The Impact and Influence of Black Music (Ages 15-17)
Art, and specifically music, affect us in ways that are difficult to articulate but somehow manage to clarify concepts and ideas in a manner we can relate to and understand. This selection of films uses music from Black artists to take us through the Black community’s lived experience. Pour visionner cette sélection en français, cliquez ici. Films in This Playlist Include Unarmed Verses Oscar Liberty Street Blues Show Girls Toronto Jazz United States of Africa
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Art, and specifically music, affect us in ways that are difficult to articulate but somehow manage to clarify concepts and ideas in a manner we can relate to and understand. This selection of films uses music from Black artists to take us through the Black community’s lived experience.
Pour visionner cette sélection en français, cliquez ici.
Films in This Playlist Include
Unarmed Verses
Oscar
Liberty Street Blues
Show Girls
Toronto Jazz
United States of Africa
Playlist
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Unarmed VersesCharles Officer 2016 1 h 25 minThis feature documentary presents a thoughtful and vivid portrait of a community facing imposed relocation. At the centre of the story is a remarkably astute and luminous 12-year-old black girl whose poignant observations about life, the soul, and the power of art give voice to those rarely heard in society. Unarmed Verses is a cinematic rendering of our universal need for self-expression and belonging.
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OscarMarie-Josée Saint-Pierre 2016 12 min
Mixing animated sequences and archival footage, Oscar is a touching portrait of virtuoso pianist Oscar Peterson at the twilight of an exceptional career, as he wistfully meditates on the price of fame and the impacts of the artist’s life on family life.
From the young prodigy’s beginnings in Little Burgundy to his triumphs on the international scene, this animated documentary by Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre explores the profound solitude of an artist constantly on tour. Set to the tunes of Peterson’s sometimes catchy, sometimes melancholy-tinged compositions, the film tells a heartfelt story about a life in jazz. -
Liberty Street BluesAndré Gladu 1988 1 h 17 min
This feature documentary uses music to reveal the many faces of jazz, New Orleans style. Colourful and alive with music, the film captures the street life and traditions of this vibrant city and explores the roots of the music that springs from the soul of the African-American community.
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Show GirlsMeilan Lam 1998 52 min
Show Girls celebrates Montreal's swinging Black jazz scene from the 1920s to the 1960s, when the city was wide open. Three women who danced in the legendary Black clubs of the day - Rockhead's Paradise, The Terminal, Café St. Michel - share their unforgettable memories of life at the centre of one of the world's hottest jazz spots. From the Roaring Twenties, through the Second World War and on into the golden era of clubs in the fifties and sixities, Show Girls chronicles the lives of Bernice, Tina and Olga - mixing their memories with rarely seen footage of the era. Their stories are told against a backdrop of the fascinating social and political history that made Montreal a jazz and nightclub hotspot for decades. It is a story of song and dance, music and pride.
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Toronto JazzDon Owen 1963 26 min
This short documentary profiles the mid-century Toronto jazz scene through the eyes of acclaimed filmmaker Don Owen (Nobody Waved Good-bye). The film features prominent acts from what was then regarded as the third-largest jazz centre in North America, including the Lenny Breau trio, the Don Thompson Quintet and the Alf Jones Quartet. Jazz lovers will relish this inside look at the creativity, hard work, improvisation, and stylization of these talented musicians.
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United States of AfricaYanick Létourneau 2011 1 h 15 min
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.
