The Halifax Black Film Festival returned in full swing from Feb. 28 to March 4, bringing with it a new collection of diverse films, ranging from documentary features to narrative shorts.
The festival also showcased several short documentary films as part of its Being Black in Canada series, a collection of works spotlighting the experiences of Black Canadians in several cities, including Halifax, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
The films played at Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane and Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road, as well as during a series of online events, increasing the festival’s accessibility for audiences.
I’ve curated some thoughts on a few of my favourite films from the festival to give readers a glimpse into what played during the event’s ninth run.
Overcomer
First up was Olawale Adetula’s short film Overcomer (2024). Fueled by a desire to present the most idealistic version of herself to a job interviewer, Toni (Tinovimbanashe Sibanda), the film’s main character struggles with self-esteem as she prepares for the interview. Toni consequently uses makeup and a wig to display a “perfect” version of herself.
Amid an impossible pursuit of perfection, the audience learns that Toni is also struggling financially and dealing with her overbearing mother, who, throughout the film, calls Toni to either critique her appearance or ask her for money. In turn, Toni struggles to meet both her mother’s expectations and societal expectations.
The film uses Toni’s wig as a symbol of her struggle with self-esteem. Before her interview, Toni rips off her wig, and — despite her no longer fitting the expectations of perfection established by society and her mother — she gets the job. The moment highlights Toni’s journey of overcoming her struggles with self-esteem, realizing that true perfection lies in embracing her own standards rather than trying to meet others’ expectations.
The film excelled at capturing the essence of its title Overcomer, demonstrating that it is possible to overcome struggle through self-acceptance and perseverance.
Contiguity
When I first saw Sammy Mohamed’s Contiguity (2024) listed as a featured film for the festival’s online event, I was struck by the film’s title.
The film follows Abdullah (Ryan Rosery), a full-time security guard and part-time student, who attends his bail hearing, prompted by allegations of his involvement in a drug sting. I was intrigued as to how the film’s title, meaning “the state of bordering,” would interact with Abdullah’s identity as a Black immigrant in Canada.
The film’s portrayal of the bail hearing underscores the deep-seated institutional racism within the judicial system, which actively criminalizes and disproportionately convicts Black individuals. The film experiments with colour to darken the environment, reflecting the serious possibility of Abdullah losing his freedom despite having no actual involvement in the drug sting.
The prosecutor fabricates “evidence” for Abdullah’s involvement attributing significance to irrelevant aspects of his life — details that would not be considered if he were white. For example, Abdullah volunteers part-time as a basketball referee at the Boys and Girls Club, where he wears a blue uniform. Rather than acknowledging his community service, the prosecutor fixates on the colour of his uniform, claiming it links him to the gang he is accused of being affiliated with, since blue is the gang’s identifying colour.
By highlighting institutionalized racism in the judicial system, Sammy Mohamed presents an accurate portrayal of a court system that systemically works against Black individuals.
Being Black in Halifax
The festival’s online event showcasing its Being Black in Halifax short film collection highlighted the Halifax Black Film Festival’s goal of providing audiences the opportunity to see the world through a different lens. The series of eight to 15 minute films spotlighted Black people in Halifax, highlighting the realities of white privilege and the lives of those who live without it.
The first of the films set in Halifax focuses on Dennis Adams Jr. and the challenges of being a Black man in Canada. Under Pressure (2024), by Andre Anderson, explores Adams’s lived experience of a society that denies Black men the space to express their emotions. The film delves into mental health and the burdens of familial, personal and societal pressures. Adams speaks to the immense weight of success as, for Black men, success is often tied to one’s ability to give back to both their community and their family.
Habiba Diallo’s film Black in School (2024) explores the power of writing as means of giving a voice to the unheard. She speaks of her experience as a young Black girl navigating the loss of her father while also confronting an education system that showed little compassion for people like Trayvon Martin —- his death so disregarded that it wasn’t even acknowledged by the school. The short film serves as a testament to Diallo’s resilience and her determination to shape the reality she envisions. She notes that her novel, Black in School has been used to reshape curriculum, highlighting the potential for meaningful change.
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