Movie: Quilombo Country tells the Story of Brazilian Villages Founded by African Slaves

Documentary on Maroons of Brazil to Hold World Theatrical Premiere in New York “Quilombo Country,” the award-winning film about Brazilian villages founded by escaped and rebel slaves, will hold its World Theatrical Premiere on Saturday, the 23rd of February [Black History Month] at 8pm at the Anthology Film Archives, 32 2nd Ave. (2nd St.) in New York City, followed by a Q&A with director Leonard Abrams. Go here to buy tickets online.

To commemorate the event and in gratitude to our supporters, we invite all in attendance to a reception after the screening.

If you can’t make it to New York, find out how to see the film at www.quilombocountry.com. Journalists and educators may write to info@quilombofilm.com or call 212-260-7540 in New York to receive a copy for review for publication or possible institutional purchase.

More about “Quilombo Country”

Watch the trailer on AfricanLoft

Brazil, once the world’s largest slave colony, was brutal and deadly for millions of Africans. But many thousands escaped and rebelled, creating their own communities in Brazil’s untamed hinterland. Largely unknown to the outside world, these communities, known as quilombos, struggle today to preserve a rich heritage born of resistance to oppression.

“Quilombo Country” (”Quilombo” is an Angolan word meaning “encampment”) provides the historical context in which these communities developed, as well as numerous examples of material culture, discussions of race, land and human rights, plus rare footage of festivals and ceremonies. Of all the recent films about the Afrobrazilian experience, “Quilombo Country” stands out in its
informed portrayal of traditional life among Afro-descended Brazilians.

“Quilombo Country” is narrated by Chuck D, the legendary poet, media commentator and front man of the hip hop band Public Enemy.

AOL Black Voices, a website dedicated to African-American concerns, interviewed director Leonard Abrams and other directors whose films screened at the Pan African Film Festival. See below: