Black Joy (Blaka Koloku) is a poetic film created by Rafik Opti, a documentary filmmaker, activist, and multidisciplinary artist. The film emerges from this transdisciplinarity: based on walks Rafik Opti took with people from various cultures in Amsterdam, it paints a portrait of the city and its inhabitants. Black Joy is a film about identity, a celebration of Black freedoms, an Afro-futuristic exploration of the quest for independence among Amsterdam’s Black residents.
Rafik Opti is known for artistic works that celebrate the nuanced themes of the Black trans and queer community. This work is born from the conviction that storytelling, narratives from everyday life, can expose and dismantle dominant systems of injustice.
Black Joy is the fifth film in the series Black Eyes on Black Bodies, curated by Mona Okulla Obua as part of the Black Berlin Black – United Polyphonic festival, following Blues for Mrs. by Anton Juan featuring Savanna Morgan, The Homes We Carry by Brenda Akele Jorde, MU/T/T/ER by Esther Kondo Heller, and THAT UGANDAN FLAMING HOMOSEXUAL by DeLovie Kwagala aka Papa De.
Following the film screening, there will be an audience discussion with Rafik Opti moderated by Katrina Singleton.
Part of the film series BLACK EYES ON BLACK BODIES
In the context of the festival BLACK BERLIN BLACK – UNITED POLYPHONIC