The story of Yasuke, the African samurai, has become a global Rorschach test. For Hollywood, he is a box-office premise. For gamers, a controversial character.
But for those of us engaged in global Black cinema, he represents a far more urgent question: Who has the right to tell our stories — and from what soil must those stories grow?
INTERVIEW: Walking the Path with Mandla Dube: Kalushi/Makeba/Yasuke
AnimationDirectorsFilm HistoryFilm ShowcaseIn-ProductionInternationalInterviewsMixed BagProductionReflectionsSouth AfricaTrailers October 12, 2025 0
“That’s the thing about Mandla: his life is always rooted somewhere in the land, history, and struggle, even when he’s jetting between Johannesburg, Bologna, and Tokyo.”
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Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl: Julie Dash’s Celebration of Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor
CinematographyDistributionDocumentaryExhibitionFeaturesIn-ProductionSeriesShowcaseTrailersWomenWorks-in-Progress September 25, 2025 0
Julie Dash is creating a documentary titled Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl, exploring the life of Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, a culinary and cultural pioneer. The series showcases her journey from a Gullah Geechee community to global influence, emphasizing her contributions to food as a means of identity, resistance, and liberation.
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