A century ago, the neighbourhood of Harlem, New York City, saw the germination of a movement that would forever change the artistic and intellectual landscape of the United States of America, and whose influence was quickly felt on the international scene: the Harlem Renaissance. Coinciding with the Great Migration, when millions of Black Americans fled racial violence in the South, the movement brought together artists, writers, musicians and intellectuals who redefined African American identity and proudly promoted Black culture.
This artistic explosion was driven by key figures such as Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Du Bois and Zora Neale Hurston (in literature and critical thinking), Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Ethel Waters (music), and Oscar Micheaux and Josephine Baker (cinema), establishing the foundations of the future Civil Rights Movement. The Harlem Renaissance also stood out as a force for affirmation and exploration of issues related to sexuality and identity, where members of the LGBT community such as Alain Locke, Ethel Waters and Langston Hughes played key roles.
Batalha presents a cinematic portrait of the Harlem Renaissance and its contemporary influence, beginning with a screening celebrating the centenary of Body and Soul, Oscar Micheaux’s seminal work starring the iconic actor Paul Robeson, who remains to this day a symbol of anti-racist activism in the USA. The screening, presented by filmmaker Billy Woodberry, is preceded by a short film by the pioneering Zora Neale Hurston, writer, anthropologist and African American folklorist. The filmmaker Akosua Adoma Owusu will also be coming to Batalha for a talk about Du Bois and a screening of her work, influenced by him.
The programme, which includes the music of Duke Ellington and the poetry of Langston Hughes, culminates in two films selected by Gisela Casimiro (writer and activist) and starring Josephine Baker, an iconic figure of the 20th century who broke down racial barriers by becoming one of the first black women to achieve international notoriety in the world of art and entertainment.