BLACKBIRD

Taking the song Blackbird by Nina Simone—and another, more popular song of the same title written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon and covered by Corrine Bailey Rae—as the emotional grounding for the program, BLACKBIRD is a short, capsule film program curated by Shannon Ayers Holden, Associate Director of Community Relations at Alserkal Avenue.

A distinctly Black point of view connects the films, and each responds thematically to the simple yet powerful concept of fulfilling the promise—whether it be as an individual, a community, or as nations on the global stage.

We begin with Director Spike Lee's 1992 masterwork, Malcolm X, which portrays the life of the powerful and beloved civil rights leader of the 1960s (born Malcolm Little). Starring Denzel Washington in an Academy Award-nominated performance, the film chronicles Malcolm X’'s journey as a directionless young man, his conversion to Islam, his rise as the most outspoken champion for Black empowerment, and his evolution into a fearless advocate for universal human rights and dignity. Malcolm X would have been 100 years old today, and though his life was cut short at the age of 39, his teachings and cautions ring truer today than ever.

Next up is Akeelah and the Bee (2006) directed by Doug Atchison. It takes a village to raise a child, and as Whitney Houston sang, “the CHILDREN are our future.” Akeelah and the Bee is a sweet movie about a quirky little Black girl with an exceptional talent for words. With grit and courage, and with support from many, she challenges herself to fulfill a dream.

Finally, we have Memories of Love Returned, a 2024 award-winning documentary by artist, actor, filmmaker and photographer Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine. It tells the story of his 22-year-long project to restore and archive photographs and negatives of photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo, whom he met in a village in Uganda when his car broke down. The film gives true meaning to fulfilling a promise, and by doing so, poignantly brings a community together around sharing a legacy and lasting memories.

- Shannon Ayers Holden

Join us for screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and discussions throughout the weekend.

About the Curator

Shannon Ayers Holden is the Associate Director of Community Relations at Alserkal Avenue, an arts and culture community and destination in Dubai. In 2023, she was invited to participate in Rewilding the Kitchen, a culinary program exploring the intersections between art, writing, and the kitchen, curated by Nahla Tabbaa and supported by Alserkal Arts Foundation. Her project titled A(nother) Reckoning: The Rice Has The Last Laugh examined the importance of slavery in establishing rice as a global agricultural commodity.

The project and its related storytelling workshops were also a continuation of An Introductory Curriculum for Reparations, her 2020 online resource commissioned by the Alserkal Arts Foundation for anyone interested in learning more about the complex history of race relations in the USA. In 2011, she managed the region's first and most extensive exhibition on contemporary African art titled As It Is! Contemporary Art from Africa and the Diaspora at Mojo Gallery, Dubai, featuring the works of 24 African artists.

An alumna of Campus Art Dubai's inaugural cohort, her CAD exhibition on the aesthetic of funk titled Chaos into Clarity: Re-possessing a Funktioning Utopia was presented at Sharjah Art Foundation. By way of New York City, she has lived in Dubai for many years with her family.