As Told By Us is a much needed platform for Black stories told by Black voices. The virtual film festival is airing 16-18 October as part of Black History Month UK, and comprises two compilations of short films screened via Livestream. Over 20 artists have come together to celebrate identity, culture, liberation and revolution worldwide, in doing so weaving a visual anthology which mirrors the multiplicity of the narratives being told.

Melanin Unscripted (MU) worked in partnership with Afriquette and For Africans By Africans (FABA) to shape As Told By Us. “It is the moment we no longer wait for mainstream media to validate our stories, but instead begin to understand the power of community and collaboration,” MU founder Amarachi Nwosu tells us. The festival is further supporting their vision by collaborating with Rise In Light, a facet of Melanin Unscripted Impact, which dedicates itself to creating equal access to resources for Black youths in Africa and the diaspora, in order to nurture creativity for a future generation. Chika Okoli, founder of FABA explains, “It's important because seeing these different narratives of Black experiences around the world reinforces the idea that we are dynamic and we can exist beyond these tragic narratives.”

Nataal has previously featured three films on the line-up – A Ti De by Oye Diran, Rise In Light by Amarachi Nwosu and Bio: Diaspora by Emmanuel Afolabi. Here are five more shorts not to miss at As Told By Us.

Black to Life

Black To Life is an attempt to rectify the omitted histories repressed through colonial and imperial projects of the Black British community. Too many erased individuals have contributed towards the very backbone of British society so this film brings some of their stories back into today’s public consciousness. The themes of race, identity, gender and inclusion are rife within this work, a hallmark of renowned London-based Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr. "I want to emphasise that this is British history and not just Black British history. Black people have a cultural and historical deficit across the institutions of society in this country that we have been a part of for centuries, not decades. Beyond that, I think as a society we need a more rounded relationship with reconciliation,” Davis Jr says.

Brown Paper Pageant

“Brown Paper Pageant is a love letter to anyone who has ever felt unwanted but especially to my dark-skinned sisters,” says Maame-Yaa Aforo who wrote, directed and acted in this short. The film traces Akosua, a first generation Ghanaian-American, as she enters a beauty pageant and struggles with the racial complexities entrenched in the deep south. The title refers to the test where skin colour was notoriously judged against a brown paper bag when choosing prospective members for sororities. Akosua battles between keeping her integrity despite societal pressures, or conforming to popular ideologies of what Black beauty is. Aforo tells us, “The issue of colourism is a ‘sweep it under the rug’ conversation and my goal with this film is to shed light on the internal struggle of a dark-skinned black woman who wants to be accepted. This film is funny yet piercing in its illustration of one of the harsh realities beauty standards in America create for Black women. My hope is that it makes people think and most importantly, laugh.”

Artist, Act of Love

Artist, Act Of Love explores the different modes and methods in which love can take shape and endeavours to define love at its purest. Ghanaian-American director and artist Kuukua Eshun remarks: “It is a romantic escapism for people who love deeply.” The film sheds light on the process of love which follows a seven-step pathway, according to Eshun. One - solitude, two - the arrival of love, three - procedure, four - doubt, five - contemplation, six - affirmation and seven - unison. For all the romantics out there Eshun explains that “unison is when the journey actually begins. Two homes coming together as one. Love is when you, your heart and mind will finally agree at the same time. It’s when you choose someone who chooses you. It’s when the noise fades and the quiet helps you to breathe better.” Artist, Act of Love recently won an award at the Worldwide Women’s Film Festival for best visual effects.

Bájúláyé: Ode to Kin

Bájúláyé: Ode to Kin by Laura Alston is a short set in London that follows three men and bonds them in brotherhood through the power of movement. Femi Bájúláyé reads powerful words into the background from Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, which are intermixed with bustling sounds from Peckham’s streets, making each motion an act of freedom, and a practice of liberation. The movement is un-choreographed and shifts from walking to dancing to playing with a ball, from person to person, all brothers becoming united by motion. Alston, a Caribbean American multidisciplinary artist, directed this as her first film in conjunction with Somewhere Films. “We kept the narration concise; their interactions simple, and portrayed an everyday activity to show that their unified expression held greater influence together rather than apart,” she tells us.

Ciranda

Ciranda came to life through a concept by Leo Justi, who produced this film around the Brazilian music collective Heavy Baile, who are best known for their carioca funk sound. London-based director Alex Tiernán depicts a neighbourhood cook playing the role of the malandro, who, he explains, “is a lovable scoundrel who eschews work and relies on his wit to sidestep authority. In a country that is deeply unequal he has become a national hero.” The protagonist, performed by Jonathan Neguebites, dodges the daily grind by taking to the streets of Rio de Janeiro and dancing his way through the video representing Brazil’s spontaneous, rhythmic and playful character with contagious energy.

As Told By Us goes live on the 16 and 18 October 2020 on Livestream. Buy tickets here.

Volume 1: First screening: Friday, October 16 at 12pm EDT (New York), 5pm GMT+1 (Lagos/London)

Volume 2: First screening: Friday, October 16 at 5pm EDT (New York), 10pm GMT+1 (Lagos/London)

Published on 15/10/2020