Perfect Image? and Grey Area at MansA

For this new CinéMansA session, the afro-feminist collective Mwasi and the Ẅ XOOL Festival are in the spotlight. After the screening of Maureen Blackwood's Perfect Image? and Monona Wali's Grey Area, there will be a discussion with artists and activists on issues of representation, memory and Afro-descendant creation.

This session highlights the Afro-feminist initiatives Mwasi and Ẅ XOOL FESTIVAL. It centers around the screening of two medium-length films— Perfect Image? by Maureen Blackwood (UK/Jamaica, 1981, 30 min.) and Grey Area byMonona Wali (USA, 1982, 36’) – which question the representation of black women, beauty standards, and the compromises that African-American women may face. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Feriel Gaye, Adé Mpundu, and Marie-Julie Chalu.

Perfect Image? is a film that questions stereotypical representations of black women. Punctuated by the presence of the Wee Papa Girl Rappers, the film humorously and astutely addresses the pitfalls of seeking the "perfect image."

Grey Area explores the compromises imposed on African Americans in order to survive in a white society. Through the journeys of a journalist and a former Black Panther, the film advocates for community development in Watts, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. It is in keeping with the spirit of the L.A. Rebellion film movement.

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Feriel Gaye, a queer Afro-feminist screenwriter with multiple inspirations, passionate about pop culture and fantasy sagas. She is part of the team behind the Ẅ XOOL film festival.

Adé Mpundu, committed social worker, founder of the Ẅ XOOL FESTIVAL, an Afro-feminist film festival dedicated to filmmakers of African descent.

Marie-Julie Chalu, actress, creator of events and cultural projects. She is a member of Mwasi, an Afro-feminist collective involved in revolutionary liberation struggles. She is generally interested in (Afro) diasporic cultures, utopias, and marginal archives.