Black Soil Film Festival at Hiphophuis, LantarenVenster and MAVIS

Launched in Rotterdam in 2003 as Europe's first hip-hop film festival, Black Soil now offers a broader look at the African diaspora and black culture in general. This year, the festival takes place in The Hague, Asterdam and Rotterdam with a broad programme of films, talks and live music. The festival opens at Filmhuis Den Haag on 9 December. On 13 December, the festival settles down at Hiphophuis and LantarenVenster in Rotterdam.

Highlights this year include It Was All a Dream, a visual memoir by US director Dream Hampton about hip-hop's global revolution and the Dutch premieres of Igualda, Walter Rodney; What they dont want you to know and Going to Mars; The Nikki Giovanni Project, about the life of the eponymous poet and political activist and Sundance Film Festival Jury winner.

Together with BlackArchives and AllThingsAfrica, Black Soil presents a double bill with short documentaries In Search of Borboletas and O REGRESSO DE AMÍLCAR CABRAL on the closing day of the exhibition Casa di Cabral, curated by Tania.christinaa at the Hiphophuis. Prior to the film programme, there will be a short exhibition tour and an introduction by filmmaker Bouba Dola. Afterwards, LantarenVenster will host a cinematic music concert by Rotterdam MC, musician and theatre maker Gery Mendes called: A tale of Kriolo times. A unique performance driven by music, storytelling, movement and film based on the making of In Search of Borboletas.

Anouschka

The festival will include the presentation of the mixed reality game Anouschka at LantarenVenster, in which visitors use their smartphones to help a Javanese-Surinamese teenager discover her roots in the Bijlmer. Through mini-games, they learn more about her family history and the diverse culture of the Bijlmer neighbourhood. This project by Tamara Shogaolu won the Holland Film Meeting Work-in-Progress Award and was nominated for a Golden Calf in 2024.

Cover image: Still from Iguelda