NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures (Nous), a New Orleans-based cultural institution committed to preserving and promoting Louisiana’s heritage cultures (with a focus on Cajun, Creole, and Indigenous communities), announces a special screening for its new documentary, Musique(s)!, made possible through the #CreateLouisiana grant (TV5Monde USA, Deep South Studios, Cox Communications, and Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), and the support of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress).
The 20-minute documentary features six renowned Louisiana-based musicians who sing in French and Creole, including Grammy-winning musicians such as Louis Michot and Leyla McCalla, alongside Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, the Baby Dolls, Les Cenelles, and Sweet Crude. The documentary shares the stories, performances, and interviews behind the musicians who took place in Nous’ groundbreaking project with the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to document and celebrate Louisiana roots music sung in French and Creole today.
The documentary compliments an original album entitled Musique(s)! with twelve original recordings by Louisiana musicians, which will be unveiled on March 26 at reception held at the Library of Congress, with performances by Leyla McCalla and Louis Michot. Nous will also open an exhibit around the project on May 7 at their new cultural space which will open at 602 Toulouse St in the French Quarter.
Commenting on the significance of the documentary, Scott Tilton, co-founder and Executive Director of Nous stated, “Louisiana music is world renowned, and one of the most defining features of our music is how so much has been sung in French and Creole. This documentary brings together renowned musicians today, across musical genres, who continue to innovate and push boundaries of contemporary music while singing in Louisiana French and Creole. We’re excited to share this pioneering documentary with viewers at this year’s New Orleans French Film Festival and then bring it to a global audience at film festivals worldwide.”
The film will have a special screening at 6:45 p.m. on March 16 at the New Orleans French Film
Festival. Tickets can be purchased using this link. The film is directed by local director, Cory St. Ewart; the original documentary script is written by Rudy Bazenet; and the director of photography and editor is Autumn Palen. The producers are Scott Tilton, Rudy Bazenet, and Autumn Palen of the New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures. The documentary was made possible through funding from the #CreatLouisiana film grant, and the support of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
The 28th Annual New Orleans French Film Festival is scheduled to take place March 13-16 and is recognized as one of the longest-running international language festivals in the United States. It will be hosted at the Prytania Theatre Uptown and will showcase a diverse selection of contemporary and classic Francophone cinema, featuring works from both emerging talents and acclaimed auteurs. All films will be presented in French with English subtitles.
About the New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures
Founded in June 2020, the New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures is an institute dedicated to preserving and promoting French and Creole in Louisiana and the United States. The foundation’s actions center around three priorities: organizing cultural events, creating original content, and launching innovative programs (based on an incubator model to promote language transmission). Through an initiative launched and spearheaded by the Nous Foundation’s co-founders, Rudy Bazenet and Scott Tilton, Louisiana became the first state to join the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) in 2018. The OIF brings together 93 countries and regions, 16% of the global economy, and over 1 billion people.
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