Black Europe Film Festival

Stonebreakers (Valerio Ciriaci, 2022) + Post-screening Community Discussion

Saturday, January 18 • 1:00pm-3:30pm • FREE

**Event Location: Minnesota History Center • 345 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55102**

In the wake of George Floyd's homicide in 2020, statues of Columbus, Confederates, and Founding Fathers toppled, intensifying calls for a reparation of memory—a reckoning with history that facilitates a more just future instead of perpetuating past injustices. Now, on the eve of Donald Trump’s second inauguration and amidst a global resurgence of right-wing extremism, where do efforts to transform how we remember history stand?

Join us for a thought-provoking afternoon featuring a screening of Stonebreakers by Valerio Ciriaci. This compelling documentary examines the aftermath of the George Floyd protests and the 2020 presidential election, exploring the contested memories tied to monuments and ancestral lands in the U.S. Stonebreakers reveals the profound connections between history, political action, and the reshaping of America’s collective imagination as the nation grapples with its triumphalist myths.

Following the screening, an engaging discussion will address the progress and challenges of reparative memory struggles at local, national, and global levels. Experts and community members will share insights into the strategies and obstacles involved in transforming how the past is memorialized.

The discussion will feature:
• Curtis Caesar John, producer of Stonebreakers and a New York-based curator and organizer.
• Angelica Pesarini, Assistant Professor of Race and Cultural Studies at the University of Toronto and a scholar-activist in Italy’s anti-racist movement.
• Katrina Phillips, a proud citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and Associate Professor of History at Macalester College, specializing in Native American history.
• Leesa Kelly, local activist, writer, public speaker, and executive director of Memorialize the Movement, a living archive preserving and activating the plywood protest murals created during and after the 2020 Minneapolis Uprising.

This event is presented in collaboration with the Minnesota Historical Society.

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.