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☆ ‘Dahomey,’ Documentary About Looted Artwork, Wins Top Prize at Berlin Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Thomas Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The top prize at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival was given to “Dahomey,” a documentary by the French filmmaker Mati Diop about 26 looted artworks that were returned to Benin from France in 2021. The unconventional feature, narrated in part by the gravelly, imagined voice of one of the artworks, is a playful exploration of the legacy of colonialism and the interplay between history and identity in present-day Benin. It is Diop’s first feature since “Atlantics,” a drama about Senegalese migrants that won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. In Diop’s acceptance speech for the prize, known as the Golden Bear, she said that “Dahomey” was part of the “collapsing wall of silence” around the need to return artworks looted by colonial powers to their original owners. “We can either get rid of the past as an imprisoning burden,” she said, “or we can take responsibility for it.”

Persons: ”, Mati Diop, “, Dahomey ” Organizations: Prix, Cannes Film Locations: Dahomey, French, Benin, France

BERLIN (AP) — The head of the jury at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival pushed back on political questions as the festival kicked off on Thursday, seeking instead to shift the focus to the tough selection ahead for the best movie. ... We are having robust conversations.”Nyong'o is the Berlinale’s first Black jury president and said she felt greatly honored to lead this year’s jury. One question she could not avoid was about the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, which the organizers last week uninvited to the opening gala. Five AfD politicians had been expected to attend since members of all parties in Berlin’s state legislature are invited to events supported with public money. German director Christian Petzold appeared critical about the decision to uninvite the AfD politicians.

Persons: ”, Cillian Murphy, “ It’s, Lupita Nyong'o, ” Nyong'o, Nyong'o, Christian Petzold, Berlinale, Jasmine Trinca, Petzold, Mati Diop, Abderrahmane Sissako, emigrates, Trinca, Brady Corbet, Ann Hui, Albert Serra, Oksana Zabuzhko Organizations: BERLIN, Berlin, Kenyan, Germany Locations: Mexican, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Berlin’s, Germany, Italian, French, Senegalese, Dahomey, Benin, West Africa, Mauritian, Ivorian, China, Africa, Berlin

☆ In Jesmyn Ward’s New Novel, Slavery Is Hell and Dante Is Our Guide
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Jennifer Wilson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Annis’s mother takes her into the woods at night to train her in hand-to-hand combat. Her mother’s mother, nicknamed “Mama Aza,” had been a Dahomey warrior, but was sold into slavery by her husband, the king — as punishment for falling in love with a soldier. “Annis?” her mother calls from the hallway, trying to prevent her daughter from repeating her own fate. “We done.” This brief expression of maternal protectiveness gets her mother sold, led away by a “Georgia Man” who takes her south to Louisiana. (This moment marks the end of any deep engagement with same-sex desire in the novel, making its brief appearance feel likes tokenism.)

Persons: Annis’s, “ Mama Aza, ”, Ward, Annis, “ Annis, protectiveness, Safi, Mama Aza, “, huff, ” Annis Locations: Dahomey, Georgia, Louisiana, New Orleans, ” New Orleans

☆ Read Your Way Through Salvador
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Itamar Vieira Junior | Translated Johnny Lorenz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Read Your Way Around the World is a series exploring the globe through books. I was born in Salvador, in the Brazilian state of Bahia, and lived in the general vicinity until I reached the age of 15. I already knew something of Amado, not from reading him but because he was an omnipresent figure in the cultural life of Salvador. Salvador was the first capital of Brazil, founded in 1549 as part of the Portuguese colonial project in the Americas. In the Salvador of yesteryear, one would find Europeans, mostly Portuguese and Dutch, as well as Indigenous peoples, especially the Tupinambá.

Persons: Jorge Amado, Amado, Salvador, Rufino, João José Reis, Flávio dos Santos Gomes, Marcus J.M, de Carvalho, Rufino ” Locations: Salvador, Brazilian, Bahia, Brazil, Portuguese, Americas, Salvador of yesteryear, Africa, Nigeria, Benin, Dahomey, Togo, Republic of Congo, Angola, Oyo

☆ Some critically acclaimed films by and about Black people don’t make the Oscars list in a major letdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Michelle Garcia | Michelle Garcia Is The Editorial Director Of Nbcblk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

While the Golden Globes brought several notable nominations and wins for Black performers in television and film, this year’s Oscar nominations look very different. “Till,” starring Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till-Mobley, chronicles the 14-year-old’s mother during her quest for justice after her child was brutally murdered. The film earned no Academy Award nominations. “Wakanda Forever” also failed to match the best picture nod earned by 2018’s “Black Panther” — the first superhero movie nominated for the top Oscar. Bassett is also the second oldest Black woman ever nominated for an acting Oscar, behind supporting actress nominee Ruby Dee, who appeared in 2007’s “American Gangster.”

The film won nominations for best picture, best director and its stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan won nods for best performance by an actress and actor in a leading role. The nominations were announced by Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed on Tuesday morning at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Voting for the nominations concluded Jan. 17, and 9,579 members of the academy were eligible to vote, according to Variety. Neither women of color made it to the list for best leading actress. The Oscar nominations come just weeks after the Golden Globes returned to the airwaves.

"The Woman King," starring Viola Davis, is now available to watch at home. You can buy "The Woman King" from digital retailers like Amazon and Vudu for $20. "The Woman King" is written by Dana Stevens ("Julie & Julia") and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood ("The Old Guard"). How to watch 'The Woman King'"The Woman King" is now available to watch through digital retailers like Amazon, Vudu, Apple TV, and Google. After purchasing "The Woman King," you'll be able to stream it whenever you want with no restrictions.

☆ Analysis: 'Abbott Elementary' is back in session
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Three things to watch‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 2(From left) Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Tyler James Williams, Chris Perfetti and Sheryl Lee Ralph in a scene from "Abbott Elementary." Gilles Mingasson/ABCNot enough great things can be said about “Abbott Elementary” creator Quinta Brunson. “Abbott Elementary” airs Wednesday nights on ABC; episodes will also be available to stream the following day on Hulu. ‘Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’Evan Peters stars as Jeffrey Dahmer in "Dahmer -- Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story." ‘The Kardashians’ Season 2Kim Kardashian in a scene from the second season of Hulu's "The Kardashians."

☆ Opinion: What the calls to boycott ‘The Woman King’ are really saying
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Nsenga K. Burton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Nsenga K. Burton Courtesy of Nsenga K. BurtonInspired by true events, “The Woman King” was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and produced by Academy award-winning actress Viola Davis (who also stars) and veteran actress/producer Maria Bello. But there are calls to boycott the film because, to its critics (even those not calling for a boycott), it underplays the role played by the Dahomey Kingdom in the Atlantic slave trade. Join us on Twitter and Facebook“The Woman King” is an outstanding film in the tradition of classics like “Spartacus” (1960), “Braveheart” (1995) and “The Gladiator” (2000). The difference is that Black women are at the center of the action, both on-screen and behind the camera. The effort by some to erase their work in “The Woman King” is lamentable.

☆ ‘The Woman King’ poised for big box-office run after surprisingly strong opening weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

During a lull in the movie calendar, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King” is generating the kind of buzz — and ticket sales — that the box office desperately needs. ″‘The Woman King’ opened on the high end of our expectations and looks poised for a very healthy theatrical run thanks to strong word of mouth,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. Overall ticket sales were driven predominantly by older female viewers, a demographic that has been slower to return to cinemas coming out of the Covid pandemic. Additionally, Black audiences accounted for 56% of all opening weekend ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada. “Much like ‘Black Panther,’ ‘The Woman King’ demonstrates that positive, culturally based stories can resonate strongly among all audiences,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

☆ 'The Woman King' poised for big box-office run after surprisingly strong opening weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

During a lull in the movie calendar, Gina Prince-Bythewood's "The Woman King" is generating the kind of buzz — and ticket sales — that the box office desperately needs. "'The Woman King' opened on the high end of our expectations and looks poised for a very healthy theatrical run thanks to strong word of mouth," said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. Overall ticket sales were driven predominantly by older female viewers, a demographic that has been slower to return to cinemas coming out of the Covid pandemic. Additionally, Black audiences accounted for 56% of all opening weekend ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada. "Much like 'Black Panther,' 'The Woman King' demonstrates that positive, culturally based stories can resonate strongly among all audiences," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

To see the story of Black women being a central part of that battle for survival should also be celebrated. To see the story of Black women being a central part of that battle for survival should also be celebrated. “The Woman King” coming to theaters days after four Black women won top awards at the 2022 Emmys on Monday night represents what can happen when they are given the opportunity to bring stories to the world. Anthony told HelloBeautiful that she “wanted to show the love, the history, the legacy, and the future of black women. She is multidimensional, tasked with protecting the young king of Dahomey (John Boyega) and training the next set of warriors.

☆ 'The Woman King' review: Viola Davis stars in an action spectacle about female warriors
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Although “inspired by true events,” “The Woman King” clearly isn’t tethered to them, using the underlying story of 19th-century female warriors in an African kingdom as the jumping-off point for a rousing action vehicle, augmented by plenty of melodrama. It’s an egalitarian streak within a society where the king (John Boyega) still possesses a sprawling harem. Nanisca worries that her warriors “do not know an evil is coming,” a tease for the pending battle against the Oyo. If the finish is a bit too busy to be as rousing as intended, by then, “The Woman King” has made the most of its formidable arsenal. “The Woman King” premieres September 16 in US theaters.

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