In the setting of the historic Carver Community Cultural Center in San Antonio, Texas, an aunt and her niece explore the history of African American music.
Aunt Cynthia, a music history buff, helps her niece Lauren learn about the music genres that were born and formed by African American history and culture. They cover a wide breadth, all the way from the times of slavery, to Negro Spirituals, Blues, Ragtime, Jazz, the Harlem Renaissance, Gospel, the Civil Rights movement, Soul and R&B, and Hip Hop. Cynthia works to inspire Lauren’s curiosity about these periods of history by continuously making it relevant to the music and uses the layers of a quilt to explain how music of the past connects to the contemporary music that Lauren is most familiar with. By the end of the film, Lauren feels more empowered by the generational connections of music and culture she has learned.
JULYA JARA is a film director and editor. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute, where she graduated with distinction. As an actress, she has worked across theatre, film, and television before evolving into directing.
Through her production company, Artefact Media, Julya directed, edited, and produced The Quilt, an award-winning feature documentary acquired by PBS for its Made in Texas series. Her narrative short Subtract Nine Sundays, which she directed, edited, and executive produced, received a Jury Award presented by the Texas Film Commission at the 28th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, and is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).
Julya's technical fluency behind the camera, built through camera operating work and an ongoing street photography practice, informs her eye as a director and editor.
She is based in Austin, Texas and is currently developing her next project.
Queens Underground International Film Festival 2023
Chicago International Children's Film Festival 2023
International Black Film Festival 2023
Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival 2023
Saint Louis International Film Festival 2023
Atlanta Children’s Film Festival 2023 - Best Documentary Feature
San Antonio Black Film Festival 2023 - Audience Choice Award
Chicago International Children’s Film Festival 2023 - 2nd Prize Documentary Feature Film
Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival 2023 - Semifinalist
Singer - Michael Sumuel
Singer - Veronica Williams
Pianist - Arlington Jones
