We are proud to present the uncompromising work of award-winning filmmaker Simone Bitton, whose films engage with the complexities of history, identity, and political struggle. Through her thoughtful exploration of Middle Eastern and North African histories, Bitton offers vital, nuanced perspectives that confront questions of justice, memory, and identity. Her work embodies the bold, subversive documentary approach that we are committed to highlighting in our festival this year.
"Direct calls to action in Mi Aporte, Plate of Sardines, and Africa, the Jungle, Drums and Revolution, rally viewers toward change and active participation. These works transform images into analytical tools: Within each film, meta-cinematic events unfold, revealing the potential of images to expose the spirit of liberatory struggles." zaina bseiso chose 3 short films from the near-forgotten Afro-Asian Film Festival (AAFF) for this year's edition, films widely unseen outside until their recent restoration.
The films in this Spotlight wrestle with the social and material complexities that exist in these four sites, cinematically mapping what McKittrick calls cartographies of struggle—or, demonic grounds.
In this Spotlight, films respond to pivotal experiences of (re)formation, oscillating between the past and present, individual and collective inquiry. In Romania, an archival romp through television ads is as much an exploration of the nation’s current psyche as it is of its socialist past.
