Black Europe Film Festival

Dark Skin • Silent Film + Live Musical Accompaniment

Sunday, February 2 • 7:30pm • Tickets: $10 General (+ $2 online service fee), $8 Members (no fee), $5 Students (door)

This might be the first time Black Skin is screened outside of Russia. This very special silent film is brought to life with live musical accompaniment by Dameun Strange.

ABOUT THE MUSICIAN

Dameun Strange is a Minnesota-based sound artist, multi-instrumentalist, and award-winning composer of conceptual electronic and improvised electro-acoustic works focusing on the African diaspora's stories and themes, often exploring surrealist and afro-futurist ideas with unique impressionism..

ABOUT THE FILM

Tom, an African American worker from Detroit, is laid off by Ford during the Great Depression and relocates to the Soviet Union to work in a Ukrainian car factory. In Kyiv, he encounters both the racial solidarity of Soviet life and the racism of white Americans. The film’s plot is inspired by the true story of Robert Robinson, a Jamaican American skilled toolmaker who left the Ford factory in the U.S. in 1930 to work at the Stalingrad Tractor Factory in the USSR. Robinson’s decision was driven by the economic hardships of the Depression and the systemic racism in the United States.

Tom is portrayed by Kador Ben-Salim, a Senegal-born acrobat and boxer who settled in the USSR after arriving with a touring Moroccan circus troupe. In 1916, he joined the Red Army to fight for the Russian Revolution.

ABOUT - BLACK EUROPE FILM FESTIVAL

The Black Europe Film Festival of Minneapolis/St. Paul is a groundbreaking celebration of Afro-European cinema, debuting in the Twin Cities from January 30 to February 2, 2025. Rooted in community collaboration and anti-racist organizing, BEFF MSP brings you a dynamic lineup of documentaries, fiction films, and shorts by Europe’s most acclaimed Afro-descendant filmmakers. This festival offers a space for artists to showcase their work and foster connections across the global Black diaspora and the international film community. At its core, BEFF MSP recognizes the intertwined legacies of racism, colonialism, and displacement while celebrating the vibrancy, creativity, and resilience of Black filmmakers. These artists challenge stereotypes, redefine narratives, and envision worlds beyond the limits imposed by whiteness, amplifying an authentic vision of Black Europe and Black Europeans. The festival experience is enriched by masterclasses, filmmaker encounters, workshops, lectures, and artist residencies, creating opportunities for learning, connection, and joy. Join us to celebrate the power of storytelling and the boundless creativity of Afro-European cinema while engaging diverse audiences, communities, and youth.