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6:30 p.m.
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Why do people take their culture to the streets? From early emancipation celebrations to the world’s fairs of the late nineteenth century and contemporary street festivals, communities have hosted public events to showcase their culture. This film screening and discussion draws on multiple disciplinary perspectives--from anthropology to performance studies, art history, literature, and film--to explore the role of musical processions and carnival as an exploration of a culture. What do these events and performances tell us about cultural, economic and political realities? The screenings are The Other Side of the Water by Jeremy Robins and Magali Damas and Play Mas by Michele Stephenson. The Other Side of the Water tells the story of DJARARA (JAH-RA-RA), a band that became a beacon of cultural pride for the Haitian immigrant community, taking an ancient music from the hills of Haiti and reinventing it as form of cultural activism on the streets of Brooklyn. Preceded by Play Mas, a tender and lyrical look at the colorful characters who participate in the largest carnival celebration in the United States, The Caribbean Labor Day Parade in Brooklyn, New York during the year 1998. A discussion with all of the filmmakers follows. Sponsored by the Department of Media Studies and Film, the Department of Social Sciences at the New School for General Studies, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts.
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