Africa on New York's silver screen

South Africa's first dance movie, Hear me Move, recently premiered in
New York at the African Diaspora International Film Festival.
Organizers have had their eye on the film since its local release, and
this year it was one of nine South African films featured in the
program, that's focused on the experiences of people of color.

Mimi Chiahemen brings us the story from New York

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VO1: 
Returning to New York for the 23rd year running, the African Diaspora International Film Festival is back in the city with an even more ambitious program. Co-director Diarah N’daw Spech says it’s about celebrating the intersections of the Diaspora 

SOT- Super: Diarah N’daw Spech |Co-director and co-founder, ADIFF|
We always look for the films that have the widest range of representation, lots of diversity, lots of stories, and the goal is really to show how much we have in common and really put forward the humanity of who we are as a people of color 

VO2: 
Making the cut this year, South African dance flick Hear me Move - the year 2015's top grossing film, made by a Black South African director. Here's Spech again.  

SOT- Super: Diarah N’daw Spech |Co-director and co-founder, ADIFF|
We look for who is behind the camera and who is in front of the camera and normally filmmakers of color tend to tell stories about people of color. So it’s very exciting for us to be able bring these films to the US,  most of the time for the first time, and let the people see what’s happening in South Africa

VO3: 
As the festival evolves, organizers say the goal is to increasingly highlight the richness and diversity of cultures not typically represented on the big screen 

SOT- Super: Diarah N’daw Spech |Co-director and co-founder, ADIFF|
So what you see is broader diversity, but of course rooted in the culture, because obviously  Hear Me Move can only be made in South Africa, because the dance is South African, right?  

VO4:
And as outreach coordinator Lerato Bokako says, the film depicts South Africa in a light that’s not often cast on international audiences 

SOT - super: Lerato Bokako |Outreach Coordinator, ADIFF|
I think it’s important to show that it’s not all suffering, it’s not all violence and crime. People do have fun in SA and we dance sometimes..

VO4: 
Although Bokako says it’s not all song and dance --- it's a coming of age story with some universal themes  

SOT - Super: Lerato Bokako |Outreach coordinator, ADIFF|
Musi, the main character is trying to find his roots, he’s trying to reconnect with his father.. I think it’s very relatable because I think a lot of young black children can relate to wanting to have a strong father figure in their lives ...  

VO5: 
Critics say it'll get you off your chair, but for ADIFF's organizers, the appeal is equally in what the film makes you feel when you're in your chair 

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