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African hip hop pioneer Didier Awadi is on a quest to craft an album that pays tribute to the great black revolutionary leaders and their struggle to realize a dream: a united, independent Africa. In this epic musical and political journey, Awadi visits some 40 countries to collaborate with hip hop activist artists, including Smockey (Burkina Faso), M-1 of Dead Prez (United States) and ZuluBoy (South Africa).

Featuring a score by Ghislain Poirier, as well as Awadi’s own songs, United States of Africa draws the viewer into one artist’s profound meditation on the power of music and the impact of political engagement—both individual and collective. A hopeful and compelling portrait of a continent whose politically aware youth is refusing to accept the role of victim, the film is a call for Africans to rise up, take a stand and take control of their continent and their destiny.

director

Yanick Létourneau
participant

Didier Awadi

Smockey

M 1

Zuluboy
producer

Yanick Létourneau

Colette Loumède
writer

Yanick Létourneau

Sébastien Tétrault

Hany Ouichou
cinematography

Geoffroy Beauchemin

Alex Margineanu
sound

René Portillo
editing

Sophie Farkas Bolla
original music

Ghislain Poirier
sound design

Marie-Claude Gagné
associate producer

John Christou

Hany Ouichou

Neil Brandt

Maryse Chapdelaine
production director

Hany Ouichou

John Christou
post-production director

Hany Ouichou
narrator

Didier Awadi
researcher

Stefanie Brantner

Ellen Tang

Angelica Leminh

Erika Gutt

Marisa Berry Mendez

Myriam Cadet

Kate Langley
production coordinator

Nyambura Waruingi

Clarisse Saint-Hillaire

Jean Fugazza

Ellen Tang

Loreley Yeowart

Hélène Regimbal

Dominique Brunet
production assistant

Mouhamet Diakaté

Bouba

Thurlo Basil Jansen

Erika Gutt

Jarred Beaton

Bernard April

Isaiah Mpepele
marketing manager

Cedric Morgan

François Jacques
additional camera

Manuel Lapierre

Yanick Létourneau

Trevor
additional sound recording

Pablo Villegas

Thierry Morlaas

Stephen Bowen Anderson
editing consultant

Diego Briceno
assistant editor

Marlène Poulin

Abraham Lifshitz

Mariano Franco

Ellen Tang

Jimmy Medelin
opening title sequence

George Fok
graphic design

Pierre-Luc Gagnon
art department

Phoebe Greenberg

George Fok

Vincent Toi

Pierre-Luc Gagnon

JF Mayrand

Renata Morales

Marie-France Barbier
marketing manager - assistance

Émilie Nguyen Ngoc
technical coordinator

Richard Cliche
administrative assistant

Lise Lévesque
technical support - editing

Danielle Raymond

Isabelle Painchaud

Pierre Dupont
voice over re-recording

Geoffrey Mitchell

Luc Léger
voice over recordist

Geoffrey Mitchell

Luc Léger
additional studio recording

Sébastien Blais-Monpetit
voice over coach

Hubert Fielden

Thor Bishopric
online editor

Denis Gathelier
colorist

Denis Gathelier
titles

Gaspard Gaudreau
re-recording

Geoffrey Mitchell
development producer

Yanick Létourneau

Yves Bisaillon

Christian Medawar
translation

Daniel Isaiah Schacter

Mark Honronzyk

André Ouadba
legal advisor

Remy Khouzam
production accountant

Lucie Poulin

Audrey Lamontagne
production insurance

Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc.
subtitles

Vision Globale

Centre national du sous-titrage

Education

Ages 13 to 17

School subjects

Arts Education - Music Media Education - Popular Culture Social Studies - Contemporary Issues Social Studies - Social History

Can a hip hop artist be both a politician and a historian? Is Awadi’s album an educational tool? How can an artist avoid hip hop clichés? The film’s final image shows a little boy singing at a garbage dump. What does it signify? Ask students to analyze the lyrics of a hip hop track and to imagine how it can be used in education.

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United States of Africa

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Education

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