Black Life: Newsletter Twenty-two
weekend films including Bush Mama, Min Alesh? and kissing summer goodbye
Hello friends,
We’re getting cozy in the theater this fall at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive with a series of film events. First up, Black Life co-curator Ryanaustin Dennis is introducing Haile Gerima’s 1975 film Bush Mama this Saturday October 2nd at 7pm. The film is screening as a part of “Undoing Time: Cinema and Histories of Incarceration” which correlates with the museum’s Undoing Time exhibit. Do come see us on Saturday night and come early to walk through the exhibit ahead of the film. Please note that galleries are open until 7pm.
Bush Mama
Haile Gerima
United States, 1975featuring Barbara Jones, Johnny Weathers, Susan Williams, Cora Lee Day
Bush Mama focuses on Dorothy, the title character, a Black woman living on welfare in Watts, trying to raise her daughter while her man is in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Through Dorothy’s eyes, we experience the turmoil of life in the neighborhood—a world of police violence, welfare offices, unemployment lines, decaying tenements, and social workers, where, as Thom Andersen noted, residents are “made to feel they are living in occupied territory.” Responses to this oppressive reality range from escapist fantasies to a growing political awareness. Though scripted and professionally acted, Bush Mama has all the immediacy and urgency of a documentary, capturing the rich, distinctive local patois, its despair as well as its humor. This was the first feature by the talented Ethiopian-born Gerima, a contemporary of Billy Woodberry and Charles Burnett at UCLA’s film school. After graduation, he returned to Ethiopia to make the acclaimed Harvest: 3000 Years and has since made many films on African American life.
We want to invite you to one more film program this weekend. This Sunday, October 2nd, at 5pm, ruth gebreyesus, co-curator of Black Life, will be introducing Min Alesh? Amleset Muchie’s 2019 film screening as a part of the African Film Festival’s ongoing offerings at BAMPFA. Do take a peek at the schedule and we’ll have a bit more to share on a certain Nollywood presentation soon ~
Min Alesh?
Amleset Muchie
Ethiopia, 2019featuring Amleset Muchie, Alebachew Mekonnen, Dirbwork Seyifu, Haddis D. Tadesse
Addis Ababa’s colorfully chaotic Merkato—Africa’s largest open-air market—provides the memorable setting of this vibrant work about a young woman attempting to escape the grind of poverty, for whom a lifelong talent becomes her way out. An indomitable spirit—and some good footwork—gets the otherwise luckless “Speedy” Selam through her daily grind; mainly busy running errands for her neighbors and dealing with her just-as-downtrodden boyfriend, she suddenly finds her life changed after a chance encounter with a running coach. Ethiopia’s legendary runner Haile Gebrselassie cameos in this inspiring, open-hearted tale of Ethiopian endurance, spirit, and faith.
- Jason Sanders
We want to take a moment to encourage those who cannot purchase tickets to please reach out to us. Accessibility is an ongoing goal for us and we’re interesting in creative and tangible ways to make our events as accessible as possible while working within larger institutions and systems. We’re happy to offer free tickets to Black Life’s extended community of Black and brown filmmakers, artists, creators and those curious about our programs. Do not hesitate to email blackblacklifelife@gmail.com by Friday to request tickets to either or both screenings.
BLACK LIFE MIXTAPE #18 - Summer’s Not Over Til It’s Over
& a finally, an interlude from Pharoah Sanders who transitioned from this realm to another this week. In one lifetime, he’s created and collaborated many lifetimes worth of guidance. We remain grateful.