Grigris

New York Premiere

Despite a bum leg, 25-year-old Grigris has hopes of becoming a professional dancer, using his killer moves on the dance floor of his local club to secure some extra cash. His dreams are tested when his stepfather falls critically ill and he's forced to risk his future by smuggling oil to pay the hospital bills. When he falls for Mimi, a beautiful but damaged prostitute, they attempt to start a new life together. But as bad decisions begin to catch up with them, they are forced to run for their lives. Their pasts, however, are never far behind… Professional dancer Souleymane Deme is remarkable as a man who can’t get a break, and veteran director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, whose visually striking films have won awards at the Cannes and Venice film festivals, creates an elegant character study. A Film Movement release.

Columbite Tantalite
Chiwetel Ejiofor, UK, 2013, 12m
Alternating between past and present, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s thought-provoking short explores the problematic power and wealth gained by Africa’s mineral exportation, and Congo’s attempt to contend with its history, using a life defined by the titular black metallic ore as a basis.