42 Films by directors from five continents and 28 international guests (including filmmakers and activists from the USA, Jamaica, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Germany) – all this is offered by the AFRICAN DIASPORA CINEMA film series, to be presented by FilmInitiativ Köln e.V. from 17 to 27 September 2015 in six locations across Cologne. (*)

As prologue to this year’s programme, two classics of African (diaspora) cinema will be screened on 9 September in the Institut français: AFRIQUE SUR SEINE by Paulin Vieyra (1955) and LA NOIRE DE… by Ousmane Sembène (1966).
The event location is again the Filmforum im Museum Ludwig, where on 17 September the opening will take place, including short features from France and the USA, international guests, and live music from Sierra Leonean-born singer Mariama.

The history of African communities around the world, their status in their respective communities, and current topics such as emergency flight of refugees, immigration, and racism, are all part of the focus of films from the diaspora. Indeed, the programme includes films about people fleeing Mali and Tunisia for Europe, racist attacks in Italy and Germany, the situation of undocumented Africans in China and Australia, and artists from African communities now living in the US and Argentina.

An accompanying event will be held on 21 September in the Zentralbibliothek. The exhibition “Black is the Ocean”, on the history of (forced) migration and refugee flight, is on display. Its vernissage will include live music from Samson Kidane & friends and their Eritrea Blues.

A thematic evening will be dedicated to the persecution of LGBTI in Jamaica (20 September). A programme focus will highlight the work of Afro-German filmmakers, who will also discuss the topic “Black Germans in Media and Society” in a highlight event on 25 September. And Cologne-based cabaret performer Marius Jung will present his books at a reading at the King Georg venue on 27 September.

Mo Asumang, director of the documentary THE ARYANS, will attend a school screening in the Filmforum on 18 September. In addition, blogger Tarik Tesfu is available to visit schools and discuss his videos, which criticize homophobia, sexism, and racist literature.

Bringing the series to a close, a Global Player Party will be held in cooperation with Funkhaus Europa at the YUCA in Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld on 26 September.

(*) FilmInitiativ presents theme-specific special events in each non-festival year between the biennial “Out of Europe” African Film Festival, whose 14th edition will be held in September 2016.

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