TWO DAYS ONLY! Plus visiting filmmaker Q&A with ethnographer Hisham Mayet and a world music DJ set with Mayet after Saturday's screenings! The Sublime Frequencies music and film label began in part as a response to the attacks on 9/11, as a way to counter the demonized media image of people from places like Southeast Asia, North Africa and West Africa and the Middle East. Mayet's two latest films continue the tradition of "acquiring and exposing obscure sights and sounds from modern and traditional urban and rural frontiers." The double feature is 108 minutes, with Q&A afterwards, and features the following films:
Vodoun Gods on the Slave Coast (2015) 48 min. Hisham Mayet's exploration of West African possession ceremonies continues in Benin. The cradle and birthplace of Voodoo, Benin was formerly known as the Slave Coast, and most of the slave industry was exported from its shores. Voodoo worshop is integral to the everyday lives of the people of Benin. This film, shot in 2010 during the country's rich and diverse celebration, is an impressionistic lens on the ceremonies that this rich and diverse culture has to offer. The cult of Sakpata (god of pestilence and healing), Egoun dramas shrouded in magisterial costumes, and the secret police of the Zangbeto nightwatchmen, among other highlights.
Oulaya's Wedding (2017) 60 min. Group Doueh are one of the most beloved bands in the occupied territory of Western Sahara, morphing between acoustic and electric modes with members of their family and friends joining the band as the mood requires over the last 27 years. They invited Sublime Frequencies to the wedding of their eldest daughter Oulaya. An incredibly special glimpse into the lives of people living on our planet, their minds, their music, their homes, ceremonies, and parties! An absolutely beautiful document, rich and intimate.
And SATURDAY 4/15 at 9:30, don't miss Hiyam's DJ set of "nothing but club bangers" from places like Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Niger, Vietnam, Pakistan, Algeria, & more! This will be unlike any DJ set you've ever seen $10 Sliding Scale donation.
***Please note that NO OUTSIDE DRINKS OR FOOD are allowed inside Richards' Goat Tavern for legal reasons and violators of this rule may be banned from the theatre permanently. Cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, popcorn, and cookies are available at the bar. If you are interested in one of our hot food specials, please show up at least 30 minutes early to finish it in the bar area, as hot food is not allowed inside the dark theatre for your safety. Thank you, see you at the movies!