Past Film/Video | Documentaries | Series & Festivals

Prism

(Eléonore Yaméogo, An van. Dienderen, Rosine Mbakam, 2021)

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A black woman holds up an image on paper of a white woman flanked by color test patterns

Hot off of its world premiere at the New York International Film Festival, Prism is a thought-provoking chain letter between three filmmakers who explore skin color and the mechanics of cinema.

An van. Dienderen (Belgium) invited Unorthodocs veteran Rosine Mbakam (Cameroon) and Eléonore Yaméogo (Burkina Faso) to work together on a film in which the differences in their skin color serve as a point of departure for exploring their different experiences with the biased limitations of film technologies, which favor Caucasian skin.

Such white-centricity means that photography assumes and privileges whiteness. How can the three filmmakers with different skin colors be together in one frame? How can they create a common film on this topic? The film problematizes both the objectivity of the camera and its power to depict (let alone tackle) other inequalities in society based on skin color. While the film deconstructs these issues, it also tries to pose constructive solutions by creating a film in a collaborative manner that might begin to overcome these biases. (78 mins., digital video)

*Please note: this presentation is limited to the first 300 viewers and is available to viewers in Ohio only.

Don’t miss Rosine Mbakam’s Delphine’s Prayers, screening at 2 PM on Saturday, October 23, as part of Unorthodocs. Mbakam also contributed to the Wex-commissioned Cinetracts ’20 project, which you can watch on wexarts.org.

View the complete Unorthodocs 21 lineup

A black woman holds up an image on paper of a white woman flanked by color test patterns

Prism, image courtesy of Icarus Films

A black woman in a white dress sits on a chair draped with black velvet against a beige background

Prism, image courtesy of Icarus Films

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Cardinal Health
Kaufman Development

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
The Wexner Family
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Columbus Foundation
Ohio Arts Council
American Electric Power Foundation
Adam Flatto
Mary and C. Robert Kidder
Bill and Sheila Lambert
L Brands Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease
Arlene and Michael Weiss

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Carol and David Aronowitz
Michael and Paige Crane
Pete Scantland
Axium Packaging
Bocchi Laboratories
Fenwick & West LLP
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
President Kristina M. Johnson and Mrs. Veronica Meinhard
KDC/ONE
Nancy Kramer
M/I Homes
Voyant Beauty
Huntington
Lisa Barton
Regina Miracle International Ltd.
Washington Prime Group
Alene Candles
Fuel Transport
Russell and Joyce Gertmenian
Liza Kessler and Greg Henchel
Matrix Psychological Services
Paramount Group, Inc.
Ron and Ann Pizzuti
Joyce and Chuck Shenk
Bruce and Joy Soll
Clark and Sandra Swanson
Business Furniture Installations
CASTO
E.C. Provini Co, Inc.
Garlock Printing & Converting
Jones Day
M-Engineering
New England Development
Our Country Home
Performance Team
Premier Candle Corporation
ProAmpac
Steiner + Associates
Textile Printing
Andrew and Amanda Wise

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Past Film/Video

Prism