Smithsonian Presents Virtual Screening and Conversation With Zora Lathan and Iman Uqdah Hameen

Join us the first Thursday of each month for a free online screening of rarely seen short films and videos from the Smithsonian’s collection, followed by live conversations with the artists and Smithsonian curators. Featured artists and filmmakers include Zora Lathan and Iman Uqdah Hameen, Chitra Ganesh, and Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg.

Since the invention of the moving image, women have created films and videos that have changed how people see and experience the world. Throughout 2021, the Smithsonian will celebrate the breadth of women-made films and videos through a monthly series called Viewfinder: Women’s Film and Video from the Smithsonian. The first six programs consider the theme of inner worlds — a timely topic as the global pandemic continues to confine many people to their homes. Featured programs will highlight issues directly addressing domestic interiors, including childcare and labor, while others explore the emotional experiences that shape private lives. This series is presented by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story, in collaboration with participating Smithsonian institutions.

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Zora Lathan and Iman Uqdah Hameen: On Black Interiority

Drawing on the extensive holdings of our National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts, this program will be dedicated to the interiority of Black life. The screening will pair the experimental works of Zora Lathan, who uses her family as her muse, and the short film Unspoken Conversation (1987) by Iman Uqdah Hameen, which explores a Black woman’s journey as a wife and mother. The filmmakers will join the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s media conservator Ina Archer for a post-screening conversation.

Register for “Zora Lathan and Iman Uqdah Hameen: On Black Interiority” taking place on Thursday, May 6, at 5:30pm (EDT).

For more details on the full series and to register for upcoming screenings, visit womenshistory.si.edu.