Say My Name Director: Nirit Peled, USA / UK, 2009, 73 minutes
Thursday May 28 | 9:00PM | Pacific Cinémathèque
Canadian Premiere
In a hip hop and R’n’B world dominated by men and noted for misogyny, the unstoppable female lyricists of Say My Name speak candidly about class, race, and gender in pursuing their passions as female emcees. This beat-filled, traveling documentary takes us on a vibrant tour of urban culture and musical movement, from hip hop’s birthplace in the Bronx, to grime on London’s Eastside, and all points Philly, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, and L.A. in between.
Featuring interviews and musical performances from a diverse cast of artists including Remy Ma, Rah Digga, Jean Grae, Erykah Badu, Estelle and newcomers Chocolate Thai, Invincible, and Miz Korona, this powerful and timely documentary delves into the amazing personal stories of these rhyming women. These commanding performers take on the pornographic images of women featured in many music videos and turn those images upside down. As a matter of fact, a debate on that very issue is one of the fascinating clips in the film. These are talented, intelligent, and optimistic women and the reality is that the mainstream gets little exposure to their work. However, Say My Name could start to change that reality.
Balancing professional dreams with the stark realities of poor urban communities, race, sexism, and motherhood, the artists featured in Say My Name battle for a place in a society and industry that creates few opportunities for women like themselves. From emerging artists filled with new creativity, to true pioneers like MC Lyte, Roxxanne Shante, and Monie Love, these women turn adversity into art. Challenging, uplifting and inspiring — this is the future of hip hop.
Director’s Biography
Nirit Peled was born in Israel in 1973 and has been working in Amsterdam as an audio-visual artist for the last eight years. She is a community based, cultural artist and film director, as well as co-founder of Mamamess, a production company she runs with her partner Dave Hemmingway. Recently Peled has been focusing more on directing short films, animation and documentaries that seek to create dialogue, confrontation and communication. She has also worked on numerous political, cultural projects with inner city youth, both in the Netherlands and abroad. For her debut documentary, Say My Name, Peled traveled around the world documenting female vocalists, MCs, and spoken-word artists in urban environments.
