Artists & Projects Directory
The America Project
The 30-minute
documentary, finding the 51st (dream) state: Sekou
Sundiata's America
Project, explores the artistic development of
Sekou Sundiata's the 51st (dream) state through his national,
communal exploration of American identity and citizenship. The film reveals how this visionary
poet, performer, educator and activist found "a clearing" and "a way to see"
through conversations in small scale public gatherings, in classrooms and in
art centers - and in the process created groundbreaking theater about democracy
and citizenship.
Sundiata began this documentary
project to capture and share his process of merging civic engagement with the
creation of new performance work. Using
footage from community discussions, dinners, community sings, rehearsals,
performances and interviews, director Stanley Nelson/Firelight Media has
completed Sundiata's plan for the DVD while bringing his strong artistic
hand and vision for social change to the project.
finding the 51st (dream) state: Sekou
Sundiata's America
Project is packaged with a
DVD film of the full performance of the 51st (dream) state, recorded
live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November 2006. The two-DVD set is accompanied by an essay
written by Julie Ellison, a collaborator of Sundiata's and Professor of
American Culture, English, and Art & Design at the University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
To purchase the
two DVD-set contact Ann Rosenthal, ann@mappinternational.org