“A picture is worth a thousand words."  This expression captures the essence of why visual media is so enduring. While the aforementioned expression was aimed at still pictures—the meaning nevertheless translates to film as well.

Documentary filmmakers know the power of this interaction and so lock onto it to convey the message that they want us to understand, consider and contemplate. Afro-Pop, a series of documentary films from the NBPC (National Black Programming Consortium) is a perfect example. Afro-Pop is a program that features the works of documentary filmmakers whose projects reflect the art & culture and the political & social experiences of African-Americans and the African Diaspora.

The New York Public Library and the National Black Programming Consortium are proud to resume our offering of these free film screenings at the George Bruce Branch. Launched last year as the Harlem Library Cinema Series the program was quite successful and we are looking forward to a similar response. The line up this season is quite interesting. From the NBPC website you find the following description: “This season on AfroPoP brings another engaging series of titles from a broad range of black diaspora locales and experiences. These stories represent a multi-faceted look at contemporary cultures and affairs concerning a diverse range of subjects from producers working diligently to unearth the complicated webs that often weave enthralling real life stories.”

Join us this Fall. The screenings will take place on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM.Scene from "Nora"

The second screening of the Fall (scheduled for November 10th) is entitled Nora. Here is a brief description from the NBPC site:

"Based on true stories of dancer Nora Chipaumire (born in Zimbabwe in 1965). Using performance and dance, her history comes to life in swiftly-moving poetry of sound and image. Nora returns to her childhood landscape, a journey thorugh vivid memories of family dramas, difficult love affairs and militant politics which moves back and forth between the comic and the tragic, the joyful and the mournful. A film about a girl who struggles against intimidation and violence but slowly gathers strength, pride and independence. Shot entirely on location in Southern Africa, "Nora" includes a multitude of local performers of all ages with a specially composed legend of Zimbabwean music."

See you there.

Explore Further:

1. Use the library's electronic databases to learn more about Nora Chipaumire. Look at several articles in Academic Search Premier
2. Search the library's catalog to explore the subject of Modern Dance. Here are two titles to take a look at: Modern Dance and The Vision of Modern Dance: In the Words of Its Creators
3. Learn more about The National Black Programming Consortium. Visit www.blackpublicmedia.org and browse their site to see what they're all about.

Each month I will update this blog with the current month's title.