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In 1970s Brooklyn, a pan-African collective called The East creates more than a dozen self-sufficient businesses and institutions — essentially building an independent Black nation.
The Sun Rises in The East chronicles the birth, rise and legacy of The East, a pan-African cultural organization founded in 1969 by teens and young adults in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Led by educator and activist Jitu Weusi, The East embodied Black self-determination, building dozens of institutions, including its own African-centered school, food co-op, newsmagazine, publisher, record label, restaurant, clothing shop and bookstore. The organization hosted world-famous jazz musicians and poets at its highly sought-after performance venue, and it served as an epicenter for political contemporaries such as the Black Panther Party, the Young Lords and the Congress of Afrikan People, as well as comrades across Africa and the Caribbean.
The Sun Rises in The East is the first feature-length documentary to explore The East and its continued influence on the fabric of Black Brooklyn. The film also examines challenges that led to The East’s eventual dissolution, including its gender politics, financial struggles and government surveillance. Featuring interviews with leaders of The East, historians and people who grew up in the organization as children, The Sun Rises in The East delivers an exhilarating and compelling vision for today’s movement for racial justice, showing just how much is possible.
Directed by Tayo Giwa / Producer: Cynthia Gordy Giwa | 2022 | Run Time: 58 minutes
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About The Black Joy Film Festival:
Family-friendly films that engage audiences in the beauty, complexity and resilience found in our communities across the globe.
Mark your calendars!
8/11 | DRUMLINE
8/18 | DREAMGIRLS
8/25 | GET OUT
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