Édouard Glissant: One World in Relation

Manthia Diawara
February 1, 2019. 6:00PM.

Edouard Glissant: One World in Relation [screening]
Manthia Diawara
Presented by Knot Project Space and in relation to Kosisochukwu Nnebe’s exhibition at AxeNeo7
50 min


Knot Project Space is thrilled to have presented One World in Relation by Manthia Diawara, a documentary made in dialogue with the renowned and influential philosopher and poet, Édouard Glissant. The film, comprised of a series of interviews that Diawara conducted with Glissant during a transatlantic voyage, offers an introduction to Glissant’s complex constellation of thought that is both generous and profound.

The screening was positioned in relation to Kosisochukwu Nnebe’s past exhibition at AxeNeo7 titled ‘I want you to know that I am hiding something from you / since what I might be is uncontainable’ which references and builds from Glissant’s thinking, specifically by thinking through his notion of opacity. An artist talk by Nnebe took place on Saturday, February 2nd at AxeNeo7.

More about the film:
In 2009, filmmaker Manthia Diawara, along with his camera, documented his conversations with Martinican philosopher, writer, and poet Édouard Glissant aboard the Queen Mary II on their transatlantic journey from Southampton, England to New York City. This intellectual voyage encapsulates Glissant’s life’s work and studies on his theory of Relation and the concept of Tout-monde, amongst several other of his philosophical suppositions. Glissant is widely considered to be one of the most influential Caribbean thinkers and cultural commentators. Typically known for his written works, One World in Relation offers a more first-hand and accessible view into Glissant’s thoughts and beliefs on his own theories, as well as the topics of creolization, Rhizome, nation borders, and opacity. Produced only two years before his death, this documentary perhaps serves as a final summation of Glissant’s lauded work in the field of philosophy, and will prove to be especially useful for any student of philosophy, Caribbean or European studies.

About the filmmaker:
Malian filmmaker and cultural theorist Manthia Diawara is a celebrated author and director. He collaborated with author Ngûgî wa Thiong’o in making the documentary Sembène: The Making of African Cinema (1994), and has directed numourous films, including Rouch In Reverse (1995); In Search of Africa (1997); Bamako Sigi-Kan (2003); Who’s Afraid of Ngugi? (2006); and Negritude: A Dialogue Between Wole Soyinka and Senghor (2015). His most recent film, An Opera of the World (2016) premiered at dOCUMENTA 14.Diawara has also published widely on the topic of film and literature of the Black Diaspora. He is the author of Black-American Cinema: Aesthetics and Spectatorship (1993), African Cinema: Politics and Culture (1992), and In Search of Africa (1998). Dr. Diawara is Director of NYU’s Institute of Afro-American Affairs and Director of the Africana Studies Program. A native of Mali, he received his education in France and later traveled to the United States for his university studies. He has taught at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Pennsylvania.