Ayoka Chenzira
1. I decided to find out more about Ayoka Chenzira. She was born in Philadelphia in the 1950’s. She was reared by her mother who owned a beauty parlor in the building where they lived in north Philadelphia. While attending a private boarding school during her high school years, she discovered the world of art, film, and foreign languages. She went on to earn her M.A. degree in education and her B.F.A. degree in film production. Chenzira is a productive film artist whose works include: features, performance art, documentaries, experimental production, and animation. She is, in fact, considered the first African American female animator. She has also received many awards for her outstanding contributions to the field of Black independent cinema.
2. Some of her works include:
1. Hair Piece – An animated satire on the question of self-image for African American women living in society where beautiful hair is considered hair that blows in the wind.
2. Secret Sounds Screaming – Uses a variety of voices to look at the sexual abuse of young people.
3. Syvilla – A portrait of Syvilla Fort focusing on the beauty of her choreography.
4. Alma’s Rainbow – Is about a single mother and her coming-of-age daughter.
3. I was unable to view any of her work. However, I did find a website that she belongs to. It is called Ayoka Chenzira’s Red Carnelian Films, which is a collection of award winning films by African-American, Caribbean, and African writers and directors. This company was actually founded in 1993 by Ayoka Chenzira, who recognized the need for low budget, entertaining and thought provoking films that feature black people as the interpreters of their own stories.
4. I found some of her works at the Red Carnelian Film’s website: http://www.ayoka.com/. I also found others at the Women Make Movies website as well: http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/makers/fm113.shtml
5. It was not too difficult finding information about Ayoka, she is a very accomplished woman. I also found a clip about her Red Carnelian Films.
http://www.ayoka.com/content/flash/demotest.htm