MY FRIEND FELA
Special Features: March 8, 5:15 show features introduction by Afropop Worldwide host Georges Collinet and post-screening DJ set by Jolly Papa Radio in the lobby
[MEU AMIGO FELA]
Celebrated Nigerian musician Fela Kuti inspired a generation of Africans and African Americans with his own unique style of music, known as Afrobeat. A combination of Afropop, jazz, highlife, juju and funk, it was infused with social and political criticism of the military dictatorship in Nigeria. With an expertly assembled mix of interviews and archival footage, director Joel Zito Araújo (RAÇA) presents a complex portrait of an enigmatic and often troubled man. A deserving winner of the Paul Robeson Award for Best Film at FESPACO — Africa's largest film festival — in Burkina Faso, MY FRIEND FELA is uncompromising in its exploration of one of the most charismatic artists of the late 20th century, whose principles and actions have sometimes proven as problematic as they have been inspirational. (Note adapted from the London Film Festival.) Winner, Paul Robeson Award for Best Film, 2019 FESPACO. Official Selection, 2019 Rotterdam and London film festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Joel Zito Araújo; PROD Luiza Botelho Almeida. Brazil, 2019, color, 94 min. In English and French with English subtitles. NOT RATED
No AFI Member passes accepted.
Run Time: 94 Minutes
Opening Date: Sunday, March 08, 2020
Genre: Documentary - music