Udi Aloni's Tribute
WHY IS WE AMERICANS?
USA, 2020, 101 min
Director:
Udi Aloni
Language & Subtitles:
English; subtitles in Hebrew
CO-DIRECTOR/CO-PRODUCER: Ayana Stafford-Morris LEAD CAST: Amiri Baraka, Ras Baraka, Amina Baraka, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Amandla Baraka, Cory Booker, Amiri Baraka Jr., Roxanne Shanté, Maya Angelou CREW: CINEMATOGRAPHER: Amnon Zalait; EDITOR: Yuval Shapira; EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Oren Moverman, Idith Meshulam, Jon Rubinstein, Kiburi Tucker, Randall Wallace, Moshe Edery, David Silber; CONSULTING EDITOR: Jay Rabinowitz; CO-PRODUCERS: Melina Torres, Shimon Azulay; THEME SONG BY: Ras Baraka, Jerry Wonda; ORIGINAL SCORE: Randall Wallace; ORIGINAL MUSIC: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Ray Angry
Production:
Festivals:
American Black Film Festival – Official Selection
Accolade Global Film Competition – Award of Excellence
Black Harvest Film Festival – Official Selection
Lighthouse International Film Festival
Pan African Film Festival – Official Selection
Screenings:
After the Screening there will be a Q&A with the philosopher Slavoj Žižek via Zoom.
This film is an in-depth, cinematic exploration of Newark’s legendary Baraka family and its patriarch, Amiri Baraka, one of the most prodigious African American poet/playwright/activists of our time. From the Newark Rebellion of 1967 to current day, the city’s narrative has been one of revolution with each generation picking up where the previous had left off. WHY IS WE AMERICANS? weighs in on Newark’s struggle against oppression through the personal triumphs and tragedies of the Baraka family — from Amiri’s civil rights leadership and ultimate lodestar e artistic marginalization, to the horrific murder of his sister, Kimako, through the homicide of daughter Shani (one of the first openly gay black activists) to the historic election of Ras Baraka as mayor of Newark, NJ…and through it all, it is the matriarch, Amina Baraka, this kaleidoscopic family saga is framed by on-camera interviews with Ms. Lauryn Hill
After the Screening there will be a Q&A with the philosopher Slavoj Žižek via Zoom.