Most Powerful, a message to the Black man

Thu, Feb 15, 2024

From programmer Melissa Lyde:

“We give space to male/masculine presenting filmmakers who are affirming divine masculinity and embracing healthier shades of whole-body expressionism. These films call on higher ambitions to break the facade of patriarchy and enter a bold and boundless destiny of creativity, living and asserting the masculine’s purpose. To the degree that masculinity has been exhausted by abuse of power, it’s largely fallen short of protecting the feminine, leading to competitive division. To restore this balance, Most Powerful sources visuals from Brooklyn-based and leading filmmakers shaping the next wave of poetic cinema.

“Works by Darol Kae, Jamil McGinnis, Jard Lerebours, Luis Santos, Greg Harris, Anthony Jamari Thomas, and Zkonqu embody the light of the divine masculine and guide audiences toward a stable foundation for the pride of men of color.”


Keeping Time (2022)
Dir. Darol Kae, 32min 

The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra’s (the Ark) is a legendary avant-garde jazz group founded in South Central LA in 1961, but in recent decades their vibrancy has waned. Bringing together original and archival footage, filmmaker Darol Kae offers a meditation on what it means to maintain continuity with the past—told through the kaleidoscopic journey of a young drummer who must learn how to guide this multi-generational band into the future after being named their new bandleader.


 

As Time Passes (2022)
Dir. Jamil McGinnis,14min

Through journal entries, a mother’s words, neighborhood stories, and existential inquiries, one searches for meaning beyond the walls of their own mind.
 

 

Pandrog (2021)
Dir. Jard Lerebours, 2min

New York-based multidisciplinary artist Jard Lerebours shares an exploration and a call for Black people to escape the terms and identities created by Western imperialism. Two lovers run away from Babylon, offering a subversive look at gender and its trappings within the Black diaspora. 

 

 

OKOMFO
Dir. Anthony Jamari Thomas, 3min

A choreographic exploration into the Akomfo tradition and its legacy within Ghanaian history. Brooklyn based dance artists Niara Hardister and Jay Parel illustrate the story of twin siblings “ACENSI” and “OCULI” who, with the help of their shared ancestors, find each other after losing connection in their physical realm.

 

 

Silhouettes (2021)
Dir. Greg Harris, 7mins


The kinetic, working class energy of New York City is captured through movement and manifestos around the metropolis. Visual cues on urban stages make reference to maroon spaces—communities of resistance created by formerly enslaved people—along with some of the organizers and educators who have called New York home, all the while echoing the city’s history of independent cinema.

UPCOMING Screenings

      RUNNING TIME

      90min

      VENUE

      Peter Jay Sharp Building
      BAM Rose Cinemas

      TICKET INFORMATION

      General Admission: $16
      Members: $8

      Leadership support for
      BAM Access Programs provided by
      the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

      JL Greene

      Leadership support for
      BAM Film provided by
      the Ford Foundation and
      The Thompson Family Foundation

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