Postcolonial Europe: The significance of memory

The documentary “Afropean: In search of identity” tackles the complex issues surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement and the migrant experience in Europe. The documentary crew traces the journey of British author and photographer Johny Pitts as he embarks on a quest for common ground, traveling from Sheffield to Paris, Brussels, and Berlin, and encounters the contradictions that make up the Black European experience.

The film further explores the intersection of art, history, and social justice, featuring the creations of artist Rajkamal Kahlon, who uses her paintbrush to challenge ethnographic imagery from the colonial era, and the work of sound artist Elsa M’Bala, who blends sounds from her African background with spoken word and electronic music. From ways to process and find closure with Europe’s difficult colonial past to examining the ways that art can forge a brighter future, the documentary captures the voices and perspectives of the Black community to create a powerful and moving depiction of Black identity in Europe.