Story Summary
The year 2019 will see the 53 rd annual Kwanzaa holiday that is celebrated from December 26 to January 1 by African-Americans (Smith, 2011). The purpose of Kwanzaa is to celebrate African-American history, heritage and culture. The Kwanzaa Lady is a feature film about an African-American and Pan-African holiday that is aimed at bringing blacks together in celebration and recognition of their black culture. The Kwanzaa holiday , e ven though not recognized as a national holiday in the United States is important in honoring black history, culture, struggles and achievement as well as inspire African-Americans to continue working for progress (Smith, 2011). The film’s main focus is on Janet Robinson commonly referred to as the "Kwanzaa Lady" for her undivided dedication and commitment children as well as the spread of cultural pride to current and future generations. In 2014, Ms. Robinson was selected as the Woman of Achievement for the role she plays in teaching children about Kwanzaa.
The film looks into the liberation struggles of African-American and their commitment to self-determination in a world that is dominated by whites through the eyes of Ms. Robinson. The film will include guest appearances from Dr. Maulana Karenga the founder of Kwanzaa, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, John Legend and Michelle Obama to celebrate black struggles, history, culture and achievements. Dr. Maulana Karenga will take us through "Nguzo Saba" or the Seven principles as well as the seven symbols that govern the Kwanzaa Holiday as well as their importance to African-American culture and history.
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African-Americans have struggled to find their place and be accepted in the United States. From their entry into the U.S. through the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to their humiliation, captivity and oppression in the South to the Renaissance Period, African Americans have fought against all odds to be recognized in the U.S (Pleck, 2001) .
Topic Summary
Even though the United States has progressed, disparities in health, employment and education still continue to plague African-Americans in the United States . African-Americans are yet to be recognized fully as well as their contributions to the United States. African-Americans fought and struggled for social justice and equal rights under the law though the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s but racial injustices are still rampant in the United States (Pleck, 2001) . Regardless of the disparities, African-Americans reserve the right to know about their culture, history and what it means to be black in the United States. I am the best person to make this film because I am of African-American decent and I have seen the struggles that my family, friends and colleagues have gone through just to get education, employment and getting health services in a society that defines people based on their skin color. I have experienced some of the injustices first hand and I believe that I have the ability to make the film without any bias.
As slaves in the 17 th century, African-Americans were stripped of their African-Culture by slave owners through physical isolation and societal marginalization. When slavery was finally abolished, freed African-Americans retained some elements of their traditional African culture and brought it into the United States (Pleck, 2001) . The white man however was not happy and tried to suppress the political and cultural organization of African-Americans. Slavery, slave rebellions, African cultures and the civil rights movements experienced throughout American history have helped shape the culture, familial, religious, economic and political behaviors of African Americans (Smith, 2011). Today, the imprint of African-Americans is evident in music, dance, language, fashion and art which has had a transformative impact in the American culture. This topic is therefore important to all generations as it is central to the idea of belonging and how individuals give meaning to their lives (Smith, 2011). The Kwanzaa Lady will help build a sense of identity that will show that African-Americans belong to a particular community through shared values, beliefs or practices (Pleck, 2001) .
Belonging in the 21 st century can be termed as a basic human need and even though the world around us is depriving African-Americans of the right to feel that they belong to something bigger than themselves, the Kwanzaa Lady film will ensure that African-Americans are not losing their sense of community, culture and pride.
Artistic Approach
The film will feature cinematic elements from the 17 th and 21 st century from the lenses of Ms. Robinson and the guest features. One technique that I intend to use of the is the Telephoto Action Shot when showcasing scenes from the Civil War and slaves being mistreated by their slave masters (Sparke, 2014). The idea is to use a long telephoto lens and shoot the action scene from a distance that will allow me to create a chaotic motion picture with far more intensity within each shot. I will also make use of color grading so that I can effectively shape the tone of my film as well as through lighting.
For guest interview s , I will use the close up shot in order for the viewers to feel more engaged and affected by the emotions of the characters and making the use of a solid color for the background to avoid any distractions. A dolly shot on Ms. Robinson contemplating about the vision she sees for the children that she is teaching in order to visually intensify her emotional mindset.
References
Pleck, E. (2001). Kwanzaa: The Making of a Black Nationalist Tradition, 1966-1990. Journal of American Ethnic History, 20 (4), 3-28.
Smith, S. (2011). Keith A. Mayes . Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African ‐ American Holiday Tradition . New York : Routledge . 2009 . Pp. xxiv, 288. $26.95. The American Historical Review , 116 (2), 485-486. doi: 10.1086/ahr.116.2.485
Sparke, S. (2014). Digital Cinematography: The Medium is the Message?. Athens Journal Of Mass Media And Communications , 1 (1), 55-70. doi: 10.30958/ajmmc.1-1-4
