Alexa Joy and Winnipeg Free Press Highlighted Five films exploring Black experience in Canada display diversity of voices

Article Title: History, resistance, reality: Five films exploring Black experience in Canada display diversity of voices

Alexa Joy, the Festival Director for The Afro Prairie Film Festival, included Promise Me alongside five Black Canadian films that help expose the structural white supremacy in our country that is rooted in anti-Blackness, delivered via an essential medium that forces us to sit and pay attention.

Below is an excerpt of the article:

Inspired by documentary entitled The Woman I Have Become, Promise Me (2019), directed by Alison Duke, walks through the painful realities of a single-parent family as a young daughter Charlie sticks by her mother Yolonda, who is fighting a battle against HIV/AIDS. As Charlie’s school begins to grow more concerned with her absence and sliding academic engagement, Promise Me exposes the failing education, health and childcare systems disproportionately affecting Black families in Canada.

Duke’s ability to capture the anxiety Yolonda and Charlie experience while trying to manage overwhelming grief and stress, and dealing with state surveillance, educates the audience on how the child welfare system in Canada contributes to the dismantling of Black families. Though the end of the film depicts Charlie’s increasing lack of control over her and her mother’s situation, the love and unbreakable bond between them remind us that family comes in many forms and love is always present even in times of pain.

It’s no coincidence that the suggested films focus on experiences of not just Black communities, but the women and queer folks in those communities. As we see a resurgence of young energy in today’s Black Lives Matter movement, it’s notable that women are at the centre of this momentum. This shows us the importance of reinforcing the stories of Black women and queer voices.

Read the rest of the article on Winnipeg Free Press: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/movies/history-resistance-reality-571510702.html