Sing Sing + Harlem ou un été long et chaud

Sonuma will be revealing its treasures through a series of screenings that begin on 14 May with an exploration of 1960s American society.

Over the decades, French-speaking Belgian radio and television channels have produced tens of thousands of hours of shows. They occasionally capture extraordinary moments that trace the pivotal events of our time and the marks of our cultural identity. Sonuma’s mission is to digitalise, safeguard and disseminate French-speaking Belgian audiovisual archives, primarily from RTBF, but also from local television stations. All kinds of initiatives have been unveiled: a new website with full-length versions of archives, partnerships and events to share this audiovisual heritage with the greatest possible number of people. From major news features to popular entertainment, this is a living testimony to our collective memory.

Sing Sing – Collection Tiré à part
In 1968, directors Pierre Manuel and Paul Laurent looked into the thorny issues of the prison world. They went to the banks of the Hudson River in New York and entered the confines of the notorious Sing Sing correctional facility. For four days they rubbed shoulders with inmates, wardens, psychiatrists, the chaplain... and discovered the codes and rules they all had to abide by. The result: a one-hour documentary, a remarkable account of men behind bars, of the world of incarceration.

Harlem ou un été long et chaud – Collection Neuf millions
Summer 1964. President Lyndon Johnson has just signed the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting racial discrimination. In Harlem, unemployment, drugs, poverty and racism slowly eat away at the foundations of this devastated ghetto. On 16 July, the murder of James Powell, a young black man, by Thomas Gilligan, a white policeman, inflames tensions and violent riots break out. As elections approach, the African-American community is divided between Luther King’s moderates and Malcolm X’s radicals.

Flagey, Cinematek, Sonuma