The UNB Art Centre is pleased to present Rediscovering the Roots of Black New Brunswickers, a program of exhibits and films designed to showcase and honour the everyday experiences of Black New Brunswickers for Black History Month.

This year’s film series, presented in partnership with the New Brunswick Black Artists Alliance, is every Tuesday in February at 7:30 p.m. in room 261 of Marshall d’Avray Hall on the UNB Fredericton campus. On February 6, they will present a free screening of:

OSCAR (Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre | 2016 | 12 min )

Brilliantly mixing animated sequences and archival footage, Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre paints a touching portrait of virtuoso pianist Oscar Peterson. As with her previous films (McLaren’s Negative and Jutra), Saint-Pierre pursues her bold and personal approach with this animated documentary of Oscar Peterson at the twilight of an exceptional career, as he wistfully meditates on the price of fame and the impacts of the artist’s life on family life. From the young prodigy’s beginnings in Little Burgundy to his triumphs on the international stage alongside the biggest stars of his time, Oscar explores the profound solitude of an artist constantly on tour, and the difficulty in reconciling his professional success with his role as husband and father. Set to the tunes of Peterson’s sometimes catchy, sometimes melancholy-tinged compositions, the film alternates between animated sequences and footage of radio and video interviews to tell a heartfelt story about a life in jazz.

Learn more about the film here.

SPEAKERS FOR THE DEAD (David Sutherland & Jennifer Holness | 2000 | 49 min )

This documentary reveals some of the hidden history of Blacks in Canada. In the 1930s in rural Ontario, a farmer buried the tombstones of a Black cemetery to make way for a potato patch. In the 1980s, descendants of the original settlers, Black and White, came together to restore the cemetery, but there were hidden truths no one wanted to discuss. Deep racial wounds were opened. Scenes of the cemetery excavation, interviews with residents and re-enactments—including one of a baseball game where a broken headstone is used for home plate—add to the film’s emotional intensity.

Learn more about the film here.

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Find more information on upcoming Black History Month free screenings at the UNB here.