
GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME
GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME
Documentary, Social Justice, Music, Culture, African American
United States
2023
Runtime, min
70
Undeterred by decades of prejudice, post-Katrina neglect, and ongoing appropriation of their traditions, three generations of the extraordinary, multi-talented Harrison family guard their legacy and define what Black masking culture means in New Orleans today. Initiated and filmed by the celebrated Oscar winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme, the film was shot over the course of 15 years documenting the artistry and activism of three generations of the Harrison family of New Orleans. In the course of this African American family’s fight to recover not just from Hurricane Katrina but from a history of cultural suppression, we meet the matriarch Herreast Harrison, whose dream is to found a museum dedicated to her husband’s legacy. Along the way we are also introduced to her four talented children: a renowned saxophonist, a master beader in the closely-guarded Mardi Gras tradition, a performance artist and educator, and a singer and manager of Herreast’s grandson’s musical career. In the decades-long struggle towards survival and healing, we’re given an intimate view of the family’s determination to educate and preserve culture - from a social and pleasure club parade to a brass band commemoration, culminating in the spectacular Mardi Gras unveiling of the Guardians of the Flame.



Upcoming screening:
Selections and Awards:
Maupintown Film Festival Charlottesville, VA July 8, 2023 sneak peek Official Selection United States, Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival Indianapolis August 5, 2023 Official Selection United States, Portobello Film Festival London September 3, 2023 UK Premiere Official Selection United Kingdom, Lane Doc Film Fest Jackson, TN September 30, 2023 Tennessee Premiere Official Selection United States, Korea International Ethnographic Film Festival December 28, 2023 Asian Premiere Official Selection Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, All That Moves Sao Paolo January 27, 2024 South American Premiere Selection Brazil, Alexandria Film Festival Alexandria, VA November 10, 2023 DC Area Premiere Official Selection United States
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