Cuba takes centerstage during Caribbean Film Series at BAM

The Caribbean Film Series (CFS) returns to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) with a two-day film lineup of introspective feature length and short films that explore deep legacies, and disrupts places of being and cinematic storytelling.   

According to the Luminal Theater, CFS October begins with “Mafifa” by Cuban filmmaker Daniela Muñoz Barroso on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7pm. 

In the documentary, the hearing-impaired director searches for the enigmatic Mafifa, a legendary female player of the campana (bell), a conga music instrument she used to often magnetize audience members, who died young over 40 years ago.  

“Mafifa” is preceded by Lesley Steel and Emily Packer’s “By Way of Canarsie”, an exploration of the neighborhood’s unique relationship to its shoreline through recreation, brief encounters, and an expressive use of analog film.  

“The filmic journey allows an understanding of this predominantly Black neighborhood’s shared desires for recognition and respect,” the Luminal Theater said. 

It said CFS day two on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 4:30pm, is “dedicated to standout Caribbean Diasporic short films that explore questions related to migration and Diasporic being. 

The Luminal Theater said the lineup features works from NYC-based filmmakers including Jason R.A. Foster’s “In Search of…Pregame”, a heart-warming father and child relationship exploration through basketball, and Cristine Brache’s shocking “Morning Sickness In The USA”. 

Talkbacks are scheduled to follow each film.  Both days of screenings take place at BAM, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217.   

Now in its eighth year, the Caribbean Film Series is an ongoing program of Third Horizon, The Luminal Theater, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. 

This edition is co-presented in partnership with the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) and Cinema Tropical.