HERE IS THE IMAGINATION OF THE BLACK RADICAL
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Synopsis
In Here is the Imagination of the Black Radical, Afrofuturism is communicated via the Bahamian people through Junkanoo, a form of celebration in the Bahamas. Originally celebrated by slaves who were given three days off only, Junkanoo can be viewed as a form of resistance, celebrated on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The film follows the Shell Saxon Superstars, who come together in spectacular fashion to enact a politically motivated theme, asserting national pride or depicting other countries. We visit the shacks where the costumes are made to observe the craftsmanship and dedication required to win the parade and obtain bragging rights. The soundtrack has many layers and is comprised mostly of samples. Like the 16mm film images, analog sounds (chiefly static and radio) are used to obscure a seemingly obtainable message.
Here is the Imagination of the Black Radical screens as part of the shorts program Beyond the Barricades, on Tuesday, June 29 at 6:00 pm.
Please note: this film can be viewed only once during a three-hour window beginning at the scheduled time. For more information on viewing your film, please visit our FAQ and How to Watch pages.
About the Director
Rhea Storr is an artist filmmaker who explores the representation of black and mixed-race cultures. Masquerade as a site of protest or subversion is an ongoing theme in her work. So too is the effect of place or space on cultural representation. On occasion, she draws on her own rural upbringing and British-Bahamian heritage. She is currently undertaking a PhD entitled Towards a Black British Aesthetic: How is Black Radical Imagination realised through 16mm filmmaking practices? She is a co-director of not nowhere, an artists’ film co-operative in London, that has a particular focus on analog film. She is resident at Somerset House, London and occasionally programs at Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival. She is the winner of the Aesthetica Art Prize 2020 and the inaugural Louis Le Prince Experimental Film Prize. She was educated at Oxford University and the Royal College of Art.
