AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange

Short Films

By Carrie Hawks (black enuf*), Shahari Moore (Swimmin' Lesson) and Stacey L. Holman (Dressed Like Kings)

An eclectic selection of three short programs:

BLACK ENUF* is a short, animated documentary about a queer oddball who seeks approval from black peers despite a serious lack of hip-hop credentials. The film takes viewers on a quest for belonging and self-love while exploring the expanding black identity through memories, interviews with family and friends and the stories from the director’s great grandmother’s autobiography.

SWIMMIN’ LESSON is a poetic tale in which viewers witness a young father recount the heartbreaking fate of his son during Hurricane Katrina.

DRESSED LIKE KINGS presents a compelling glimpse into a South African sub-culture unknown to most Westerners - oswenka (to swank) - a tradition where men don their finest apparel for the weekly title of “Best Dressed” and for a greater sense of self-worth. As the contestants discuss the allure of the pageant and its origins, viewers soon learn that the tradition may soon face extinction as its followers face exorbitant prices and waning interest from younger generations.