AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange
This series celebrates Africa's cultural and historical growth through six insightful films. These films, each introduced by acclaimed actor Idris Elba, explore the complex lives of contemporary Africans, both on the continent and abroad. The productions include an examination of the efforts of African AIDS activists, a profile of two young South African hip-hop disc jockeys, the touching story of one Cape Town boy's love for opera music and a look inside the blossoming Nigerian film industry.
AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange Previous Broadcasts
Moving to the Beat (Episode #204)
KQED World: Mon, Mar 1, 2010 -- 5:00 AM
"Moving to the Beat" explores how youth in Africa and the United States use hip hop music to communicate with one another and as a language for social change. The documentary follows Rebel Soulz, a hip hop group from Portland, Oregon, as they journey to Freetown, Sierra Leone to bring the radical roots of American hip hop to the motherland of Africa. In the process of collaborating and interacting with the local artists, the visitors confront their own stereotypes and fantasies of Africa while shattering the Sierra Leoneans' perception of America as a "second heaven." Their deeply forged connection overcomes centuries of misunderstanding and separation and serves as an inspiring call for people worldwide to transcend boundaries. Directors: Caleb Heymann/Abdul Fofanah.
Desert Bayou (Episode #202)
KQED World: Mon, Mar 1, 2010 -- 4:00 AM
In the wake of one of the worst natural and humanitarian disasters ever to hit American shores, the U.S. government airlifted nearly 600 African Americans to the almost entirely white state of Utah... without their knowledge. "Desert Bayou" examines whether two cultures - one black, one white - can come together in a time of utter chaos or whether their differences prove too great a challenge to overcome. In their own words, evacuees of Hurricane Katrina tell how they survived the storm of the century and ended up at a military installation in the deserts of Utah. Questions of race, politics and religion emerge through interviews with evacuees, political, military and religious leaders, community and social figures. "Desert Bayou" tells a story of loss and reunion, of sorrow and rebirth, of anger and rejoicing, but most of all...a story of hope. Director: Alex LeMay.