Heartwarming new episode of ‘AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange’ gives viewers an inside look at undocumented immigrants in the Caribbean
NEW YORK – The ninth season of the award-winning documentary series AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange continues at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Monday, January 30, with My Father’s Land.
The poignant film is an up-close look at the often precarious lives of undocumented immigrants. Now in its ninth season, this incarnation of AfroPoP is hosted by acclaimed actress Nikki Beharie (Sleepy Hollow, Shame, 42).
A compelling documentary series about contemporary life, art and culture across the African Diaspora, AfroPoP is produced by National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and co-presented by series distributor American Public Television (APT).
In a time when the issues of immigration, national borders and asylum seekers dominate headlines and are the subject of global debate, My Father’s Land is at once an uplifting tale of the enduring bonds of family and a sobering examination of modern xenophobia.
Directed by Miquel Galofré and Tyler Johnston, the film tells the story of Papa Jah. A gardener originally from Haiti, Jah has lived in the Bahamas for 40 years where he is part of an impoverished Haitian community facing increased nationalism and new, stronger deportation policies.
When he receives word that his centenarian father is ill, Papa Jah decides he must return to his homeland to visit his father despite running the risk that he may not be allowed re-entry to the Bahamas, where his Bahamian-raised children also live.
The winner of the Amnesty International Human Rights Prize at the 2015 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, this captivating film will leave viewers with new insight and questions on immigration, human rights and family.
“It saddened me that some people in the Dominican Republic or in the Bahamas spoke about Haitian immigrants as if they were all criminals. I felt that if people had a chance to get to know someone like Papa Jah, they would have a little more respect for and understanding of their neighbors,” said Galofré. “As this issue of undocumented workers affects societies across the world, we are happy our film will air in the AfroPoP series to enlighten even more viewers as to the real-life people behind the headlines.”
This season’s third AfroPoP episode, My Father’s Land, joins other films in the series detailing the unique perspectives of people of African descent throughout the world.
An American Ascent by George Potter and Andy Adkins, which documents the first group of African-Americans attempting to reach the summit of Denali, the highest mountain in the United States, premiered on January 16.
Intore by Eric Kabera, a documentary on the work of artists in Rwanda to help the nation heal following the horrific 1994 genocide, premieres on January 23.
Black Out, Eva Weber’s documentary on children in Guinea searching to find a lighted place to study during exam season, airs together with Olivia Peace’s Pangaea, a moving short film of a young girl trapped on a rooftop during Hurricane Katrina, on February 6.
Omo Child: The River and the Bush, John Rowe’s film about one man’s work to create a cultural shift in his tribe by ending an ancient practice that will save a generation of children, closes out the series on February 13.
Viewers can be part of the conversation directly following each Monday’s premiere, as NBPC hosts Twitter chats at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PT; follow NBPC on Twitter at @BLKPublicMedia.
AfroPoP also airs online at worldchannel.org. APT will release the series to the nation’s public television stations in February 2016.
Previous hosts of AfroPoP include Idris Elba, Anika Noni Rose, Wyatt Cenac, Gabourey Sidibe, Anthony Mackie, Yaya DaCosta and Jussie Smollett.
AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange is produced by Angela Tucker and directed by Duana Butler with the generous support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Endowment for the Arts.
