Beyond the Lens: Kati Kati | Mbithi Masya

Princeville, NC sits atop wet, swampy land along the river. In the 1800s, the land was deemed uninhabitable by white people. After the Civil War, this indifference left it available for freed enslaved Africans. Once called ‘Freedom Hill,’ it was gradually established as an all Black town. But the town has been inundated with flooding...and with each flood, a little more of the small town erodes.

A crop of young poets and musicians advocating in support of the revolution in Sudan that followed the 2019 toppling of the dictator Omar al-Bashir and military takeover of the country. Gathering in Brooklyn and Denver, these vibrant young people, whose families left Sudan years earlier reflect on their identity and how can they best help the Sudanese people an ocean away.

The troubling story of the African artwork that fills European museums, and whose return is now being demanded by their countries of origin. Through the burning question of their possible restitution, the film invites us to reconsider both our cultural heritage and museums’ role in reinventing our relationship with Africa.