'Black to the USSR' Documentary Celebrates Russia-Africa Cultural Bond on Final Day of BRICS Summit
18:36 25.08.2023 (Updated: 17:35 26.08.2023)
© Photo Viacheslav Lozhkovoy
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From August 22 to 24, the vibrant city of Johannesburg in South Africa set the stage for the momentous 15th BRICS Summit. This landmark event brought together not only the leaders of the BRICS countries, but also a multitude of leaders from friendly nations keen on joining or collaborating with the dynamic five-nation economic bloc.
The sidelines of the final day of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, witnessed the screening of "Black to the USSR," a documentary film directed and produced by Daria da Conceicao, a Mozambican-Russian film and musical theater director.
Exploring the interwoven cultural narratives between Russia and Africa, the film aims to convey a message of love and foster a deeper understanding of the shared heritage and connections between the two regions, the director told Sputnik Africa in an exclusive interview.
Da Conceicao, who identifies herself as a Russian person with African roots, views her film as a labor of love, both for the individuals featured on screen and the viewers.
"Black to the USSR" director Daria da Conceicao with the guests at the sdocumentary's special premiere
© Photo Viacheslav Lozhkovoy
She said that Black to the USSR features her beloved family members, relatives, family friends, and political figures who have become heroes in the film. The motivation behind the project is driven by her deep affection for these individuals and the desire to share their stories from the heart, rather than for opportunistic reasons.
"The movie is made with love, both for the people on the screen and for the people who will be watching. Because on screen, like I said, my favorite family members, most of the relatives or family friends or those political figures that we found in South Africa who became heroes, I love [them] very much," da Conceicao said.
One of the main themes explored in Black to the USSR, produced in late 2022, is the continuation and strengthening of relations between African countries and Russia.
As the filmmaker stressed, among the main characters, at the special screening were: a close friend of Nelson Mandela - Gabriel Tokio Sexwale, Prince Siphiwe Dlomo, Prince of Eswatini Muzi Dlamini and summit delegates, including Maria Manuella Lucas - Ambassador of Mozambique to South Africa and representatives of the High Commission of the Republic of Mozambique to South Africa.
Also present at the screening were the director of photography of the project Viacheslav Lozhkovoy, executive producer Marina Cherepanova and line producer Victor de Gouveia, special representative of the BRICS alliance in South Africa.
South African film producer Thandi Davids, who had the opportunity to attend the screening of Black to the USSR, organized with the help of the Russian university "Synergy" along with International Alliance of Strategic BRICS Projects, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, said that the film dedicates itself to illustrating the multifaceted relationship between Russia and Africa, focusing on the legacies left by this "people-to-people connections".
Coming from a background where Western films dominate the local scene, Davids found it refreshing and enlightening to experience the cinematic creations of artists from non-Western countries. She said that the film challenges the notion of Russia as a monolithic culture by showcasing the presence of individuals like Daria da Conceicao, whose heritage straddles both African and Russian backgrounds.
"I think from a representational perspective, most people don't think of someone like Daria being around. So I think from that perspective, it [the film] is important," Davids told Sputnik Africa.
Additionally, according to Davids, the documentary highlights the historical significance of Russian-African relations during the Cold War era. It explores the role played by Russia in advocating for the rights and liberation of African nations, bridging the gap between the two continents.
Though 32-year-old Daria da Conceicao admits the challenge of speaking about the nature of Soviet-era relationships due to her youth at the time, she believes that current political ties between Russia and many African nations, particularly Mozambique, require further development.
"Now at a high level, at a political level, the relations between Russia and many African countries, in particular Mozambique, in my opinion, are in dire need of further development," she said. "And this should not be a formal event, it should not be a decree from the leadership. It should come from the heart, just like our whole team."
Reflecting on the cultural dialogue between Russia and Africa, da Conceicao recognizes the Soviet era as a significant period. However, she acknowledges that times have changed and that it is important for Russian culture to represent itself more authentically "both at home and abroad".
"This fact has to be accepted because the Soviet Union is not only Russia," da Conceicao stated. "The Russian culture should better represent itself both at home and abroad, because our heroes [in the movie] adore Russian culture and know everything from Tchaikovsky to Pushkin, from Hannibal to Peter the Great. And it seems to me that many Russian people even have something to learn from our African heroes."
The film director also highlighted the participation of Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, as a beloved figure in the film. Da Conceicao said she greatly appreciates Zakharova's involvement, both on the official platform of the BRICS summit, held in South African on August 22-24, and on the screen in the documentary.
"I would like to say that I dedicated it to my parents, and I am very grateful to them that everything turned out this way in my life," she concluded.
