Film director and activist Aïssa Maïga on a East Coast tour
Film
Above Water by Aïssa Maïga (Orange Studio)
From March 15 to March 22
Albertine Cinémathèque and Unifrance are proud to partner on the East Coast tour of acclaimed film director Aïssa Maïga. She will present her documentary films Above Water/Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio), which is part of Young French Cinema, and Melanin/Regard Noir in Atlanta, Durham, and Washington, DC, followed by a series of in-person Q&As and masterclasses.
Aïssa Maïga is a Senegal-born French actress, director, writer, and producer. She has worked with major film directors like Michael Haneke, Abderrahmane Sissako, and Michel Gondry, and recently starred in Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. She has won or been nominated for a number of prestigious prizes, including a Best Newcomer César (French Oscar) nomination in 2007 for Bamako (The Court) (2006) and the Best Actress Prize in 2009 at the Bastia Film Festival for Black and White (2008) by Italian director Cristina Comencini. A climate change activist, she is also an advocate for inclusion and has been vocal about racial discrimination in the film industry throughout her career.
Above Water / Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio), set in Niger against the backdrop of spellbinding desert landscapes and a vibrant musical score, paints a visceral portrait of survival in the face of the global climate crisis. (International Sales: Orange Studio)
Melanin / Regard Noir follows Aïssa MaÏga on a road trip from Paris to Los Angeles to San Paolo to explore the historical roots of systemic racism and the impact of discrimination and stereotypes in films and series on societies and their respective popular cultures.
ATLANTA @ GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY:
Award-winning Senegal-born French actress, director and activist Aïssa Maïga comes to Atlanta to present two of her films, Above Water / Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio) and Melanin / Regard noir.
March 15th at 6pm: Above Water / Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio) Read more
March 16th at 6:30pm: Melanin / Regard noir Read more
Both screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Aïssa Maïga, moderated by Stéphanie Boulard of the Georgia Institute of Technology.
These screenings are co-sponsored by Global Media Festival at Georgia Tech, Albertine Cinémathèque for Villa Albertine and Unifrance.
DURHAM @DUKE UNIVERSITY:
March 18 at 3:30pm: Melanin / Regard noir Read more
Rubenstein Arts Center Theater
2020 Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27708
This screening is co-sponsored by Duke University, Albertine Cinémathèque for Villa Albertine and Unifrance.
WASHINGTON DC @ AFI SILVER THEATER
March 22 at 7pm: Above Water / Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio) + Panel discussion with director Aïssa Maïga Read more
This screening is co-sponsored by New African Film Festival (NAFF), presented by AFI and Africa World Now Project, Albertine Cinémathèque for Villa Albertine and Unifrance.
This Young French Cinema program was made possible with the support of Unifrance and Villa Albertine in partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States.
In partnership with
UniFrance
Founded in 1949 and strengthened thanks to its merger with TV France International in 2021, UniFrance is the organisation responsible for promoting French cinema and TV content worldwide.
Located in Paris, UniFrance employs around 50 staff members, as well as representatives based in the U.S., in China, and soon in Japan. The organisation currently brings together more than 1,000 French cinema and TV content professionals (producers, filmmaking talents, agents, sales companies, etc.) working together to promote French films and TV programmes among foreign audiences, industry executives and media.
