Plaza Community Cinema and Mandela8 are joining forces this Black History Month (October) to celebrate culture, education and the power of young people through film and storytelling.
The partnership will see the Waterloo-based Plaza Community Cinema host a special Black History Month programme featuring a screening of Mandela8: Journey to South Africa, a documentary produced by the Mandela8 Young Media Group following their experiences in South Africa.
The film forms part of the wider Mandela8 initiative, which empowers young people through culture, education and storytelling. The project explores how international experiences can inspire positive change, build confidence and strengthen community identity back home.
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By giving young people the opportunity to document and share their own experiences, Mandela8: Journey to South Africa provides a platform for youth voices and demonstrates the impact that cultural exchange and education can have on communities.
Stephen Nze from Mandela8 said: “Our dream of taking young people away and to walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela and for them to experience South Africa for all it has to offer. We are deeply grateful to the Plaza Community Cinema for its generosity and for recognising the importance of providing a platform. Sharing the film during Black History Month is a powerful way to honour Black history not only as something of the past, but as something that continues to inspire, educate and shape.”
The documentary will be screened at the Plaza Community Cinema on Wednesday 7 October at 7.30pm, followed by a special Black History Month event celebrating the achievements of the young people involved in the project. Tickets for the screening are free and available via the Plaza Community Cinema website.
As part of the wider programme, students from the Mandela8 Young Media Group have also selected two additional films to be screened at the Plaza during Black History Month.
The first is Clint Eastwood’s acclaimed Invictus, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. The film follows newly elected South African President Nelson Mandela as he uses the 1995 Rugby World Cup as an opportunity to unite a racially and economically divided post-apartheid nation, working alongside Springboks captain Francois Pienaar to rally the country behind its underdog team.
The programme will also feature Ryan Coogler’s Academy Award winner Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role. The film follows twin criminal brothers who return to their Jim Crow-era Mississipi hometown after a fruitful stint with the Chicago mob hoping to make a fresh start, only to find their newly opened juke joint facing a threat from… vampires, obviously.
Together, the three films offer audiences different perspectives on Black history, identity, resilience, community and storytelling, while highlighting the importance of giving young people the opportunity to shape and share their own narratives.
Matt Owen, director of development and education at Plaza Community Cinema, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Mandela8 for Black History Month. The opportunity to showcase a film created by young people is particularly exciting and reflects the Plaza’s commitment to providing a platform for aspiring filmmakers, creativity and storytelling. We look forward to welcoming Mandela8 Young Media Group and the community to the Plaza for what promises to be a very special evening.”
