The African Diaspora International Film Festival Presents: The Women’s History Month Film Series! Join us at Teachers College Columbia University for a weekend celebration of empowering and inspiring films highlighting women’s achievements and struggles.

Festival at a Glance:

Friday, march 28 – 408 zankel

6pm Mother Suriname

A woman looks back on her life, through narration and song. In Mother Suriname – Mama Sranan, filmmaker Tessa Leuwsha uses a stream of fascinating colorized archival footage to illustrate the lives of Surinamese women like her grandmother, who was a washerwoman. Directed by Tessa Leuwsha, 2023, 71 minute, Netherlands, Documentary, English

7:30pm Power Alley

Seventeen-year-old volleyball star Sofia faces an unwanted pregnancy before a crucial championship. As she seeks an illegal termination, a relentless fundamentalist group targets her. But Sofia and her loved ones refuse to bow to their fanaticism. Directed by Lillah Halla, 2023, 92 minute, Brazil, Sports Drama, Portuguese (with English subtitles)

7:30pm

Sat, March 29 – 408 zankel

1pm Sara Gomez: An Afro-Cuban Filmmaker

Sara Gomez, An Afro-Cuban Filmmaker is a documentary about Sarah Gomez, Cuba’s first female filmmaker. Blending archival footage and interviews, it explores her revolutionary work addressing Afro-Cuban culture, women’s issues, and marginalized communities, highlighting her intelligence, independence, and unique storytelling that bridged contrasting worlds. Directed by Alessandra Muller, 2005, 76 minutes, Cuba, Switzerland, Documentary, Spanish (with English subtitles)

3pm Foreign Body

After fleeing Tunisia’s revolution, Samia struggles to survive in France without papers. She finds work with Leila, but her presence unsettles the household, drawing her into complex power dynamics and escalating sexual tension. Directed by Raja Amari, 2016, 90 minutes, France, Drama/Romance, French, Arabic (with English subtitles)

5pm Big Little Women

Three generations of women rebel against patriarchal prohibitions. Directed by Nadia Fares, 2022, 86 minutes, Egypt, Documentary, Arabic, English, German (with English subtitles)

7 pm The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

Beyond her historic role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, this comprehensive dive into Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks sheds light on her extensive organizing, radical politics, and lifelong dedication to activism. Directed by Johanna Hamilton, Yoruba Richen, 2022, 96 minutes, USA, Documentary, English

Sun, March 30 – 408 zankel

2pm White Lies

DramaView all films tagged “Drama”A medicine woman – a giver of life – is asked to hide a secret which may protect one life but which will destroy another. Directed by Dana Rotberg, 2013, 96 minutes, New Zealand, Drama, Maori and English (with English subtitles)

4pm A Rising Tide

Seen primarily through the eyes of women and children of color living through housing insecurity in California’s Alameda County, A Rising Tide aims to identify how and why homelessness occurs. Directed by  Sarah Webster Fabio, 2013, 93 minutes, USA, Documentary, English

6pm The Disappearance of Miss Scott + Q&A

The Disappearance of Miss Scott chronicles Hazel Scott’s meteoric rise as a jazz talent and major Hollywood star before being blacklisted during the Red Scare. Directed by Nicole London, 2025, 80 minutes, USA, Documentary, English