Roads of Lava
Short Films
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28m
Directed by Gretel Marin • Documentary • 2024 • 28 minutes
Afibola—a Black, queer, feminist activist and poet—lives with her eight-year-old son Olorun in downtown Havana, Cuba. Moving between the safety of their modest home and the uncertainty of the streets outside, Afibolo reflects on the complexities of raising a Black child in a racist and discriminatory society. Although she has tried to create a safe haven for Olorun, she already sees how comments from teachers and classmates have impacted his self-confidence. In a series of intimate exchanges, Afibola speaks to Olorun about the reality of societal discrimination against the poor and racially marginalized—discrimination that will follow him from school to the workplace. But in preparing her son for the harsh reality of the world outside their home, Afibola will also instill hope for a freer and more dignified future.
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