Official Selection
Little Stories, Big Echoes: Beads of Hope
Beads of Hope is a powerful animated short film set in New Orleans, following Dawn, a young Black girl, as she navigates the chaos of a devastating flood that threatens the life of a beloved family member. The story unfolds in a historically Black neighborhood, on the day of Hurricane Katrina—now marking its 20th anniversary. These are communities like the Lower Ninth Ward and New Orleans East, which were hardest hit by Katrina and continue to face the compounding effects of climate change, environmental racism, and systemic neglect.
As floodwaters rise, Dawn turns to the sacred tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians—a rich cultural legacy of Black resilience, resistance, and artistry. Her first handmade Mardi Gras suit, meticulously crafted with beads, feathers, and ancestral memory, becomes her source of strength and identity. Through it, she connects with the spirits of those who came before her and discovers that her legacy, her voice, and her community’s truth cannot be washed away.
Beads of Hope honors the 20-year legacy of Katrina by shining a light on the enduring fight for environmental justice in Black and Brown communities. It is a story about cultural survival, intergenerational power, and the unbreakable spirit of New Orleans. As the city continues to rebuild, this film stands as a tribute to the youth who carry forward its stories—and the hope threaded into every stitch.
As floodwaters rise, Dawn turns to the sacred tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians—a rich cultural legacy of Black resilience, resistance, and artistry. Her first handmade Mardi Gras suit, meticulously crafted with beads, feathers, and ancestral memory, becomes her source of strength and identity. Through it, she connects with the spirits of those who came before her and discovers that her legacy, her voice, and her community’s truth cannot be washed away.
Beads of Hope honors the 20-year legacy of Katrina by shining a light on the enduring fight for environmental justice in Black and Brown communities. It is a story about cultural survival, intergenerational power, and the unbreakable spirit of New Orleans. As the city continues to rebuild, this film stands as a tribute to the youth who carry forward its stories—and the hope threaded into every stitch.
Official Selection
Born in the Struggle
Born in the Struggle is a documentary film that explores the personal accounts of children born to 1960s and 70s radical Black Power activists, including the Honorable Ras J. Baraka, Mayor of the City of Newark, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Fred Hampton Jr, Imani Perry, Ayanna Gregory, and many others.
The film examines their reflections and ruminations on their childhood, the influences of their parents, and how the activism of their parents affected their lives. The shifting cultural times have presented unique but enduring challenges to this new generation. How they have taken up these novel challenges of injustice are explored, with hip hop music being a defining feature that named and proclaimed the black experience for a new generation facing oppression and exploitation.
More than anything, Born in the Struggle is a personal exploration of the Children of the Movement, whose childhoods were defined by their parents’ commitment to the Movement as a first priority, and how this dedication shaped their lives and their subsequent commitments to the same revolutionary spirit that they inherited.
The film examines their reflections and ruminations on their childhood, the influences of their parents, and how the activism of their parents affected their lives. The shifting cultural times have presented unique but enduring challenges to this new generation. How they have taken up these novel challenges of injustice are explored, with hip hop music being a defining feature that named and proclaimed the black experience for a new generation facing oppression and exploitation.
More than anything, Born in the Struggle is a personal exploration of the Children of the Movement, whose childhoods were defined by their parents’ commitment to the Movement as a first priority, and how this dedication shaped their lives and their subsequent commitments to the same revolutionary spirit that they inherited.
