The African Desperate

Bridging the worlds of contemporary art and film, Martine Syms follows 24 introspective yet wild hours in the life of Palace, a visual artist finding her way just after graduating from a predominantly white MFA program in upstate New York. This autobiographical story, starring Diamond Stingily and inspired by Syms’ time at Bard College, satirizes the racism of the art world, tracing reactions to Palace’s inclusion in the Venice Biennale and her very presence. Part comedy, part hallucinatory fever dream, part jaded rom-com, this extraordinary and singular debut is marked by Syms’ celebrated command of the artistic conversation. Its extravagant visual style and bold editing redefine what’s possible on the big screen - seeding even more for Syms to pioneer in her landmark, multidisciplinary body of work. (MUBI)