On Thursday, Oct. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 26, Italian women of Afro-Descent will be coming to campus to discuss their work and how their identity affects their scholarly work. The events will include Q&A sessions, movie screenings at the Campus Theatre and roundtable discussions. 10 women will be a part of the session: there will be six directors and actresses (Nadia Ali, Daphne Di Cinto, Ira Fronten, Nadia Kibout, Laila Petrone and Iris Peynado); one writer, photographer and director (Marilena Umuhoza Delli); one scholar, filmmaker and activist (Medhin Paolos) and one writer and journalist (Geneviève Makaping). Screenwriter Simone Brioni will also be joining the panel. This wide range of women will offer a diverse and stimulating symposium with many new ideas and perspectives to be explored.
The event will follow the themes of having a multi-ethnic identity, focusing in particular on gender and race through the lens of transnational cinema and television. It will also explore immigration and what the concept of “citizenship” means to these women, which will be explained through a postcolonial, decolonial, transnational and intersectional lens. The women will let us into their world and share their perspective on what it means to be Italian and of Afro-descent and how their identities play into their everyday lives and their work as artists. Furthermore, a board of Bucknell students will lead roundtable discussions to assess these topics and how they relate to their society and cultures.
A short film screening kicks off the event on Thursday, Oct. 24 from 1:30-6:30 p.m. This event will take place at the Campus Theatre downtown. This event will show off the women’s films and will be about several pressing issues in Italian society related to having a multi-ethnic identity. There will be a symposium from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, where the guests will discuss their lives and work. This will be located in Hildreth-Mirza Hall at the Humanities Center. Later that evening, there will be a forum where roundtable discussions will be held with the women, Bucknell students and staff. This event will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. and will occur in Trout Auditorium. Finally, there will be a performance by Karen Meeks with the Blue River Soul Band taking place from 8:30-10 p.m. downtown at the Campus Theatre.
The event has an interdisciplinary perspective focused on, but not limited to, foreign languages and cultures, critical black studies, women’s and gender studies, international relations, music, theater and film studies. It will link these areas of learning together to create an intense interdisciplinary experience that will get your brain working. The event is an excellent opportunity to open yourself to new perspectives you may not have considered.