An Evening with Akosua Adoma Owusu

An Evening with Akosua Adoma Owusu

New York–based filmmaker Akosua Adoma Owusu (b. 1984) infuses her short films with the stories, myths, culture, history, and semi-autobiographical details of her American and Ghanaian roots. African and African American fabrics, hairstyles, fables, history, and music are examined in their complex relationship to gender, culture, and identity. The films in this program include her award-winning Kwaku Ananse (2013), a contemporary drama (entwined with an African fable) about a young American woman who returns to West Africa for her father’s funeral, only to discover his hidden double identity. Bus Nut (2014) combines educational footage for young children with scenes performed by a young actress in a reflection on Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement. Me Broni Ba (My White Baby) (2009), looks at hair braiding in Kumasi, Ghana, where women train on black clients as well as on white dolls. Owusu will also discuss the ongoing process of making “Black Sunshine”, her first feature-length fiction film.