Watch Party | Art Film

We will explore Afrofuturism in sci-fi films with a short video introduction by Criterion curatorial director Ashley Clark recorded in 2020.

Then, we will review and discuss a collection of films by Black sci-fi filmmakers beginning with "The Becoming Box" directed by Monique Walton • 2011 • United States
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a mysterious box appears in the backyard of three siblings—a portal that may offer an escape from their surroundings.

Followed by "Robots of Brixton" directed by Kibwe Tavares • 2011 • United Kingdom
Tensions erupt among a group of young robots attempting to survive the daily grind.

Then after a 5-minute bio-break we'll review, "The Last Angel of History" directed by John Akomfrah • 1996 • United Kingdom
Cofounder of the influential Black Audio Film Collective, John Akomfrah crafted this experimental blend of sci-fi parable and essay film, which also serves as an essential primer on the aesthetics and dynamics of contemporary Afrofuturism. Interviews with esteemed musicians, writers, and cultural critics are interwoven with the fictional story of a “data thief,” who must travel through time and space in search of the code that holds the key to his future.

...and a few short sci-fi films by Larry Achiampong from "The Relic Quadrilogy."
Part of a sprawling, ongoing multimedia project by artist Larry Achiampong, these films imagine a future in which the global West has begun a decline into obsolescence, while a unified Africa ascends into prosperity, harmony, and a leadership role in the world, an Afrofuturist utopia in which so-called Relic Travelers journey across Britain and the world collecting the remnants and testimonies of a colonial past. Layering image, voice-over, and evocative music to create an immersive audiovisual experience, the RELIC films are both hopeful visions of a rising Africa and mournful elegies for a tragic history.

Read "Ghosts of the Future: A Conversation with Larry Achiampong"
https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7346-ghosts-of-the-future-a-conversation-with-larry-achiampong

Join Zoom Meeting
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