Echoes of Concrete

ABSOLUT Vodka presents NY-Z a 15-minute documentary featuring hip-hop mogul, Jay-Z. Directed by Danny Clinch, NY-Z paints a rare portrait of the global music icon. Clinch provides an intimate glimpse into Jay-Z: his childhood, his motivation as an artist, his passion for music, and his muse, New York… (source Format Mag)

http://www.stillbillthemovie.com

Directed by Damani Baker and Alex Vlack, Still Bill tells the story of Bill Withers, an unexpected superstar.
« Ain’t No Sunshine », « Lean on Me », « Lovely Day » and « Just the Two of Us » are only part of a
complex and fascinating character: an icon who left the industry behind but never gave up his soul.
You know his songs. Now meet the man.

Featuring a tribute concert, a soundtrack with previously unreleased tracks, and rare live performance.

thanks to the newcomer Thomas F.

Nappy head, têtes grainées, ce documentaire est pour vous…et pour moi!

Nattes collées, tresses, vanille, défrisage à froid, peigne chaud, peigne afro, Babyliss, tissage à la colle ou à l’ancienne, mèches Pony #4, Linda#2, larasses, crème Dax, Pento, crème goudron, Hair Pouss Plus, Goldys, Capirelax, Afrosheen, Pink conditioner, moelle de boeuf, beeswax, ampoules , week end de coiffure, 3 paires de mains sur le crâne et 2 jour de cuir chevelu tellement tendu qu’il vous bride les yeux… Autant de terme qui m’ont donné des maux de crâne pendant 27 longues années, avant de me décider … à tout raser!

Et oui, 27 ans au service d’une tête pour éviter la coupe à l’eau chaude aka La naturelle, sans gel ni produit chimique juste de l’eau et beaucoup de répartie pour les lendemains de charriage à l’école!

En gros, la plus grande peine de la fille noire ce sont ses cheveux. Trop fragiles, ils nécessitent une vigilance de tous les instants. Alors il y a 2 écoles, celles qui par tous les moyens veulent avoir le cheveu soyeux à la Kelly Capwell (cf Santa Barbara) et les autres qui militent pour le naturel. Mais quelque soit votre appartenance, il faut quotidiennment se battre avec une armada de produits cosmétiques ou techniques de Mami wata du bled ce qui a toujours eu le don de susciter la curiosité de mes amis caucasiennes.

Pour beaucoup, on fait tout un foin de nos cheveux mais pour les intéressées c’est une LUTTE désespérée. Chris Rock s’est donc fait l’écho de la black woman et s’est intéressé de plus près à toute l’industrie du crêpu et du défrisé. Des labos au fabricants indiens jusque dans les salons professionnels, il a sillonné le monde du cheveu noir et a récolté les témoignages de  figures telles que Kerri Washington, Maya Angelou ou encore Nia Long. Autant d’histoires qui apporteront des réponses à ceux qui croient encore et toujours que Beyoncé a de superbes cheveux et qui nous feront bien rire avec Chris Rock en meneur du jeu.

Je n’ai qu’une hâte c’est de voir ça mais il n’existe pas encore de trailer, juste une petite vidéo dans laquelle Chris Rock nous explique ses motivations:

j’ai menti here comes the trailer

Another indie movie to be seen in 2009.

They are lyricists, they all have a lot to tell but they are struggling in their everyday lives to just be themselves, WOMEN with a strong passion.

It’s funny because two months ago, we had that conversation with T-Love & my friend Aline right before they grab the mic & turntables at Mama Shelter (Paris). Taura was wondering, why was it almost impossible to be a black woman, mother, entrepeneur, journalist female MC’s and get props from our « male » society. She was counting all of her girl friends who had to make a choice between being an artist and building a home ’cause the battle was too intense for the few remaining places. At the end of the conversation she realizes that someone and probably herself has to make something on the subject.

And then, three weeks  ago, while I was surfing on the web, I find that « Say My Name » trailer by Mamamess, a production company from the Netherlands. In this documentary, it’s not only about black women, it’s about being a woman, period.

As I’m curious, I wrote an email to know more about SMN. Nirit Peled, the director and instigator of the project told me that everything started in 2003 but it was hard to find financial partners so they mostly shot in 2006 in the US and UK.

You’ll find in that movie ladies such as Monie Love (who’s always involved in panel discussion for women in the Hip Hop industry), Roxane Shante, MC Lyte, Jean Grae, AAries, Rah Digga, Estelle and more.

Some of the US citizen will have the chance to premiere it this year but Mamamess is still looking for some good samaritains to premiere it in France too. So let’s call on producers, festivals etc. to contact them here.

PS: They shot on the same purpose Say My Name in Africa (Luanda, Abidjan), the movie’s still in the making. Check this here

Enough talk, Just watch

I don’t know where to start or what to say. All I know is that I’m stuck trying to check everything out on Geoffrey Hiller’s website

First, I wanted to talk to you about « Verve Photo » the blog he launched on wordpress which gather « The new breed of documentary photographers ». And then I went back to his own website and since, I can’t help but exploring from pages to links all the photographs he took during his worldwide trips.

Mixing photography and the art of storytelling (sometimes video too), Hiller goes beyond the static and has a little something more than images in motion.

Have a nice trip!

Photo by Geoffrey Hiller

Photo by Geoffrey Hiller

Photo by Geoffrey Hiller

Clic on the flick