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United States of Africa

2011 1 h 15 min
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African hip hop pioneer Didier Awadi is on a quest to craft an album that pays tribute to the great black revolutionary leaders and their struggle to realize a dream: a united, independent Africa. In this epic musical and political journey, Awadi visits some 40 countries to collaborate with hip hop activist artists, including Smockey (Burkina Faso), M-1 of Dead Prez (United States) and ZuluBoy (South Africa). Featuring a score by Ghislain Poirier, as well as Awadi’s own songs, United States of Africa draws the viewer into one artist’s profound meditation on the power of music and the impact of …

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United States of Africa

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African hip hop pioneer Didier Awadi is on a quest to craft an album that pays tribute to the great black revolutionary leaders and their struggle to realize a dream: a united, independent Africa. In this epic musical and political journey, Awadi visits some 40 countries to collaborate with hip hop activist artists, including Smockey (Burkina Faso), M-1 of Dead Prez (United States) and ZuluBoy (South Africa).



Featuring a score by Ghislain Poirier, as well as Awadi’s own songs, United States of Africa draws the viewer into one artist’s profound meditation on the power of music and the impact of political engagement—both individual and collective. A hopeful and compelling portrait of a continent whose politically aware youth is refusing to accept the role of victim, the film is a call for Africans to rise up, take a stand and take control of their continent and their destiny.

  • director
    Yanick Létourneau
  • participant
    Didier Awadi
    Smockey
    M 1
    Zuluboy
  • producer
    Yanick Létourneau
    Colette Loumède
  • writer
    Yanick Létourneau
    Sébastien Tétrault
    Hany Ouichou
  • cinematography
    Geoffroy Beauchemin
    Alex Margineanu
  • sound
    René Portillo
  • editing
    Sophie Farkas Bolla
  • original music
    Ghislain Poirier
  • sound design
    Marie-Claude Gagné
  • associate producer
    John Christou
    Hany Ouichou
    Neil Brandt
    Maryse Chapdelaine
  • production director
    Hany Ouichou
    John Christou
  • post-production director
    Hany Ouichou
  • narrator
    Didier Awadi
  • researcher
    Stefanie Brantner
    Ellen Tang
    Angelica Leminh
    Erika Gutt
    Marisa Berry Mendez
    Myriam Cadet
    Kate Langley
  • production coordinator
    Nyambura Waruingi
    Clarisse Saint-Hillaire
    Jean Fugazza
    Ellen Tang
    Loreley Yeowart
    Hélène Regimbal
    Dominique Brunet
  • production assistant
    Mouhamet Diakaté
    Bouba
    Thurlo Basil Jansen
    Erika Gutt
    Jarred Beaton
    Bernard April
    Isaiah Mpepele
  • marketing manager
    Cedric Morgan
    François Jacques
  • additional camera
    Manuel Lapierre
    Yanick Létourneau
    Trevor
  • additional sound recording
    Pablo Villegas
    Thierry Morlaas
    Stephen Bowen Anderson
  • editing consultant
    Diego Briceno
  • assistant editor
    Marlène Poulin
    Abraham Lifshitz
    Mariano Franco
    Ellen Tang
    Jimmy Medelin
  • opening title sequence
    George Fok
  • graphic design
    Pierre-Luc Gagnon
  • art department
    Phoebe Greenberg
    George Fok
    Vincent Toi
    Pierre-Luc Gagnon
    JF Mayrand
    Renata Morales
    Marie-France Barbier
  • marketing manager - assistance
    Émilie Nguyen Ngoc
  • technical coordinator
    Richard Cliche
  • administrative assistant
    Lise Lévesque
  • technical support - editing
    Danielle Raymond
    Isabelle Painchaud
    Pierre Dupont
  • voice over re-recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
    Luc Léger
  • voice over recordist
    Geoffrey Mitchell
    Luc Léger
  • additional studio recording
    Sébastien Blais-Monpetit
  • voice over coach
    Hubert Fielden
    Thor Bishopric
  • online editor
    Denis Gathelier
  • colorist
    Denis Gathelier
  • titles
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • re-recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • development producer
    Yanick Létourneau
    Yves Bisaillon
    Christian Medawar
  • translation
    Daniel Isaiah Schacter
    Mark Honronzyk
    André Ouadba
  • legal advisor
    Remy Khouzam
  • production accountant
    Lucie Poulin
    Audrey Lamontagne
  • production insurance
    Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc.
  • subtitles
    Vision Globale
    Centre national du sous-titrage

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Education

Ages 13 to 17
School subjects
Can a hip hop artist be both a politician and a historian? Is Awadi’s album an educational tool? How can an artist avoid hip hop clichés? The film’s final image shows a little boy singing at a garbage dump. What does it signify? Ask students to analyze the lyrics of a hip hop track and to imagine how it can be used in education.
United States of Africa
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Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

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