Socially Driven African Films Power Week Two of NYADIFF

NYADIFF continues its 2025 edition with a striking second-week lineup spotlighting some of the most urgent and socially charged films from across Africa

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, December 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The New York African Diaspora International Film Festival (NYADIFF) continues its 2025 edition with a striking second-week lineup spotlighting some of the most urgent and socially charged films from across the African continent. This curated selection brings together filmmakers who confront systems of power, expose injustice, and highlight the lived experiences shaping contemporary Africa. Each film stands as a bold commentary on issues of state violence, inequality, colonial memory, gender dynamics, and the resilience of marginalized communities.

FEATURED FILMS
“Diya, The Price of Blood” directed by Achille Ronaimou is a gripping drama rooted in real social dilemmas, “Diya, The Price of Blood” explores the controversial customary practice of "diya”, a form of blood compensation used to settle violent crimes outside the judicial system. Through tense, emotionally layered storytelling, Ronaimou examines the moral burden placed on families caught between tradition and justice, exposing how gender, power, and community expectations shape the cost of reconciliation.

“Mother City”, directed by Miki Redelinghuys & Pearlie Joubert. Winner of the FESPACO Best Documentary Award (2023), “Mother City” is a gripping South African film shot over six years that exposes government failures to dismantle the entrenched inequalities of apartheid. Set in Cape Town—one of the world’s most unequal cities—the documentary offers intimate access to communities facing displacement, contested land rights, and political neglect, revealing the human cost of systemic injustice.

In the award-winning documentary “Abo Zaabal 89,” filmmaker Bassam Mortada explores the trauma and alienation resulting from his father's arrest and torture in Egypt's notorious Abo Zaabal prison in 1989. Raised by his activist mother after his father's subsequent exile, Mortada confronts the family's fractured past through archival tapes and intimate interviews, delicately weaving his personal quest for reconciliation into Egypt's turbulent political history. The film is a powerful testament to the intergenerational scars of political persecution and the universal search for healing.

“Mora is Here”, directed by Khalid Zairi, is a powerful documentary, filmed between Morocco and France. It uncovers the forgotten history of more than 70,000 Moroccan laborers – primarily recruited by Félix Mora in the 1950s – to fill the labor demands of the French coal mines.

“Nome”, directed Sana Na N'Hada will be playing in ADIFF New York’s virtual festival offering. Set in Guinea-Bissau, “Nome” blends historical drama and political thriller to revisit the fervor and fractures of the country’s liberation struggles. Through its richly drawn characters and gripping story, the film interrogates the enduring impact of colonialism and the personal sacrifices demanded by the fight for freedom.

“Yambo Ouologuem: Bound to Violence”, directed by Kalidou Sy. This compelling documentary traces the brilliant and tragic trajectory of Malian writer Yambo Ouologuem, who became the first African to win the prestigious Prix Renaudot in 1968 for his explosive novel, Le Devoir de violence (Bound to Violence). Through interviews, archival material, and cultural analysis, the film reopens debates on authorship, censorship, and the erasure of African thinkers from the global literary imagination.

“The Ants”, directed by Yasine Yassine Fennane, is a poignant and nuanced examination of intra-African migration and the difficult journey toward dignity. Weaving together three connected lives near the Morocco/Spain border. Félicité, a young Cameroonian migrant seeking work in Tangier to secure a Christian burial for a friend; Hamid, an unscrupulous labor recruiter whose exploitation leads to his downfall; and Kenza, a wealthy mother whose hiring of Félicité sparks a marital crisis. The film exposes painful truths about social class, exploitation, and the moral cost of survival in modern Africa.

“The Song of Rifles”, directed by Jean Elliot M. R. Ilboudo, is a powerful drama confronting the brutal realities of civil war and the loss of childhood innocence. Twelve-year-old Simon’s life is destroyed when a rebellion led by the fanatical “Black Lion” tears his country apart and kills his family, forcing him into the rebel ranks with other children. Under trauma and manipulation, Simon transforms from a gentle boy into a hardened child soldier, swept into the rebellion’s relentless “song of the rifles.” Based on real events, The Song of Rifles is a haunting portrait of violence, survival, and the fragile fight to reclaim one’s humanity.

Week Two of NYADIFF offers some of the festival’s most socially resonant programming, uniting filmmakers whose works challenge viewers to confront difficult truths while celebrating the persistence and courage of African communities across the continent. Post-screening discussions, Q&As, and panel conversations will further deepen audience engagement with the themes raised on screen.

ABOUT THE AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Founded in 1993 and based in Harlem, the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) is a minority-led, 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to expanding understanding of the human experience of people of color worldwide through cinema. Its curated programs include socially relevant and award-winning films from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and beyond.
The 33rd Annual New York ADIFF is made possible with support from ArtMattan Films, NYSCA, The Harlem Community Development Corporation, The New York City Council for the Arts, West Harlem Development Corporation, UMEZ, the Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs at Teachers College, the Netherlands Consulate General, and others.
PRESS CONTACT
Nina Hay
African Diaspora International Film Festival
Cell: 1-347-233-1053
Email: info@nyadiff.org

Diarah N'Daw-Spech
African Diaspora International Film Festival
+1 2128641760
email us here

ADIFF NEW YORK 2025

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.