The Dominican film Bantú Mama by Iván Herrera was the winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding International Motion Picture, marking a first for a production from the Caribbean island to win this prize. The drama tells the story of Emma, a French woman of African descent who, after being arrested in the Dominican Republic, escapes and is sheltered by three minors in a dangerous district of Santo Domingo. By becoming their protégée and maternal figure, she will see her destiny change inexorably.
Distributed by Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing, the film is streaming on Netflix since November 2022 in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Written by Ivan Herrera and French actress, Clarisse Albrecht who also stars in the film, Bantú Mama premiered at SXSW in 2021 and went on to play at numerous film festivals worldwide.
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), celebrating the outstanding achievements and performances of Black and Brown people in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. It is similar to other awards, such as the Oscars and the Grammys. The winners of its 54th edition were announced last Saturday, February 24 at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
