Thursday, October 18th
7:30PM
Maysles Cinema
I'M NEW HERE
Dir. Bram Van Paesschen
Documentary, 2017, 92 Min.
Swahili, Lingala, French, Cantonese, Mandarin & English, w/ English subtitles
For many years, Guangzhou, China has been the Eldorado for African migrants, who chase their fortune shipping cheap Chinese goods back to their home countries. I'm New Here is a rare glimpse into the lives of Congolese entrepreneurs residing in Tian Xiu, a massive communist-style apartment building that has become the landing strip for Africans in China. Some of the entrepreneurs adapt quickly, learning the language, building relationships, and earning quick money. Others are not so lucky -- left empty-handed by constantly changing laws, miscommunications, and outright racism. I'm New Here is a poignant human portrait of the expanding economic relationship between China and the African continent.
Bram Van Paesschen has been making films (Pale Peko Bantu Mambo Ayikosake, 2008, Empire of Dust, 2011) since he graduated from film school. He lives and works in Brussels. Except for when he’s elsewhere.