ADIFF Film Festival

12/6

6:30pm ERNEST COLE, LOST AND FOUND - A RAOUL PECK FILM

This powerful documentary by acclaimed director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro ) unveils the extraordinary life of South African photographer Ernest Cole. Known for exposing apartheid's horrors in "House of Bondage," Cole's journey from exile to homelessness is a tale of artistic brilliance and personal struggle. The 2017 discovery of 60,000 unknown negatives revived interest in his work. Narrated by LaKeith Stanfield and featuring Cole's private writings, this Cannes L'Œil d'Or winner introduces a new generation to Cole's powerful legacy of documenting the unseen.

Directed by Raoul Peck, 2024, 105 minutes, Documentary, France, English. Trailer: https://youtu.be/V0Tu7WSYSt8?s...

8:40pm DEATH OF A WHISTLEBLOWER

NY Premiere - After her colleague Stanley Galloway is killed in a suspicious hit-and-run, investigative reporter Luyanda Masinda uncovers a government cover-up involving biological weapons. As the death toll rises, Luyanda races to expose the truth with help from Stanley's source in the State Department. Director Ian Gabriel delivers a high-stakes political thriller inspired by real-life assassinations of South African journalists, blending intense action with complex espionage. Directed by Ian Gabriel, 2023, 127 min, Crime Drama, South Africa, English Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

12/7:

2:00PM PARIS NOIR: AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE CITY OF LIGHTS

DIRECTED BY JOANNE BURKE

U.S.A. AND FRANCE / 2017 / ENGLISH / 60 MIN / DOCUMENTARY

"Paris Noir" explores the dynamic presence of African Americans in Paris from WWI to the early 1960s. This enlightening documentary showcases: Legendary performers like Josephine Baker, Bricktop, and Sidney Bechet, Literary giants Langston Hughes and Claude McKay, Connections with African and Caribbean intellectuals such as Léopold Senghor and Aimé Césaire. The thriving Black artistic community in Montparnasse, The complex relationship between France's colonial empire and people of color in Paris. Through music, literature, and art, these visionaries sparked a global appreciation for Black culture. "Paris Noir" celebrates their enduring legacy and the rich cultural exchange between France and Black America. Trailer: https://youtu.be/BBAfPWOqPF4?s...

3:30PM THE NIGHT OF DESTINY, DIRECTED BY ABDELKRIM BAHLOUL

ALGERIA AND FRANCE / 1997 / FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 96 MIN / THRILLER

Sixty five years old Abdelkader Silimani, an Algerian Muslim living in France, after inadvertently witnessing a murder, narrowly escapes from the murderers by hiding out in a mosque. The black leather dressed masked murderers, with their firearms in hand, do not hesitate to enter the mosque full of praying men looking for the eyewitness. They leave empty handed but determined not to give up their search. Detective Leclerc is assigned to the case. As he searches for the eyewitness who stays mute with fear, the detective slowly discovers the Northern Paris Muslim community and its traditions. For the first time, the French detective is exposed to the contradictions and challenges minority communities face as they struggle to live in a new culture with a different set of values and religious beliefs. Trailer: https://youtu.be/Oex3cnvuUE4

6:00PM THE PARISIENNE UNCOVERED, DIRECTED BY ROKHAYA DIALLO

FRANCE / 2021 / FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / 52 MIN / DOCUMENTARY

The Parisienne Uncovered / La Parisienne Démystifiée, is a documentary that aims to unveil the complex and plural reality of the lives, identities, professions, and experiences of Parisian women. By demystifying the often-evoked image of the stereotypical Parisienne, or "la parisienne" - cisgender, white, dressed in luxury clothing, upper-class, thin -, the film questions countless Parisian women who often feel invisible due to this narrow representation. Q&A after the screening with Filmmaker and Activist Rokhaya Diallo. We are honored to welcome Rokhaya Diallo, an acclaimed French journalist, author, and filmmaker, to present her thought-provoking documentary "La Parisienne démystifiée" (The Parisienne Uncovered). A powerful voice in contemporary French media, Diallo is renowned for her incisive work on race, culture, and feminism. Her film challenges long-held stereotypes about Parisian women, offering a nuanced exploration of identity in the French capital. With her unique perspective as a Black woman in France, Diallo brings fresh insights to discussions on diversity and representation in global cities. Join us for this special screening and engage with Diallo's compelling vision of modern Paris.