film follows Atanásio Nyusi, a compelling storyteller and legendary Mapiko dancer, taking us on a visually dramatic journey through Mozambique's past (including Mapiko's role as a tool to challenge colonization during the Mozambican War of Independence) and its vibrant present.

Improvisational pianist and composer Thelonious Monk is among the 20th century's most revered jazz luminaries. This film by Alain Gomis, features raw footage from an interview the artist gave to French state television in 1969. It shows Monk in the grip of a violent factory of stereotypes, offering an unfiltered glimpse at the racial indignities some artistic geniuses are asked to endure.

In 1993, Danielle Metz was labeled a drug kingpin and sentenced to triple life in California, many miles away from New Orleans and her two children. Metz's sentence was commuted 23 years later. Now back home, she is stepping into a different reality. The film traces Metz's journey in confronting the wounds of incarceration, and to finding purpose, love and unification with her two grown children.

Jo, a witty 9-year-old terminally ill girl, is taken back to her rural village of Maweni to live out the rest of her short life. Her only comfort during these dull times are her dreams of being a superhero, which prove to be something her rebellious teenage sister Mwix, overprotective mother Kathryn and entire community believe they can fulfill.

When Kaleche wakes up in the middle of the wilderness, she has no idea why or how she got there. She makes her way to Kati Kati where she meets a motley crew living under the leadership of Thoma. As Kaleche strikes up a quick friendship with him, she discovers that Thoma is a very special person at this mysterious place: Kati Kati is inhabited by the souls of dead people waiting for redemption.

Princeville, NC sits atop wet, swampy land along the river. In the 1800s, the land was deemed uninhabitable by white people. After the Civil War, this indifference left it available for freed enslaved Africans. Once called ‘Freedom Hill,' it was gradually established as an all Black town. But the town has been inundated with flooding...and with each flood, a little more of the small town erodes.

Mother Suriname - A deeply evocative portrayal of Suriname's history woven through the personal story of a woman reflecting on her life. The film uses captivating, colorized archival footage to illustrate the lives of Surinamese women, including filmmaker Tessa Leuwsha's grandmother, who was a washerwoman.The Changing Same - In the Florida Panhandle lies the provincial town of Marianna, where resident and poet L. Lamar Wilson runs a particular marathon in hopes of lifting the veil of racial terror caused by the town's buried history.

Tongo Saa is set in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the government's plans to build a large hydroelectric power plant leaves many residents in darkness and insecurity. The city's uneven distribution of electricity causes many locals to navigate life after sunset using torches and other means to provide their own infrastructure and security amid constant violence.

Neptune Frost - This Afrofuturist romantic musical, executive produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is set in a post-civil war Rwanda and spans past, future and present times. It follows the relationship between Neptune, an intersex hacker, and Matalusa, a coltan miner. The story unfolds in a village made of computer parts, where Neptune and Matalusa join a hacker collective to challenge the authoritarian regime exploiting their region's natural resources. The film uses music, African oral tradition and song-poetry to explore themes of patriarchy, feminism and liberation.Tsutsue - An Afrofuturistic narrative film set in a small Ghanaian town at the edge of an oceanside landfill. There, two sons of a fisherman — Sowah and Okai — struggle to cope with the death of their eldest brother who drowned during a fishing expedition.