African Diaspora International Film Festival Is a Cinematic Celebration of History and Heritage
We spoke with ADIFF co-founder Dr. Reinaldo Barroso-Spech about the transformative power of film.
For Afro-Cuban educator and film enthusiast Dr. Reinaldo Barroso-Spech, cinema is a universal language that builds cross-cultural bridges; allowing us to find common ground through shared experiences and sparking curiosity about cultural nuances. Growing up in Cuba—during an era when there was a dearth of diverse stories on the silver screen—watching films like the Cuban drama Maluala and the American romance Carmen Jones illustrated multilayered narratives across the Black diaspora and became a source of education and empowerment for Barroso-Spech.
"Films are food for thought," he told Columbia Neighbors. "Sometimes, we don’t realize how much our ideas about people and things come from the films we’ve watched. The transformational power of film is undeniable."
Now through the African Diaspora International Film Festival—which he and his wife Diarah N'Daw-Spech co-founded in Harlem nearly 33 years ago through their ArtMattan Productions—Dr. Barroso-Spech hopes to conjure that same sense of pride and discovery by celebrating culturally relevant films that center the human condition. As part of ADIFF's Films in the Classroom project, they're hosting a Black History Month-inspired film series at Teachers College (February 28 through March 2) featuring a lineup of poignant movies that explore history, justice, identity, and innovation.
Ahead of the three-day event, we spoke with Dr. Barroso-Spech about the vision behind ADIFF, the importance of amplifying the work of independent filmmakers, and what attendees can expect from the Black History Month series.
What is your earliest memory of seeing yourself reflected in a film?
Cuba didn’t have a strong film industry compared to other countries like the United States and France. Even in those multiracial countries, the presence of people of African descent in films has gone through different stages. Where I was born, the notion of depicting stories of people of African descent was complicated. That started to shift during the 1960s with the social and political changes in the country. There was a need for a different image and a cultural evolution more representative of the racial components in Cuba. During this era, we began to be exposed to audiovisual material depicting stories with people of African descent.
One of the films that impacted me is Maluala, directed by Sergio Giral, about the history of the Maroons in Cuba. The story of the Maroons was not limited to one country. While Maluala reflected many of us, it also gave us a lot of food for thought to understand how descendants of Africans were living in other countries throughout Latin America. It was the first film where I connected with the story and actors. Aside from that—when I was growing up—my mom introduced us to U.S. films like Carmen Jones and Anna Lucasta very early. Those movies were eye-openers that widened our lens.
If you could choose one film that shaped your perspective on the power of cinema, what would it be and why?
One film that shaped my understanding of the international reach of stories is Camp de Thiaroye, directed by the late Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène. It tells the story of a group of Africans who participated in WWII and were massacred in France because they were revolting against the conditions to which they were subjected. There’s a moment in the film where you see the African and African American soldiers interacting. In a very open manner, it shows the connection between two people with the same ancestry, but from different parts of the world and how little they knew about each other. It made me reflect on how we needed to reach out to each other more to better communicate and understand our commonalities and differences. Films are food for thought. Sometimes, we don’t realize how much our ideas about people and things come from the films we’ve watched. The transformational power of film is undeniable.
What inspired the creation of the African Diaspora International Film Festival?
The African Diaspora International Film Festival came about practically in the classroom because I would use films to teach. I began my career as a teacher in the New York City public school system, and then I moved into higher education and worked at different institutions throughout the city, including Teachers College. Films were always a central part of my work. Cinema was part of my dissertation where I discussed how to use films in the classroom to teach cultural awareness. What I had started in the classroom and communicated with my wife blossomed into an idea based on the deficit of diversity in images we saw in New York City during the '90s. My wife—who was attending Columbia Business School at the time—and I came up with the concept to create an arthouse theater that celebrated the work of independent filmmakers across international cinema. The idea never materialized because we ran into roadblocks when trying to find funding, so we decided to move forward with organizing a film festival.
The intention was the same as my mission in the classroom. As a language educator, I wanted my students to learn about the fundamentals of diversity and different cultural nuances through films. We brought that vision into the screening room. The African Diaspora International Film Festival has grown into a global movement as we now host festivals in New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Paris, France. No matter where we host, it’s always the same through line: putting diversity front and center and celebrating the stories of people of color.
"What I had started in the classroom and communicated with my wife blossomed into an idea based on the deficit of diversity in images we saw in New York City during the '90s."
How are you using ADIFF as a vessel to bring attention to the diversity of experiences across the Diaspora?
The diversity of experiences is rooted in our work. It shines through our selection of films featured at every festival. We want ADIFF to represent as many different moments and chapters of people of African descent as possible. We’ve featured films about First Nation populations in different parts of the world, like Brazil, Australia, and the United States. The impact of the presence of folks who claimed the discovery of lands where people were already living has translated into many different stories and situations. We are very sensitive to the quality, representation, and depiction of the stories. It’s very intensive work, but we have a team of scholars and people who are immersed in cinema who work hard to ensure the films we show convey diversity and richness through a multiplicity of stories.
Can you share your perspective on the importance of amplifying the work of independent filmmakers?
We realize the sensibility of independent filmmakers isn’t always present in the material we get exposed to. Through their work, independent filmmakers tend to say what a commercial filmmaker can’t because of different constraints. Oftentimes, they don’t get the proper support or amplification. For example, the movie Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. directed by Leslie Harris was a very important film, but it just kind of disappeared. When it comes to the curation of ADIFF, we try to find filmmakers who are open, do deep research on their depictions, and are inclined to have an exchange about the stories they’re presenting. We want to ensure independent films are getting more visibility. We want to highlight the quality, creativity, and courage many independent filmmakers have today, particularly those depicting stories about people of African descent.
"We want to highlight the quality, creativity, and courage many independent filmmakers have today, particularly those depicting stories about people of African descent."
What inspired the curatorial direction of the lineup of films for this year's Black History Month 'Films in the Classroom' series? What can attendees expect?
The Black History Month series we're hosting at Teachers College is an important moment. My wife and I come from countries where Black History Month wasn't really celebrated. We consider Black History Month a moment of reflection; a time of visiting important chapters in the lives of people of African descent in the United States and other parts of the world. We wanted to lean toward history. For example, we have a film about Teddy Pendergrass that shows his artistic quality and gives a glimpse into his personal life. His story illustrates the impact of rhythm and blues. We can’t talk about Black history in the United States without talking about the influence of music. We’re also showing Gurumbe: Afro-Andalusian Memories which shows how Flamenco—an international form of performance art—has African components.
Beyond the arts, we wanted to use the films in the lineup to explore social and political climates throughout history. Fighting for Respect: African Americans in WWI is a rare film highlighting Black participation in the military during the First World War. We’re also screening a film called San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood—directed by documentarian Stanley Nelson Jr.—about the gentrification process that took place for the building of Lincoln Center. The housing issue is very serious in New York City, and this film deals with it from the perspective of the moment. Nelson also has another film that will be featured in our series called Attica, which documents one of the saddest pages in New York history. His work is magnificent. He’s going to join us in person to talk about his films and the messages behind them.
We always invite filmmakers or actors to speak so our audience can have meaningful exchanges. It brings a lot of richness to the work we do. We wanted the series to be rooted in what Black History Month means to us; reflecting, revisiting pages in history, and making connections. We’ve hosted our ‘Films in the Classroom’ series in collaboration with other programs and universities with the same mission of celebrating stories across the Diaspora and expanding diversity on the screens.
How has the Harlem community supported and influenced ADIFF?
I have a deep connection with Harlem. We live in Harlem; we’re a part of Harlem. I’ve spent several years teaching in the local community. When my wife and I moved to the neighborhood, we understood clearly that there were social, cultural, and political components in everything we were exposed to. You can’t avoid the historic impact Harlem has had on the world. The Harlem audience has been very supportive of what we’ve created. They don’t hesitate to come and ask us about titles they’d like to see. The interaction we’ve had with the Harlem audience is different from other cities. It’s all about proximity.
My wife and I didn’t start ADIFF to distance ourselves from the people we think are the natural recipients of this work. We want to stay connected. We’re very approachable. We’re always in the neighborhood. Many people don’t see us as festival directors, they see us as cultural activists. I believe in the transformational and educational power of films, and my wife shares that sentiment. It’s the vision and the mission of the company we created. We wanted to host the Black History Month film series at Teachers College specifically because I’m a product of the institution. I graduated from there and taught there.
"Many people don’t see us as festival directors, they see us as cultural activists."
What’s on the horizon for ADIFF?
We’re working on a Women's History Month series that will cover a wide range of topics, from the stories of remarkable women throughout history to reproductive rights. In June, we're hosting the 22nd annual Chicago African Diaspora International Film Festival at an arthouse theater called FACETS. The annual festival in NYC will be hosted this fall. We’ll also host our other festivals in Washington, D.C., and Paris, France. In addition to hosting the ADIFF events, we’ll attend other festivals to watch films, select a few to highlight through our platform and build connections with filmmakers.