About
Join us for tonight's program on Zoom:
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84739387585?pwd=eDFCVGhqV3c0TXFqY2J2SjdvV0ltZz09
Passcode: 445841
Museum of the African Diaspora and Priority Africa Network present African Diaspora Film Club
Join us for a special edition of AFRICAN DIASPORA FILM CLUB. Modeled after our African Book Club, we will meet once a month to discuss a film that we have all viewed in advance of the discussion. The conversation will be moderated by Cornelius Moore, co-director of California Newsreel and film series curator at MoAD.
We will be discussing the award winning documentary SOFTIE (2020, Sam Soko, 96 minutes). You will receive instructions to join via zoom after you sign up here. Look for an email from MoAD after you sign up, if you don’t receive it in your inbox, look in your spam or junk mail.
We will not be screening the film. Please view the film on your own in advance of the discussion. SOFTIE will be available for you to screen on your own January 10 - January 24, 2021 on EVENTIVE.
Photojournalist Boniface Mwangi and Writer & Director Sam Soko will join us for the discussion.
Boniface “Softie” Mwangi has long fought injustices in his country as a political activist. Now he’s taking the next step by running for office in a regional Kenyan election. From the moment Boniface decides to run, telling his wife, Njeri, in passing with a hesitant laugh, he responds to each challenge with optimism.
But running a clean campaign against corrupt opponents becomes increasingly harder to combat with idealism alone. And Boniface soon finds that challenging strong political dynasties is putting his family at risk. Should country really come before family, as he’s always believed?
Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. An official selection of CHP:DOX, Full Frame Film Festival, and the Opening Night Film at the 2020 Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival. Recently the film won Best African Documentary at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.
More information is available at www.softiethefilm.com.
Boniface Mwangi is daring and audacious and recognized as Kenya's most provocative photojournalist. But as a father of three young children these qualities create tremendous turmoil between him and his wife Njeri. When he wants to run for political office he is forced to choose: country or family?
Sam Soko is a film director and producer based in Nairobi who seeks out stories that enable him to engage in socio-political spaces. His work on civic literacy projects in music non-fiction and fiction has allowed him to connect with artists around the world. He is co-founder of LBx Africa, a Kenyan production company that service produced the 2018 Oscar nominated short fiction film “Watu Wote”.
Soko's first feature documentary film, Softie, is set to premiere at the Sundance Festival in 2020.
This program is presented in partnership with Priority Africa Network