SAMBIZANGA + TRACES OF YARROW

T R A C E S  O F  Y A R R O W by Shahkeem Williams. 2022, 5 min.

Meandering through remnants of Downtown Brooklyn’s Underground Road,  gifts of yarrow are left as a tribute to the memory and activism of New York abolitionists. The film calls attention to the enduring work of everyday people advocating for freedom, liberty, and justice for all.

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SAMBIZANGA by Sarah Maldoror. 1972, 102 min.

*new restoration

This revolutionary bombshell by Sarah Maldoror chronicles the awakening of Angola’s independence movement. Based on a true story, Sambizanga follows a young woman as she makes her way from the outskirts of Luanda toward the city’s center looking for her husband after his arrest by the Portuguese authorities—an incident that will ultimately help to ignite a national uprising. Featuring a cast of nonprofessionals—many of whom were themselves involved in anticolonial resistance—this landmark work of political cinema honors the essential roles of women, as well as the hardships they endure, in the global struggle for liberation.

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Curated by Melissa Lyde of Alfreda's Cinema.

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‍Alfreda’s Cinema screens films that tell Black/POC stories that resonate with depth and love, the richness and culture of our history, our dynamics, our shapes, our colors, and our truth. Programmed by Melissa Lyde, Alfreda's Cinema screens bi-monthly at Metrograph with programs, talks, and special appearances that aspire to bridge communities. And they're currently working towards opening a Black film space in Brownsville.