“The BLACK ChristS. Far From Justice”, written, directed and designed by Monica Manganelli.

Genre: historical dramatic creative documentary film. 3

Status:  An INDEPENDENT R-EVOLUTION production (ITALY-USA-GER coprodoc.). In distribution in 2023.

The film is composed of surreal pictures (2D animation + motion graphics techniques) and footage from different archives: US. National Archive, Library of Congress, Prelinger Archive, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Tulsa Library, Solomon Sir Jones Films, Beinache Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

.Synopsis: A visionary poem and meditation on the worst massacre of racial violence in American History happened in Tulsa (Oklahoma) in 1921, against the black community of Greenwood. Narrated through 14 chapters as the Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis), inspired also by the Countee Cullen poetry and surreal artists as Magritte and Max Ernst. A visual poem, a spiritual journey where the boundaries between Memory (real-archival footage) and Imagination (surreal worlds) blend to make us reflect on human suffering and faith.

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“The BLACK ChristS. Far From Justice combining the Stations of the Cross with the turmoil that Black Americans in 1921 Tulsa, Oklamha allowed for a truly special original idea and structure for this documentary. Such a spectacular idea. The crescendos and decrescendos of the music aided in invoking the feelings of sorrow, and anger but the happy moments that the Black citizens had too. At the 8:21 mark the image of Mount Zion slowly being engulfed in (digital) flames is very striking and an image of that stuck with me the viewer long after the movie ended. I think this is a very special film and it shows time and dedication was put into it.” CFF, 2022. 

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THE BLACK ChristS. Far From Justice. Al RAVENNA NIGTHMARE, VOTO: 8. di Monica Manganelli rievoca con accuratezza il massacro di Tulsa nel 1921, ai danni degli afroamericani.  “Un’opera assolutamente originale e potente; sconosciuto ai più, il massacro di Tulsa, è avvenuto tra il 31 maggio e il 1° giugno 1921, quando una folla composta da bianchi iniziò ad attaccare le persone e le proprietà della comunità afroamericana in tutto il quartiere cittadino di Greenwood.(…) poesia visionaria e surreale, che prende spunto da questa storica ingiustizia per stimolare una riflessione sulla sofferenza umana e sulla fede. Un viaggio nell’anima che fonde insieme memoria ed immaginazione e li sublima spiritualmente”. Doc-pdf-press review.

Film Festivals: Official Selections/Competitions and Awards:
– CELEBRATION BLACK HISTORY MONTH, Mount Saint Mary’s University/Hollywood Studio Campus and Amilcar Cabral Foundation, Los Angeles, 2024,
– iREPRESENT INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, Lagos, 2024,
– DENTON BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, Texas-U.S.A., 2023,
– KWANZAA FILM FESTIVAL, NY-Harlem/Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture-New York Public Library, 2023,
– DJARFOGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Los Angeles & CapoVerde, 2023,
– BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, Center for Black Culture and Research, West Virginia, 2023,
– ISMAILIA International Film Festival, Il Cairo-Egypt, 2023,
– CAP SPARTEL DOCUMENTARY Film Festival, Tangier-Morocco, 2023,
– NASSAU FILM FESTIVAL,  2023, HONORABLE MENTION,
– ISMAILIA International Film Festival, Il Cairo-Egypt, 2023,
– STORIA IN CORTO-HISTORY FILM FESTIVAL, Rome-Mentana, Italy, 2023,
– HUMAN RIGHTS/KURSAAL Film Festival, San Sebastian-Spain, 2023,
– QUIBDO AFRICA Film Festival Film Festival, Bogotà-Colombia, 2023,
– VISIONS du Réel-Industry, Nyon-Swiss, 2022, (Industry Preview)
– ENCOUTERS South African International Documentary Festival, Cape Town, 2022
– WEST SIDE Documentary Film Festival, Greece, 2022, WINNER BEST DIRECTOR (Monica Manganelli),
– ORTIGIA Film Festival, Cinema Women Section, Siracusa-Italy, 2022
– FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL de CINE de LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS de SUCRE, Chile, 2022
– INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ETHNOLOGICAL FILM organized annually by ETHNOGRAPHICS MUSEUM in Belgrade, 2022
– DOKUBAKU International Documentary Film Festival, Baku-Azerbajan, 2022
– L’AFRIQUE FAIT SON CINEMA, Festival International du Film Africain de Paris, 2022
– LUSSADOC, La Maison du Doc, Ardèche Images/France, 2022
– RAVENNA NIGHTMARE, Emilia Romagna Show Case Section, Ravenna-Italy, 2022
– SZCZECIN International Film Festival, European Documentary Competition, Poland, 2022
– LANE DOC FEST, International Documentary Film Fest, Jackson/Tennessee-USA, 2022, NOMINATION for BEST FILM/Black HistoryCompetition,
– IZDOC/IZMIR DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL, Turkey, 2022, WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY (short subject),
– LINEA D’OMBRA FILM FESTIVAL, Linea Documentary Section, Salerno-Italy, 2022
– JEONJU International Film Festival, Int. Doc Competition, South Korea, 2022
– GRAND OFF, World Independent Film Award, 16th edition, Warsaw, Poland, 2022, WINNER GRANDOFF for BEST EDITING (Monica Manganelli),
– FESTIVAL INTERNACTIONAL de CINE AFRO “Ananse”, Int. Doc Competition, 2022
– FESTIVAL INTERNACTIONAL de CINE por la MEMORIA DEMOCRATICA, Cineteca-Madrid, 2022
– RIFF/Rome Independent Film Festival, Rome, 2022
– 14º LOBO FEST – Festival Internacional de Filmes, Brasilia, 2022
– ATLANTI DOC/Festival Internacional de Cine Documental, Uruguay, 2022
– ICPFF/INTERNATIONAL CRIME and PUNISHMENT Film Festival, Istanbul, 2022
– ACCORDI&DISACCORDI-PAN MUSEUM of the ARTS, Naples/Italy, 2022