Urban World Film Festival is happening in New York City this week. I am sure there will be lots of gems to see but the most exciting premiere has to be Say My Name, a documentary by debut director Nirit Peled.
Say My Name is a production of Mamamess, an urban audio-visual organization founded by Peled and Dave Hemmingway. This documentary introduces women’s personal stories of balancing professional dreams with the limitations posed by urban communities, racism, sexism, and motherhood. It starts from Hip Hop’s birthplace in the Bronx then travels to Philly, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, L.A., and all the way to the grime of London’s Eastside. It features live performances from a diverse cast of women including MC Lyte, Monie Love, Remy Ma, Rah Digga, Erykah Badu and Estelle. These female lyricists refuse to forsake their passions or creativity despite the challenges of the misogynistic male-dominated world of Hip Hop and R and B.
This will no doubt be an inspirational look into the lives of these awesome women. Nirit Peled is herself a pioneer. She is a community-based cultural artist and film director. She runs her own production company Mamamess and she has traveled around the world documenting female artists in urban environments. Say My Name in Africa, still in production, will be the sequel that explores African female artists who are making their voices heard.
Say My Name is distributed by Women Make Movies and will be screened in the documentary feature competition during the UWF festival.
Screening info:
Thursday 24th at 9.00 pm at AMC 34th St Theatre 9
Friday 25th at 8.00 pm in AMC 34th St Theatre 9
Saturday 26th at 11.45 am in AMC 34th St Theatre 9
video courtesy YouTube
