In a housing project located on the outskirts of Paris renamed "100% Arabica" by its inhabitants, African immigrants live side by side. The residents are united by their struggle for recognition in a society where immigrants are often regarded as second-class citizens. In a world of exiles, poverty is the common denominator. Against this backdrop, director Zemmouri has brought together two of the biggest and most charismatic stars of the cross-cultural musical form known as Rai, Cheb Mami and Khaled, who play the leaders of a band called Rap Oriental. As the band of musicians starts to gain in popularity, the Imam of the local mosque (Mouss) tries to destroy them by stirring up racial and cultural tensions. However, no one can stop the infectious popularity of the songs in this story of music triumphing over bigotry and violence.
at Teachers College, Columbia University
525 West 120th Street
Fri, June 26-172 Macy Hall FREE (faculty and students) Screening (6:00PM)
Photo ID required to enter building
Friday, June 26
8:30PM
in Room 172 Macy Hall
VIEW TRAILER
SANKY PANKY
by Jose Enrique Pintor, 110 min, 2007, Dominican Republic, comedy in Spanish with English subtitles.
The Dominican Republic has beautiful beaches, beautiful people, and a little something called "Sanky Panky," which female tourists might want to stay away from. In this musical comedy starring the charismatic Fausto Mata, his attempts at getting foreign women to fall in love with him in order to procure a visa to the United States have hilarious results. A huge hit in both the Dominican Republic and the Dominican communities abroad, SANKY PANKY is a humorous look at the little-known phenomena of seducing travelers for personal gain. Popular Dominican music, such as Big Family and Aventura, accompany many of Mata's ridiculous exploits in his quest for a little "Sanky Panky."
Saturday, June 27
2:00PM
in Room 172 Macy Hall
PLAYING AWAY
by Horace Ove, 100mins, 1986, Trinidad&Tobago/UK, comedy in English. Official Selection, Lond and African Diaspora Film Festivals
To mark the conclusion of their "Third World Week" celebration, a cricket team in a small English village invites a West Indian cricket team from South London to a charity game. "Not surprisingly, there's wariness on both sides. But Willie Boy (Norman Beaton), the proud, wryly philosophical captain of the Conquistadors, is intent on accepting the invitation. Meanwhile, the captain of the Sneddington Cricket Club, the innocent but overwhelmingly self-satisfied Derek (Nicholas Farell), is confident of a handy Sunday afternoon victory. Obviously, the possibilities, both comic and serious, in this cultural exchange are endless, and the filmmakers seem not to have missed any of them. But, for all the film's abundant humor, Ove, said to be Britain's first black film maker, and the Oxford-educated Phillips, never let us forget that racial tensions lurk beneath the occasion's surge of good will. In the end, Playing Away's pleasures are subtle and genuine." ~Los Angeles Times
Saturday, June 27
4:00PM
in Room 172 Macy Hall
THE GREAT BAZAAR
by Lincinio Azevedo, 58 min, 2005, Mozambique, comedy in Portugese with English subtitles. Winner Best Short Film, Durban International Film Festival. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.
In the suburb of an African city, 12-years-old Paito sells fritters outside his house. One day, a band of young robbers takes his money. He decides he's not going to go home until he recovers what he lost. With this in mind, he heads out for the big city on the same train as the thieves. Looking for work, he begins to live in a market square that at night becomes a dormitory for homeless vendors. There he meets Xano, a boy his age, whose insolent behavior and fearlessness attract him. Unlike Paito, Xano despises work and he steals. Despite their differences, they become friends. Together, they reinvent the world.
Saturday, June 27
8:30pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
NO TIME TO DIE
by King Ampaw, 95mins, 2006, Ghana, love and comedy in English. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.
Death and funeral traditions play a significant role in African culture. No Time to Die is director King Ampaw's contribution to passing the traidtion onto the next genderation. hearse driver, David Dunnoth meets and falls in love with a young, beautiful dancer who is plannine an elaborate homegoing celebration for her mother. This love and comedy feature lenght film follows David as he does everything to win her affection.
Saturday, June 27
6:00pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
REUNION
by Sheila Marie Norman, 110mins, 2006, USA, comedy -drama in English . Recipient of numerous awards including Best Actress, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.
Struggling with vulnerability, Dominique (Carolyn Owens), a college professor, must do some soul searching to address personal shortcomings. Suffering from kidney failure, she attends a family reunion to approach her estranged sister, CeCe (Trisha Mann), for a transplant. However, unresolved conflicts from their catastrophic childhood remain. At great emotional expense, both sisters must confront the demons of their past to find forgiveness and healing. Wacky relatives attending the reunion add color and controversy to the affair. Mounting tensions erupt when Aunt Clara (Maxine Hayden), the family matriarch, reveals a shocking secret, shaking the family tree to its roots
Sunday, June 28
2:00pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
ALMODOU
by Amadou Thior, 85mins, 2002, Senegal, comedy in Wolof/French with English subtitles. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.
Sometimes distasteful practices are most effectively criticized with a good sense of humor. Meet Modou, a young, courageous and determinde talibe - a pupil in a Koranic school-who manages to escape from his corrupt and abusice teacher to find a better life in contemporary Dakar, Senegal.
Sunday, June 28
4:00pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
SPECIAL GUEST Q&A
w/Refreshments
MURDER MAGIC by Windell Williams, 100mins, 1993, USA, drama in English. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.
A comedy-drama by gifted New York based director Windell Williams, Murder Magic is about a treacherous family secret which causes a murderous conflict between two brothers, one clean-cut and ambitious, the other a womanizing ex-convict. Don't miss this deliciously original, filled with humor, and distinctively intelligent independent feature film and meet director Windell Williams. Q&A after the screening. Refreshments will be served. Sunday, June 28 at 4:00pm. Q&A with filmmaker, Windell Williams and refreshments will be served.
Sunday, June 28
6:30pm
in Room 172 Macy Hall
HOW TO CONQUER AMERICA IN ONE NIGHT
by Dany Laferriere , 96mins, 2004, Canada/Haiti, Romantic comedy in French with English subtitles . Recipient of Zenith Prize (Best First Fiction Feature), Montreal World Film Festival. Official Selection, African Diaspora Film Festival.
Newly arrived in Montréal, and determined to conquer North America by charming blond-haired women, Gégé, a Haitian in his thirties, lands up at Fanfan's - his nostalgic uncle who has given up poetry for a good old taxicab and dreams of returning to his homeland. Over the course of one night filled with humor and friendship -- highlighted by a party attended by twins Andrée and Denise, two Québécoises with contrasting charms -- the two fun-loving guys take stock of their lives, memories and fantasies. Meanwhile, on television, various celebrities draw up a comic portrait of North American society. "A shrewd, funny, humane and very well-written and acted comedy from Haitian-born Montreal writer Dany Laferriere (author of How To Make Love To a Negro Without Getting Tired and On the Verge of a Fever), who makes a lively directorial debut with this comic-dramatic tale." ~ Michael Wilmington - Chicago Tribune.
Screenings: $9 General Admission, $7 students & seniors.
Friday, June 26 8:30pm
Saturday, June 27
Sunday, June 28
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact OASID at oasid@tc.edu , (212) 678-3689, (212) 678-3853 TTY, (212) 678-3854 video phone, as early as possible to request reasonable accommodations, such as ASL interpreters, alternate format materials, and a campus map of accessible features.Info: (212) 864-1760
1. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
As you know, Senator Brian Stack (D-Hudson and mayor Union City) has introduced
S. 2775 which would reduce the minimum funding for municipal libraries to 1/6 mil from 1/3 mil of the equalized valuation of the real property. This is very devastating legislation.
NJLA ( New Jersey Library Association, http://www.njla.org/) activated its legislative alert system through Capwiz ( a service which allows you to send a message directly to your state senator).
The alert is at:
http://capwiz.com/ala/nj/issues/alert/?alertid=13301621&PROCESS=Take+Action
So far approximately 1900 messages have been sent but we still need more. If you have not sent your message please do so today.
We urge you to also forward this message other library supporters.. Many of you have Facebook pages so please forward this to your contacts.
If you have had a response from your local Senator to your email, please let me know. For example, Senator Marcia Karrow has already said she would not support the bill. It is important that we know what the legislators are saying.
Senator Stack represents District 33. The two Assemblypersons in this District have now signed onto the A3753 ( the Assembly bill).They are Assemblyman Ruben Ramos and Assemblywoman Caridad Rodriguez. We don’t believe that the addition of these sponsors means that there is widespread support in the Assembly for this legislation.
The library community, however, must do everything it can to see that this bill does not more forward. Get involved. Attend the NJLA Public Policy Forum on June 5 ( see below).
Check out the njla.blog ( on the front of our website). On Friday, northjersey.com had an article entitled “Towns fill budget gaps with surplus library funds.” On Sunday, the Record also had an extremely supportive editorial against S2775.
2. STATE BUDGET
A message from the NJ State Librarian Norma Blake regarding the NJ State budget. “Last week the NJ State Library received from the Office of Management and Budget another directive to give suggestions as to where they can take an additional $1,606,000 from the library FY2010 budget, bringing our total projected cut to $3,564,000. The suggestions were very difficult to make. However, we have tried to spread the budget cuts across a number of areas of the library budget, including cuts to the State Library, to minimize the impact on any one program. There is no guarantee that the Office of Management and Budget who makes the cut will follow our suggestions or will allow us to make transfers among budget lines. I will write again as soon as OMB makes their final decision. We have every reason to believe, based on the revenue projects, that this may not be the last library budget cut FY2010. Sincerely, Norma E. Blake, State Librarian, New Jersey State Library.”
IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM NJLA - YOU DID IT!
I am very happy to forward the message we received from JoAnne Serrano, president of the library board of Hoboken Library. JoAnne was contacted by Senator Stack’s office on Friday. They indicated he will “withdraw” S2775 as soon as possible.
This is absolutely wonderful news. We have removed the “capwiz” legislative alert from out website. Over 2200 messages were sent to legislators regarding S2775 through this site.
We also want to thank the NJ State Library which called public libraries to encourage them to contact their legislators regarding this bill.
This has been an outstanding advocacy effort by the entire library community. I particularly want to thank the library community of Hoboken who are represented by Senator Stack in District 33. The entire library board led by Board President Joanne Serrano, Library Director Lina Podles and the Friends of the Hoboken Library all contacted Senator Stack’s office and told them how detrimental this bill would be for the entire library community.
This demonstrates that local advocacy efforts coupled with electronic resources such as “capwiz” can make our library message known in Trenton.
We certainly hope this is the end of the efforts to reduce library funding to 1/6 mil. Assemblyman Prieto, sponsor of the bill (A3753) on the Assembly side, has told us he will not go forward with the legislation.
