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The 21st Oakland International Film Festival kick -off this years film festival with two documentary films.
Join us: September 14th at The Historic Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA,
RHYTHMS OF THE LAND
Directed by Dr. Gail Myers
run time : 61 min
Rhythms of the Land is a valentine to generations of Black farmers in the United States from the enslavement period to the present, whose intense love of the land and dedication to community enabled them to survive against overwhelming odds. They struggled from the beginning without support or recognition, and have been written out of the dominant narratives of US agriculture.
In 1920, there were over 920,000 Black families farming in the United States, although the majority were sharecroppers and tenant farmers. Today there are just over 48,697, a 95% decrease in 100 years. Black farming families have lost their land and their stories are quickly disappearing and should be preserved so that we may understand the history and nature of lives on the farms.
The goal of this documentary is to preserve their stories and honor their lives and agrarian legacies.
WE HAVE JUST BEGUN
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Directed by Michael Warren Wilson
run time : 82 minutes
In 1919, black workers’ decades-long efforts to challenge exploitation in the Arkansas Delta culminated in the nation’s deadliest racial massacre and labor battle. It’s legacy is deep, despite being hidden for over 100 years.
“We Have Just Begun” takes its name from the secret pass-code used by a Black union of farmers and domestic workers organizing throughout the Arkansas Delta in 1919. A seven-year investigation into the historical events in Phillips County, Arkansas, the film explores the legacy of exploitation, domination, and resistance in the Delta and its ongoing cover up.
presented by :
The Oakland Film Society
and Partners / Sponsors
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