Blaxploitalian 100 Years of Blackness in Italian Cinema” (2016), a diasporic, hybrid, critical, and cosmopolitan dimension documentary directed by italian-ghanaian filmmaker Fred Kuwornu that uncovers the careers of a population of entertainers seldom heard from before: Black actors in Italian cinema. BlaxploItalian cleverly discloses the personal struggles classic Afro-Italian and African diasporic actors faced, correlating it with the contemporary actors who work diligently to find respectable and significant roles. More than an unveiling of history, it is a call-to-action for increased diversity and esteem in international cinema.
Fred “Kudjo” Kuwornu is an activist-producer-director-speaker born and raised in Italy and based in Brooklyn. His mother is an Italian Jew, and his father a Ghanaian surgeon who lived in Italy since the early 60’s. Fred Kuwornu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Mass Media, from the University of Bologna. After his experience, working with the production crew of Spike Lee film’s “Miracle at St. Anna”, in 2010 Fred Kuwornu produced and directed the Award-winning documentary Inside Buffalo about the African-American veterans who fought in Italy during World War II. In 2012, he released “18 IUS SOLI “which examines Afro-Italians in Italy but also specifically looks at questions of citizenship for the one million children of immigrants born and raised in Italy but not yet Italian citizens. In 2016, He released “Blaxploitalian 100 Years of Blackness in Italian Cinema”.
Film screening followed by Q&A with the Director.
Everyone is welcome and admission is free.
Please RSVP at italian.studies@utoronto.ca