Back To Black
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
7:00 P.M.
Science Center 199
Sponsored by Black Studies and the Swarthmore College Library
The tale of 'the hop' is related by Justin, an African teenager, the only black among white students in a classroom in Brussels. He's giving an oral report explaining why Pygmies speak French, tracing it back to Julius Caesar and the elephants of Hannibal. The teacher and class are drawn in by the mystique and secret of 'the hop' — a tactic, an evasive maneuver, a bluff, or a smokescreen.
Portrayed by Kalomba Mbuyi, Justin is a straight-A student who must rely upon 'the hop' as a means of survival. He and his widower father are illegal immigrants, using their wits and skills to avoid deportation and blend in to the local scenery. But his father is eventually caught, and Justin must formulate a 'hop' to bring him home. (Ray Young, Flickhead)
Directed by Dominique Standaert. In French with English subtitles. Faculty Discussant: Professor Jesse Shipley, Department of Anthropology, Haverford College
