03/09/2026
DAKAR 1966 RETURNS TO THE BIG SCREEN
60 YEARS LATER, THE STORY OF A LANDMARK AFRICAN CULTURAL MOMENT RETURNS TO CINEMA.
In 1966, Dakar became the meeting point for artists, writers, performers and cultural thinkers from Africa and its diaspora as the First World Festival of Negro Arts brought together an unprecedented celebration of African and diasporic creativity.
Now, six decades later, "William Greaves’ documentary" The First World Festival of Negro Arts returns to the big screen in London, offering audiences a rare window into that historic moment.
The 41-minute film, made from official footage of the Dakar festival, captures figures including "Haile Selassie, Alvin Ailey and Aimé Césaire", alongside the energy and ambition of an event that sought to connect cultures separated by history and geography.
VENUE: Barbican Cinema 1, London
DATE: Saturday, 5 September 2026
TIME: 4:00 PM
🎞️ The First World Festival of Negro Arts + Reou Takh
Followed by a conversation with Amandine Nana and Morad Montazami.
The screening forms part of Ambiguous Encounters: Pan-Africanism in the Post-Colonial City, a Barbican program marking 60 years since the 1966 Festival and the Tricontinental Conference.
A historic festival. A historic film. A story that still speaks to the present.
