Taste of “Jamaica y Tamarindo” Chicago Premiere and Q&A w/ director Ebony Bailey

Q&A: Sat. July 25, 2020 at 6:30 PM – Subscribe to the filmfront newsletter for event Q&A Zoom link and VOD links to the films available July 19-25, 2020 or email info@filmfront.org for details.

Given the current spotlight on Black struggle in this country and in the world, and especially given the history of intraracial violence in our communities, we felt important to share the insightful and much needed work of Ebony Bailey to celebrate her excellence and foster dialogue and empowerment.

A dedicated documentarian, Ebony Bailey dives deep into the heart of her interests, her subject position and the real experiences of her community, a people often ignored and erased from the history books and media.o As a self-identified “Blaxican,” she delves into various anomalies at the heart of anti-blackness in Mexican culture––but from a place of deep love and respect for her heritage and pride in her identities. Her body of documentary video work, and especially the premiere of her brand new short, “Jamaica y Tamarindo,” explores just how inherently Black or afro-descendant Mexican culture is already at its core. Bailey’s work is light, lyrical, humane and poignant. Watching her films one is drawn in by learning and challenging misconceptions through the sheer artistry and levity of her lens, her decisive cuts, and her marvelous ability as a storyteller.

Join us for a discussion with the award winning documentarian Ebony Bailey and local programmer, Janelle Ayana Miller, featuring the Chicago premiere of “Jamaica y Tamarindo” with an added bonus; her latest music video “Atolito con el dedo” for the AfroMexican band Aguaje Ensamble. This screening is programmed by Jose Luis Benavides as part of the ongoing series Sin Cinta Previa. This event is made possible by the generous support of Propeller Fund. And special thanks to EPF Media.

About “Jamaica y Tamarindo”:

The jamaica flower and tamarind are iconic ingredients in Mexico, but their history comes from a place much further away. In Jamaica and Tamarindo: Afro Tradition in the Heart of Mexico, we meet five people to explore African heritage in Mexico City, an identity that goes beyond the color of one’s skin.

About the Director:

Ebony Bailey is a “Blaxican” filmmaker and photographer from Central California whose work explores cultural intersections and diaspora. Her photographs have appeared in NPR, LA Times and Remezcla. Her short documentary, “Life Between Borders: Black Migrants in Mexico” screened at film festivals and forums in the US, Mexico and Europe. In 2018, she was awarded the Samuel L. Coleman scholarship for emerging filmmakers at the Haitian International Film Festival. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in documentary film at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

About the Guest Speaker:

Janelle Ayana Miller is a grandchild of the Great Migration, a Midwestern with Southern inflection. Her practice is rooted within familial and communal aesthetics, looking deeply into bridging self and time as an act of place making while using modes of collage, found objects, film, food and photography. Miller has programmed film screenings at FilmFront and 6018NORTH.

Event Program:

LIFE BETWEEN BORDERS (ENTRE FRONTERAS) by Ebony Bailey, 2017, 15 min 18 sec

ATOLITO CON EL DEDO [music video for Aguaje Ensamble] by Ebony Bailey, 2020, 4 min 27 sec
Estimated Running Time: 40 min

JAMAICA Y TAMARINDO by Ebony Bailey, 2019, 19 min 46 sec

Official Website

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Tags: Chicago, Ebony Bailey, FilmFront, Janelle Ayana Miller, Jose Luis Benavides, Lower West Side, Sin Cinta Previa