Experiencing Interruptions?

Maaxheru Ta-MeriKhen

This short film is an artistic trailer/moodboard to a full length documentary work in progress created by David L. McDuffie, who intentionally traveled the so called United States of America from 2015-2020 documenting historic Black Moments in 16 of the 17 cities with the highest black population in terms of numbers and percentage according to the 2010 census. The artist completed two cross country motorcycle trips totaling over 10,000 miles as well as countless flights, bus trips and several road trips to execute the project. The undertaking was done as a cultural anthropological investigation to determine where we are as a people, how we got here, and what the possibilities are, for Us as a people, for the future. This initial iteration of the film exists at the crossroads of art, activism and academia. It is a glimpse into intimate moments of the artists personal life as well as those of some of his closest friends. It was shot from a fly on the wall perspective with as little interference as possible to truly document the experience the African living in this day and age on American soil. Non of the moments seen here were staged. The artists is planning an upcoming motorcycle voyage from 2021-2022 to further explore Black Life in the midst of the Uprising and Covid-19 era.

  • David L. McDuffie
    Director
  • not applicable
    Writer
  • David L. McDuffie
    Producer
  • Africans living on American Soil
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 13 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 5, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • none
Distribution Information
  • this is the films first viewing
Director Biography - David L. McDuffie

David L. McDuffie is a Chicago native who studied marketing and anthropology at Howard University and uses a camera to merge the two disciplines to study the African Being on American soil and promote the illustrious culture that they have produced, in the spirit of Zora Neale Hurston. His study is centered on the unique cultural attributes of African Being on American soil and their cultural expressions over the 500+ years of existence as a distinct culture unto itself.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I attended Howard University in large part because of its location in what was known as Chocolate City. While living in DC from 2000-2015 I worked with various Community Development Corporations and Banks funding development in the city and watched first hand with a front row seat, the city go from "Chocolate City" to something akin to "Mocha Latte with heavy, heavy cream." Baffled by how that could happen in a city with a succession of Black Democratic mayors following the reign of Marion Barry, who created hundreds of Black Millionaires in the city, I sought to see first hand what was happening in other cities that Africans inhabit in mass, on American soil, during the reign of the First American President of African descent, as some individuals proclaimed our entry into a "post-racial society." This montage of imagery is an artistic vision of a fraction of whats was experienced along my 5 year documentation. The funeral of Sandra Bland, and 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina (featured in the full length work-in-progress) serve as historic markers for the first cross country motorcycle road trip, and are indicative of where we are as a people, where we have been, and were precursory events that foreshadowed the moments we currently find ourselves in with the 2020 Uprising and Covid-19 Crisis. I hope from these clips, that you can see the vision for where the full length documentary is going and accept this short/trailer to feature in your programing. Thank you for your consideration of this film in your festival which I have had the pleasure to attend and document along my journey (also featured in the full length work in progress).