Our partners at the Honolulu International Film Festival are showcasing films of Africa and the African diaspora from November 7 to 17.
ATLANTICS
Director: Mati Diop
(France. Belgium, Senegal / 2019 / 105’ / Hawaii Premiere)
Along the Senegalese coast, a soon-to-be-completed futuristic tower looms over a suburb of Dakar. Ada, 17, is in love with Souleiman, a young construction worker. But she has been promised to another man. One night, Souleiman and his co-workers leave the country by sea, in hope of a better future. Several days later, a fire ruins Ada’s wedding and a mysterious fever starts to spread. Little does Ada know that Souleiman has returned. Director Diop and her film made history at the Cannes, where it had its world premiere. She was the first black female director to compete for the Palme d’Or (a first in the festival’s 72-year history), and it would eventually win the Grand Prix.
Nov 8, 8pm Regal Dole Cannery
Nov 10, 11am Regal Dole Cannery
CLEMENCY
Director: Chinonye Chukwu
(USA / 2019 / 113’ / Hawaii Premiere)
Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard). As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill. Although Bernadine is the central character, carrying the weight of a burdened conscience, it is the humanity and compassion invested across all the supporting characters, especially Aldis Hodge as death row inmate Anthony Woods and his attorney played by Richard Schiff, that makes this contemplative examination of the terrible weight of taking a life so commanding. Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner.
Nov 9, 5:30pm Regal Dole Cannery
Nov 11, 8:30pm Regal Dole Cannery
JUST MERCY
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
(USA / 2019 / 136’ / Hawaii Premiere)
CENTERPIECE GALA. A powerful and thought-provoking true story follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael J. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan might have had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds and the system stacked against them.
Nov 13, 8pm Regal Dole Cannery
PREMATURE
Director: Rashaad Ernesto Green
(USA / 2019 / 86’ / Hawaii Premiere)
Set against the backdrop of a changing Harlem landscape, seventeen-year-old Ayanna meets mysterious outsider Isaiah as she travails the rigorous terrain of young love the summer before she leaves for college. Director Rashaad Ernesto Green captures youthful, uninhibited conviction through Ayanna’s world in flux: transitional outbursts at home with her mother, deep and sensuous encounters of intimacy with Isaiah, and moments of unfiltered honesty with her girlfriends.
Nov 9, 8:30pm Regal Dole Cannery
Nov 10, 6:15pm Regal Dole Cannery
WAVES
Director: Trey Edward Shults
(USA / 2019 / 135’ / Hawaii Premiere)
Set against the vibrant landscape of South Florida, and featuring an astonishing ensemble of award-winning actors and breakouts alike, WAVES traces the epic emotional journey of a suburban African American family—led by a well-intentioned but domineering father (Sterling K. Brown)—as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the aftermath of a loss. From acclaimed director Trey Edward Shults, WAVES is a heartrending story about the universal capacity for compassion and growth even in the darkest of times.
Nov 15, 8:30pm Regal Dole Cannery