EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to internet connectivity problems beyond our control, the audio quality of this edition of the podcast is bit lower than usual. Our sincere apologies.
The African migrant population in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is largely made up of traders, predominantly from Nigeria. However, to define the community in such limited terms does not do justice to the real diversity that exists within the African diaspora in China. The new short-documentary “China Remix” showcases the dynamism and challenges of the African migrant population in China through the stories of several musical performers who are trying to build a new life in Guangzhou.
The film’s New York-based producers Melissa Lefowitz and Dorian Carli-Jones join Eric & Cobus to discuss their new film and how these African migrants are assimilating into Chinese society.
Melissa Lefkowitz holds a BA in Literature and East Asian Studies from New York University and an MA in East Asian Studies from Harvard University, where her research encompassed the regions of China and Sub-Saharan Africa and focused on the visual representation of Africans in Chinese mass media. In September 2015, she will matriculate into NYU’s doctoral program in sociocultural anthropology.
Dorian Carli-Jones is a New York-based independent filmmaker, holding a BFA in Film & Television Production from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Since graduation, Dorian has directed and produced various short and feature films, as well as episodics, instructionals, and music videos. China Remix represents Dorian’s first foray into documentary filmmaking. Dorian is currently in post-production on his latest short narrative film, Target Practice. More about Dorian’s work can be found at doriancarli-jones.com.
