Film Screening: Sugar Island

GALA SCREENING: Sugar Island

Followed by a Q&A with director Johanné Gómez Terrero and VIP Reception

Sugar Island immerses us in the Dominican Republic’s sugarcane fields, where Makenya, a Dominican-Haitian teenager, navigates an unwanted pregnancy and the harsh labor that defines her world.

Director Johanné Gómez Terrero masterfully blends social realism, spirituality, and Afro-futurism to expose the enduring legacy of colonial exploitation. As Makenya confronts family burdens and the specter of displacement, the arrival of a mysterious theater troupe illuminates haunting connections between past and present struggles.

As Makenya fights for her future and her grandfather battles for justice, Sugar Island unfolds as a lyrical, visually rich meditation on identity, survival, and the enduring power of cultural memory.

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Host or Publisher African Diaspora International Film Festival