ALTARS: Cinema as Collective Memory & Future Reimagining

An evening of award-winning short films created in collaboration with the communities they portray across Boston, Brazil, and Nigeria.

These works honor lived experience as sacred memory while opening space to imagine hopeful futures.

In a media landscape that often flattens and reduces cultures to stereotype, ALTARS: Cinema as Collective Memory & Future Reimagining invites communities to shape their own narratives and design possible futures through shared authorship.

Between films, the director will share personal reflections on how each work was conceived in community — including the humble beginnings of her first short film, made with just $200 and the support of collaborators who believed in the power of storytelling. These reflections offer insight into the creative process and invite others to see their own voices and stories as worthy of being told.

The evening will open into audience Q&A and dialogue.

We will close with a reception featuring light refreshments and a DJ set honoring Brazilian and Nigerian music, extending our shared altar into sound, rhythm, and shared celebration.

This program is supported by a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and the City of Boston.

"ALTARS" (2022, 13 minutes)

Tyson just learned that he's about to become a father. Little does he know, the happiest day of his life might also be his last.

"A Lua Nunca Morre" (2019, 13 minutes)

On the brink of becoming a teenager, carefree Leo lives with his father and ailing grandmother. Going through the motions of a seemingly normal day, they navigate the complexities of their relationship and the trials of a changing season.

"Amenze, Entre Dois Mundos" (2016, 11 minutes)

Upon receiving a long-lost friend’s call from Lagos, Amenze embarks on a journey to reconnect with her real identity after being forced to change her name and move to Brazil as a sex worker.

"Sankofa: Part I" (2015, 6 minutes)

A woman has bleached her skin. After encountering one of her African ancestors and listening to her advise, she rinses her skin and her mind to become a proud woman of African descent.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Mariona Lloreta