Shado Mag: History belongs to those that document it

Nikki Iyayi spoke to film programmer and cultural producer Sula Douglas-Folkes about Black women in cinema, the influence of religion, and her hopes for the future.

Here's an extract from the article.

Breathing life into film programming
When we speak, Sula’s just returned from her programming debut at Flatpack Festival, Birmingham’s independent film celebration known for its dedication to experimental narratives. Her excitement is tangible as she describes the vibrant energy in the room, a community united by their love for cinema that dares to push boundaries.

Sula screened two films for the performance, Eloyce Gist’s Hellbound Train (1930) and Diary of an African Nun (1977), written by Alice Walker and directed by Julie Dash. The audience’s experience transcended the simple act of watching a film, as they were transported to the 1930s and 1970s via a collective exploration, accompanied by a live, surrealist jazz composition by swaampcat (Ebunlola Adepoju).

Sula’s multi-disciplinary programming practice stems from her vast experience working in arts and film institutions like The Royal Court Theatre, We Are Parable, Animae Caribe and several voluntary stints. “There’s a movement afoot in film programming,” she says, excited. “I’m harnessing the power of the call and response, and looking at the curatorial registers of Black live-ness in and out of the film itself.”

As a screenwriter who should be critically analysing films when I watch them, I’ve been guilty of scrolling on my phone, and sometimes, between the subtitles and story beats, the mind wanders. Sula’s experimental approach to film programming aims to dispel short audience attention spans. She brings audiences together to uncover treasure troves of archive Black female film, and engages them in an immersive, multi-sensory experience, taking film programming to the next level.

I asked Sula why she chose to show those two films for Flatpack. “At 98 years old Hellbound Train is the oldest surviving film by a Black female filmmaker,” she answers. “I want to continue showcasing and preserving the film’s legacy.”

Sula explains to me that these films are significant not only due to their survival, but their unique storytelling. As Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer says in their commentary on the film, Diary of an African Nun opens new horizons for politically committed, artfully effusive films that centre female stories.

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Image design by Alex Francis.