“QUILOMBO COUNTRY,” New Documentary about Black Rebel Villages of Brazil,
In Debut Run at the Pioneer Theater in NYC, September 19-25, 2008
– Narrated by Public Enemy’s Chuck D
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WHAT:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Debut run of “Quilombo Country”
WHEN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Fri, Sept 19 – Thurs, Sept 25, 2008
WHERE:Â Â Â Â Â Pioneer Theater, Ave. A & 3rd Street, NYC
PLUS:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Q&A with director Leonard Abrams after Fri & Sat shows
CONTACT:Â Leonard Abrams at 212-260-7540Â leonard@quilombofilm.com
“Quilombo Country” . 2006 . USA . Color . Digital . 4:3 . Runtime: 73 mins
www.quilombocountry.com
“Quilombo Country,” the award-winning documentary about Brazilian villages founded by escaped and rebel slaves, will have its premiere theatrical run at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater from Friday, September 19th to Thursday, September 25th every evening at 7 pm (except Tues at 5 pm). The film is narrated by Chuck D, the legendary poet, media commentator and leader of the iconic hip hop band Public Enemy. The Pioneer Theater is located in the heart of New York City’s East Village at 155 East 3rd Street near Avenue A. The film’s creator, writer-director Leonard Abrams, will take questions after the Friday and Saturday screenings. Seating is limited — online purchase, especially for the Friday and Saturday shows, is highly recommended. Go to http://www.twoboots.com/pioneer. Student discounts apply.
Brazil, once the world’s largest slave colony, was brutal and deadly for millions of Africans. But many thousands escaped and rebelled, creating settlements they called quilombos in Brazil’s untamed hinterland. Largely unknown to the outside world, these communities struggle today to preserve a rich heritage born of resistance to oppression.
“Quilombo Country” explores Afrobrazilian village life among the forests and rivers of northern Brazil, with rare footage of festivals and ceremonies that blend Catholic, African and native Amazonian rituals and customs, including the use of dance, drumming, tobacco and other sacred plants to facilitate the communication between the spiritual and material worlds. “Quilombo Country” is alive with first-person accounts of racial conflict, cultural ferment, political identity, and the struggle for land and human rights.
If you can’t make it to New York, find out how to see the film at http://www.quilombocountry.com. Journalists and educators may write to info@quilombofilm.com or call 212-260-7540 to receive a copy for review for publication or possible institutional purchase.
“Wonderfully rich…Abrams’s grainy, intimate portrait of the difficult everyday life of contemporary quilombo residents refuses romanticization.”
– Black Camera
“Persuasive, complex, and timely.”
– Southern Quarterly
“Outstanding footage of festivals, parties and religious ceremonies.”
– In These Times
“Winner, Best Documentary, 2007”
– Black International Cinema Berlin festival
“Quilombo Country”
2006 . USA . Color . Digital 4:3 . Running time: 73 minutes
Website: http://www.quilombocountry.com
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Date:Â Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:26:25 -0400
From:Â Quilombo Films
Subject:Â Afrobrazil Documentary Opens Tonight in NYC