Bodomo spoke after a recent screening at the graham foundation about how images from. Her short film afronauts has premiered at the sundance. On july 16, 1969, america prepares to launch apollo 11. All this reporting and writing about the moon landings 50th anniversary got us in the mood to read and watch some science fiction. Oct, 2016 this years short film ominibus collective. Brooklyn museum to screen black queer films every thursday in. Whose place, whose space extraterrestrial stakes art. Pumzi breath in swahili by kenyan film director wanuri kahiu. Jan 29, 2016 ghanaian filmmaker frances bodomos beautifully shot short film, afronauts, tells an alternative history of the nineteen sixties zambian space program, the brainchild of edward makuka nkoloso.
The afronauts by middel abebooks shop for books, art. Inspired by a forgotten footnote in the cold war history of the space race, frances bodomo imagines a ragtag team of zambian rocket scientists scrambling to beat the americans to the moon in june of 1969. Bodomo is about to begin production on a fulllength version of the film. Parsing the real and unreal stories of the zambian space. Frances bodomos fictionalized short film about the afronauts.
Ghanaian filmmaker frances bodomos beautifully shot short film, afronauts, tells an alternative history of the nineteen sixties zambian space program, the brainchild of. Unconscious 2016, afronauts 2014 and boneshaker 20. Ghanaian filmmaker frances bodomo s beautifully shot short film, afronauts, tells an alternative history of the nineteen sixties zambian space program, the brainchild of edward makuka nkoloso. Jul 19, 2019 afronauts online july 19, 2019 cheryl with all of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the moon landings going on, nuotama frances bodomos strange little film, afronauts, which is inspired by the zambian space programme, has been made available online. With all of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the moon landings going on, nuotama frances bodomos strange little film, afronauts, which is inspired by the zambian space. Frances bodomo discusses her films boneshaker and afronauts, how. Afronauts written and directed by nuotama bodomo its july 16, 1969. Dec 01, 2016 farther along, frances bodomos enchanting afronauts of 2014, a d. Apr 22, 2014 bodomos 2012 short boneshaker starred oscar nominee quvenzhane wallis and afronauts earned bodomo a spot in the 2014 new directorsnew films. Her following short, afronauts which shes now turning into a feature is an even bolder success, a hallucinatory fusion of history, science, political critique, and imaginative fantasy. She enjoys attending rocket launches, stargazing, and douglas adams books. In 2014, ghanaian filmmaker frances bodomo s short film afronauts was released. Meteoric realities nka journal of contemporary african. Jul 16, 2019 frances bodomo is raising funds for afronauts on kickstarter.
From metube to the moon, short films with a personal point. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. His plan was to use an alluminium rocket to put a woman, two cats. Vincent, doudou n diaye rose, solange, david byrne, brian. I first encountered nkoloso in a work of art that tries to imagine a different outcome. A ragtag group is trying to launch a moon rocket to beat the american apollo 11. Frances bodomos 2014 short film depicts what was happening thousands of miles away, where the zambia space. A world war ii veteran and school teacher, nkoloso founded the zambia national academy of science, space research and philosophy and conscripted twelve astronauts into the countrys race to the moon, including matha mwambwa, a seventeenyearold girl who eventually become the programs lead cadet. Afronauts the race to the moon was not just a fierce competition between the united states and the soviet union the newly independent country of zambia also dreamed up an ambitious space program, initiated by a teacher who applied for unesco funding for a private project. My friend sent me a link to frances bodomos short film afronauts 2014. Bodomo is currently developing the feature version of afronauts, which is supported by the. She is a writer and director, known for collective.
Nuotama bodomo was born on february 9, 1988 in accra, ghana. The rocket never took off, but decades later director frances bodomos short film takes a look at what the zambian space program might have looked like. Her short film afronauts has premiered at the sundance film festival and was in competition at the berlinale shorts program 2014. As nuotama frances bodomos short film afronauts debuts online, the director discusses decentering hero narratives and the weaponizing of reality against african stories. The race to the moon was not just a fierce competition between the united states and the soviet union the newly independent country of zambia also. Oct 03, 2014 a thread of surrealism runs through several of the sundance selections, most notably frances bodomos 12minute afronauts. Jun 30, 2015 afronauts on july 16, 1969, america prepares to launch apollo 11. Diving into movie palaces of the mind at the whitney the. An ingenious group of zambian villagers builds a homemade rocket in a wild bid to put the first african woman on the moon. Two epic love stories for black history month, and every. Bodomo spoke after a recent screening at the graham foundation about how images from archival footage must exist for these moments to live on in cultural memory. Vincent, doudou n diaye rose, solange, david byrne, brian mccomber makes us discover via sa bo for the short film afronauts, by ghanaian director nuotama frances bodomo, an unknown part of space history.
Frances bodomo and larissa sansour create poetic and fantastical extraterrestrial missions as alternative narratives to existing space programs, in order to explore, respectively, the tenuousness of zambian and palestinian national identity. This meditative fourchannel film and art installation reflects on the pursuit of health and wellbeing at the root of how life, breath, joy, and pain manifest in black experience from cradle to grave. It is set in 1969 on the eve of the apollo 11 launch. Frances bodomo and larissa sansour create poetic and fantastical extraterrestrial missions as alternative narratives to existing space programs, in order to explore, respectively, the tenuousness of. With diandra forrest, yolonda ross, hoji fortuna, chester algernal gordon. The story of the first afronaut, a 17yearold zambian girl training for a moon launch. A thread of surrealism runs through several of the sundance selections, most notably frances bodomos 12minute afronauts. A short presented at the berlinale and a photographic book narrate the. In 2014, ghanaian filmmaker frances bodomos short film afronauts was released. In 2018, bodomo was a writer and director on random acts of flyness, an hbo series created by terence nance.
Mar 11, 2017 i first encountered nkoloso in a work of art that tries to imagine a different outcome. Bodomo spoke after a recent screening at the graham foundation about. And a ragtag group of zambian exiles are trying to beat america to the moon. From metube to the moon, short films with a personal point of. Director frances bodomos film afronauts presents a vivid reimagining of the failed zambian space program. I start from a real fact that took place 50 years ago and rebuild the documents adapting them. Sep 04, 2019 as nuotama frances bodomos short film afronauts debuts online, the director discusses decentering hero narratives and the weaponizing of reality against african stories.
A world war ii veteran and school teacher, nkoloso founded the zambia national academy of science, space research and philosophy and conscripted twelve. As nuotama frances bodomos short film afronauts debuts online, the director discusses decentering hero narratives and the weaponizing of. Just after zambian independence in 1964, an ingenious group of villagers builds a homemade rocket in a wild bid to join the space race. Set on july 16, 1969, as america is launching the apollo 11. Parsing the real and unreal stories of the zambian space academy. She grew up in ghana, norway, california, and hong kong before moving to new york to study. Diametrically opposite, on the other hand, is the visual approach by frances bodomo, a young africanamerican filmmaker originally from ghana.
The story of nkolosos afronauts seems to inspire or entertain people more these days than in the 1960s. Several of the writerdirectors of his show are women, including frances bodomo, the awardwinning filmmaker behind afronauts and boneshaker. The astronaut is a 17yearold girl who has to be the first to set foot on the moon along with her two cats. Nuotama frances bodomo born 1988 is a ghanaian filmmaker, writer and director. Afronauts by new york writer frances bodomo, inspired by the true story of the shortlived space programme. Set on july 16, 1969, as america is launching the apollo 11 moon. His plan was to use an alluminium rocket to put a woman, two cats and a missionary into space. Happy birthday marsha reina gossett and sasha wortzel, postproduction, 4 min. Help us create the kind of literary community youve always dreamed of. Films in this program take up spacetime travel, the necessary but super dangerous mission to locate a better black future via white technologies and genres. The premise is horrifyingly entertaining, full of existential dread and black humor in multiple senses. Afronauts is based on the documentation of an impossible dream that only lives in the pictures. Frances bodomo will screen her extraordinary afronauts and discuss it afterwards.
Farther along, frances bodomos enchanting afronauts of 2014, a d. The afronauts in 1964 a zambian science teacher named edwuard makuka decided to train the first african crew to travel to the moon. The astronaut is a 17yearold girl who has to be the first to set. She grew up in ghana, norway, california, and hong kong before moving to new york to study film at columbia university and nyus tisch school of the arts. Frances bodomo is raising funds for afronauts on kickstarter. I start from a real fact that took place 50 years ago and rebuild the documents adapting them to. Nuotama frances bodomo is a ghanaian filmmaker, writer and director. Her following short, afronauts which shes now turning into a. Frances bodomos 2014 short film depicts what was happening thousands of miles away, where the zambia space academy hopes to beat america to the moon. So here are seattle times staffers picks for some of. Space is the place screens with afronauts 2014, dir. Brooklyn museum to screen black queer films every thursday. Nov 04, 20 afronauts is based on the documentation of an impossible dream that only lives in the pictures. Brian mccomber afronauts oohsounds composer of film music and drummer distinguished for artists such as bjork, dirty projectors, st.