Sawubona: A Tale of Two Souths
Afrikana will also host Sawubona: A Tale of Two Souths, a special program in partnership with the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art, which will explore the cultural connections between South Africa and the American South. Sawubona will feature film screenings, vinyl listening sessions, discussions, and a specially curated lounge experience highlighting the sonic and culinary connections between the two souths.
The afternoon spotlight screenings include the VA premiere of Milisuthando, which premiered at Sundance this year followed by a Q&A discussion with filmmaker Milisuthando Bongela. Afrikana will also be screening the works of South African filmmaker Sifiso Khanyile who will be joining us all the way from South Africa.
Sawubona: Spotlight cinema
Bone Black: Midwives vs the South
Bone Black: Midwives Vs. the South, an experimental documentary about the history and erasure of Black midwives in the American South and how the attack on birth workers has contributed toward the Black infant and maternal mortality crisis.
Filmmaker: Imani Nikyah Dennison
Runtime: 21 min
Screening Date & Time: Saturday 12:00p
Location: Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU 601 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220 [map]
Country: USA
Year: 2023
MILISUTHANDO
Set in past, present, and future South Africa. An invitation into a poetic, memory-driven exploration of love, intimacy, race, and belonging by the filmmaker, who grew up during apartheid but didn't know it was happening until it was over.
Filmmaker: Milisuthando Bongela
Runtime: 2 hours 8 min
Screening Date & Time: Saturday 1:30p
Location: Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU 601 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220 [map]
Country: South Africa
Year: 2023
Uprize! + I Want to See for Myself
Uprize! On the morning of June 16, 1976, students gathered to protest the use of the Afrikaans language in schools. What started out as a planned peaceful march turned into a bloody confrontation with the police. The student protests spread to other parts of South Africa, causing an economic instability that rapidly plunged the country into crisis
I Want to See for Myself African American tennis legend Arthur Ashe was the first black tennis player to win the singles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open. This short film explores the legacy he paved during apartheid South Africa, and its modern-day impact on a tennis centre he erected in the Soweto township.
Filmmaker: Sifiso Khanyile
Runtime: 58 min, 10 min
Screening Date & Time: Saturday 4:30p
Location: Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU 601 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220 [map]
Country: South Africa
Year: 2017, 2019
Sawubona: Workshops
Date & Time: Saturday 12:30a - 1:15p
Location: ICA Cafe at VCU 601 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220 [map]
Viynl Listening Session
Sifiso Khanyile & DJ Mikemetic
Date & Time: Saturday 1:45p - 2:15p
Location: ICA Cafe at VCU 601 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220 [map]
Gotta Story to Sell
Barrett Miller II & Nastassja Swift
Sawubona: Red [Black & Green] Table Talk
Red: Malcolm to Miriam, an 8,000 Mile Quest for Liberation
12-12:45pm
Black: Southern Shackles, Policing the Woman's Body
1-1:45pm
Green: Southern Swag, Exploring Style from South to South
2:30-3:15pm
Date & Time: Saturday 12:00p - 3:15p
Location: ICA Forum at VCU 601 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220 [map]