The Liberatum Festival concludes the first day of lectures in Salvador
The first edition of the international Liberatum festival in Brazil took place this Friday (3) in Salvador. The most anticipated audience attraction on the first day of the event was multiawardwinning AfricanAmerican actress and producer Viola Davis.
In front of a full audience, Viola discussed the topic “Tales of Afrodiáspora” with her husband and fellow actor Julius Tennon, businesswoman Melanie Clark and Brazilian actress Taís Araujo. [Veja trechos de vídeos abaixo]
“Our stories are not yet told. Even when we perform, it is always from the perspective of the colonizer.”
“The artist’s job is incredibly rebellious at its core because often, even when we tell stories, it’s still through the lens of the colonizer. They are black drug dealers or just black women in urban communities. Even if it is like that.” A fantasy is extremely limited, people don’t see themselves in it. We must do what Steve Biko said about awareness: “We must have the power, the authority, the courage to tell stories about who we are without apology.”
1 of 9 Viola Davis takes part in an event in Salvador Photo: Bruno Concha / Secom PMS Viola Davis takes part in an event in Salvador Photo: Bruno Concha / Secom PMS
In addition to her, other names such as the singer and Minister of Culture of Brazil, Margareth Menezes, and the actress Taís Araújo were also on the list of guests at the Liberatum on this first day of talks and debates.
Also present were the artistic director and cultural producer Gil Alves; singers Majur and Debbie Harry; artist and director Rob Roth; film producer Melanie N. Clark; actor and producer Julius Tennon; the Alton Mason model; Federal MP Érika Hilton and businessmen Hisan Silva and Pedro Batalha.
In this report, g1 summarizes some of the attractions’ most effective speeches in the order in which they were presented. Further information can be found below.
Watch videos of Viola Davis’ participation in Liberatum
Viola Davis talks about the empowerment process as a black artist 👇🏼
Viola Davis talks about the empowerment process as a black artist
The actress says many stories are still told through the lens of the colonizers 👇🏼
Actress Viola Davis says there are limits to telling stories about black people
Check out the excerpt where Viola Davis says black people need to build their own narratives 👇🏼
Actress Viola Davis says black people need to build their own narratives
🌟Check out eyecatching phrases from Liberatum attractions 🌟
“Being Black is about being resilient. It is in our history, we have already learned it. Our story does not begin and end with enslavement, we must not give up, we must continue to believe in and invest in our potential. I am a black woman who has received many “no’s” in life. ‘Giving up’ wasn’t available to me.”
2 of 9 Margareth Menezes at the Liberatum Festival — Photo: Itana Alencar/g1 Margareth Menezes at the Liberatum Festival — Photo: Itana Alencar/g1
“We need laws to promote culture. But beyond that, we have to go back, we have to reach out to people who are already doing culture in this country but who don’t have the qualifications or opportunities to sign up for a notice, whose language is extremely difficult and limited, for example. What we need is for these opportunities to really reach the people who need them so that we can truly have a diverse culture and perspectives that are overlooked but are extremely important.”
3 of 9 Liberatum in Salvador — Photo: Itana Alencar/g1 Liberatum in Salvador — Photo: Itana Alencar/g1
“I remember when I was little and I was once asked to sing in a game called Cinderella’s Wedding. And I sang so quietly and reduced my voice so much because I was scared, I was very shy, but that’s where I saw for the first time my ability to be who I am and sing. This was a special situation that really touched me and I am grateful to this little girl.”
“Music allows me to be who I am. It was the path that embraced me so that I could discover my true nature and personality. Music was my starting point for understanding myself as a person. Only art is capable of revolutionizing human life in this way. I am very grateful to music for everything it has given me and built within me.”
4 of 9 Liberatum in Salvador — Photo: Itana Alencar/g1 Liberatum in Salvador — Photo: Itana Alencar/g1
“I am a white gay man. We were in the 1990s [pessoas LGBTQIA+] We were all a community, we were all together and made up our own family. I cannot understand at what point we have reached this point of external violence against us, but I know that we must come together again.”
“I want to see love stories, I think there is a lack of love stories about black people. Love stories about normal people, but based on a precolonial vision. Love stories that reflect our realities without being shaped by them.” Pain and racism. Colonialist views tell us that the only truth that matters is that of the colonizers. They do not understand the power of the diaspora because it is huge, diverse, fast and still guided by the ancient power of the ancestors. The Conquerors They are trying to destroy our history, but they cannot and that is why we are here.”
“Advertising, cinema and television have a responsibility to reconstruct these stories from our perspective, because they were the ones who built on the existing racist perspective. We must feel that it is possible to reconstruct this imaginary. We We.” We need to know what legacy we leave to our children. What we do for your future. What is the legacy we leave behind? We must now build and pave the way for our children to move into the future with awareness and space to be what they can be and explore their potential. Above all, we must be aware of what we read, who we listen to and, above all, who we applaud.”
5 of 9 Viola Davis and Taís Araújo take part in an event in Salvador Photo: Bruno Concha / Secom PMS Viola Davis and Taís Araújo take part in an event in Salvador Photo: Bruno Concha / Secom PMS
We need to tell our own stories, from our perspective, from our perspective, from the Black perspective, without the colonizer’s vision. We need space to show our skills. Build our story and relate to ourselves because the African diaspora has great power because it is ancestral.”
6 of 9 Viola Davis and her husband in Salvador Photo: Bruno Concha / Secom PMS Viola Davis and her husband in Salvador Photo: Bruno Concha / Secom PMS
“Fashion can be political in different ways. As a model, who you work with can be political and you have to be very precise depending on where you want to go. It’s not about the best brand or the best photographer.” . For me it’s about purpose. There is politics, but what is bigger than politics is the story of each individual. Everyone has an individual life story. If the intention is to be successful, it is important to study both politics and industry. But if you want to change something, you have to make it work for you.
“The special thing about fashion is that we can develop it on the street. And when you live in the blackest city in the world outside of Africa, you’re constantly inspired on the streets. And there is no more important place to connect people than the street.”
7 of 9 Liberatum in Salvador — Photo: Itana Alencar/g1 Liberatum in Salvador — Photo: Itana Alencar/g1
“When we put black people in the spotlight, they want to sectorize the market, sectorize our business, to prevent our process from growing. We try to create possible references from different locations. We try to create images that bring possible futures to the black population”.
“It is very important that we discuss and take control of the images we have created. Because images are important for us to look at intersectionality, the intersections of the world and politics which often behave as if.” It would be a separate world, precisely to isolate oneself, not to be occupied, not to to be questioned.
8 of 9 Viola Davis and Julius Tennon in Salvador — Photo: Antonio Dilson Neto/g1 Viola Davis and Julius Tennon in Salvador — Photo: Antonio Dilson Neto/g1
Also this Friday, Viola announced the opening of a podcast studio in Bahia. The company will be based in Salvador and will be called “Axé”.
According to Salvador’s Minister of Culture Pedro Tourinho, the project will be led by Viola and her husband, actor and producer Julius Tennon.
“Viola Davis and her husband announced that ‘Axé’ will be a company, an audio content studio. Their first product will be a podcast series about Zumbi dos Palmares,” explained Tourinho.
9 of 9 Liberatum Festival brings masses together in Salvador Photo: Divulgação/Liberatum Liberatum Festival brings masses together in Salvador Photo: Divulgação/Liberatum
🏟️ Most Liberatum events take place at the Salvador Convention Center on the outskirts of Boca do Rio, where lectures and tributes take place.
🎉There will also be exclusive events for guests, such as a dinner at a traditional restaurant in the Comércio district in honor of Maranhão singer Alcione. In addition to a free show at Praça Cayru on November 5th.
📖Main programming:
- November 3rd
Lecture cycle in the Convention Center:
10 a.m. Margareth Menezes and Gil Alves
1pm Debbie Harry, Majur and Rob Roth
3 p.m. Viola Davis, Melanie Clark, Taís Araújo and Julius Tennon
5pm Alton Mason, Hisan Silva, Pedro Batalha and Erika Hilton
8 p.m. Exclusive event for guests Liberatum Culture Prize and gala for Alcione Restaurant Amado - November 4th
Lecture cycle in the Convention Center:
10 a.m. Paulo Rogério and Tânia Neri
11:30 a.m. Edgar Azevedo, Paloma Elsesser and Teodoro
1pm Seu Jorge, Rossy de Palma and Hiran
2:30 p.m. Alan Soares, Monique Evelle, Maurício Mota and Nina Silva
4pm Kehinde Wiley, Bernardo Conceição and Bruno Rocha
5:30 p.m. Karol Conká, Marcelo Zig and Kito Gois - November 5th
4:00 p.m. Show at Praça Cayru with:
Honor to Angela Bassett
Ground Zero Blues Club + Lazzo Matumbi
Ilê Aiyê and guests
Afrosyphonica invites Luedji Luna and Psirico - November 6th
3:00 p.m. Wole Soyinka National Museum of AfroBrazilian Culture (Muncab)
More government news on g1 Bahia can be found here.