The collaboration between Public Programs and the Film/Video department on the film program Global Lens won a blue ribbon last night at the screening of Kabala by Assane Kouyate. This is how it works: the Film/Video curates the series (or, in the case of Global Lens, the selections are made by the Global Film Initiative) and I help to find local professors, critics, or community members to introduce the screenings. Pretty simple, right? I go through my rolodex, fire off some emails, and end up with professors from area colleges with extremely long job titles to come and contextualize our screenings of world cinema.
Well, last night we got extra lucky. Thanks to a tip from a well-connected colleague in our PR department, we were graced with the insights and warmth of Cherif Keita, a professor of French and Francophone Literature of Africa and the Caribbean and Director of French and Francophone Studies at Carleton College. (see what I mean about the titles?) Turns out that Keita has not only 1. met the filmmaker, 2. visited the EXACT village where the film was made, 3. travels there quite often, actually, BUT ALSO, 4. his family name, Keita, was the name of half the main characters in the film. In about 10 minutes he stood on stage and gave us a 750 year history of the region of Mali that the film depicts and explained the connections and feuds between different family clans and how they play out today. After hearing all of this I was able to watch the film with a much deeper understanding of the characters and their actions.
After the screening a bunch of professors with equally long titles stayed for the Q & A and continued to ask well-informed and interesting questions. I left having learned a whole lot about Mali, and feeling proud of Minnesota for having the whole world in our back yard.
PS: Global Lens continues with three more screenings. Check it out.