The People Could Fly
The People Could Fly is a poetic documentary about the history of Black gathering spaces in Louisville, Kentucky, from the 1960s to mid 2000s. In this intimate video portrait, we delve into the ritual of roller skating and how roller rinks emerged as sanctuaries for Black culture. Through a charged combination of archival footage, still photos, newly shot material and newsreel footage, we explore the history of a segregated Louisville and the magic that its Black community has conjured as an act of resistance.
Thank you to our screening partner: Brown Girls Doc Mafia
Directors Spotlight
Imani Nikyah Dennison
Director
Imani Dennison, she/they, is a multidisciplinary artist, curator and award winning Filmmaker born in Louisville, Kentucky. Imani graduated from Howard University where they studied Political Science and Photography. Imani’s work interrogates histories of Black culture in the South and African diaspora, usually centered in folklore, fantasy, and hidden histories. Imani is a 2023 Flaherty curator fellow and head Programmer at Black Science Fiction; a Black led creative experiment dedicated to the preservation of Black imagination. Imani has created commissioned documentary works for PBS, Tribeca, ITVS, and Procter & Gamble. Imani is a part of the 2022 Tribeca Queen Collective Directing Program where they recently released their latest film, Bone Black: Midwives vs the South that made its international premier at the Tribeca Film Festival. This work has gone on to win Best Short Documentary at both the 2023 Black Star Film festival and New Orleans Film festival. Imani is currently a 2023 Chicken & Egg/POV grant recipient allowing them to advance on finishing their short creative non-fiction film, The People Could Fly about the ritual of roller skating and how roller rinks emerged as sanctuaries for Black culture in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Runtime
- 21 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Director
- Imani Dennison
- Cast
- Jordan Bridgewaters, Antijuan Osborne, Jordan Wales, Teveon Golden, LaNeisha Beasley, Markice Armstrong Sr., Charita Burns, Juan Burns, Shae Burns, June Bradford, Charlene Hampton Holloway, Miss D (Aka Silverfox), Rick Thompson
- Cinematographer
- Imani Dennison
- Composer
- Aquiles Navarro
- Executive Producer
- Opal H. Bennett, Erika Dilday and Chris White; Jenni Wolfson and Kiyoko McCrae
- Producer
- Imani Dennison, Bryn Silverman
- Production Design
- Ashley Eddings, Alissa Winburn
- Co Producer
- Naveen Chaubal
- Editor
- Jonathan Proctor, Derek Schultz
- Sound Design
- Laura Perez
- Premiere
- World