Famous the world over, jazz funerals have origins shrouded in mystery. Filmed over twenty-two years, City of a Million Dreams explores race relations at a tearing time in American society. Burial traditions train a lens on the unique and resilient culture of New Orleans. City of a Million Dreams draws from the 2018 book of the same title by Jason Berry.
This award-winning film details African practices that survived the trans-atlantic kidnap buseness and became part of popular US culture with links to Jazz, secret societies and ‘stepping’ . Plus Q&A with Dr Miranda Armstrong and panel.
“Yes, funerals — as in the famous joint expressions of mourning and celebration that feature “second line” dance marches to mark the joy of a soul’s ascent into heaven. As director Berry shows, those ceremonies have extraordinarily complex roots and meanings. What his documentary does, lovingly and in mesmerizingly watchable fashion, is explore the African American culture from which jazz funerals evolved — and how the funerals epitomize the soul and resilience of the Crescent City perpetually endangered by storms, floods, fires, coastal erosion, and diseases such as Yellow Fever.” Review by Jason Quilyer Washington Examiner
This is an African Odysseys screening. Previously at the BFI Southbank for 17 years, African Odysseys is now hosting films across London due to systemic racism at the BFI which cancelled the popular,monthly programme there. There will be an update at the screening.Full details HERE
Other coming films
- 60 years of Struggle Black British Civil Rights, film and interview with Professor Gus John
- Reclaiming Cocoa: the chocolate business Saturday 21st June tickets HERE
- Black History Helicopter flight, canal cruise, bus tour, walks coming soon