Changing the Lens

Join us for an evening of short films that examine the history of European colonialism and the positionality of ethnographic collections housed in Western museums. The films explore important Diasporic dialogues that address Eurocentric perspectives around museum objects that have been taken or stolen from their country of origin, whilst giving voice to Black voices who seek to redress colonial history, reclaiming the narratives around museum objects.

Restitution? Africa's Fight for its Art

This documentary explores the intertwined history of violent European colonialism and the cultural legacy of ethnographic collections housed in institutions. Tracing the progression of colonial history from the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, it examines the systematic suppression of cultural traditions, religions and ways of life across the African continent—often through genocides and warfare—up until the early twentieth century.

The film surveys inquiries and movements for historical justice, uncovering the connections between European institutions and colonial violence. It also highlights the enduring struggles to reclaim what was taken, shedding light on the ongoing fight for restitution and recognition.

Director: Nora Philippe
Year: 2022
Time: 52 minutes

Statues Also Die

One of Chris Marker's earliest films, created collaboratively with Alain Resnais six years before Hiroshima Mon Amour, it examines the complex relationship between European audiences and objects of African origin. This documentary brings still, museumised artefacts to life through dynamic editing set to music, imbuing them with movement and vitality. Structured in three parts, Marker and Resnais critically challenge Eurocentric perspectives. They begin by exploring the objects themselves—their forms, significance and perception as art introducing the concept of the "dead statue", where artefacts lose their original meaning due to displacement from their cultural context. The film ultimately broadens its critique to address the commercialisation and commodification of Black culture as entertainment in Europe.

Director: lain Resnais, Chris Marker and Ghislain Coquet,
Year: 1953 © Présence Africaine
Time: 30 minutes

hunderttausendfach

hundertausendfach (Hundred Thousand Times) is a poetic and cinematic time machine that recounts the story of colonial collecting and museum practices in Germany through a powerful parable. Rooted in historical fact, this parable reclaims and rewrites colonial history from a Black perspective, transforming it into an act of appropriation and empowerment. The film also serves as an invitation for self-reflection and a call to take responsibility for the past.

Director: Patricia Vester and Diana Thorimbert
Year: 2024
Time: 11 minutes