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Sights & Sounds: David Roach

Aran Johnson, Wikimedia Commons

Sights and Sounds is your weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene. This week, David Roach, co-founder  and director of the Oakland International Film Festival, sat down with KALW's Jenee Darden to talk about three events happening around the Bay Area this weekend.

Luce stars Kelvin Harrison Jr. as a star high school student and athlete. Before being adopted by white American parents, Luce was a child soldier in Africa. When he writes a disturbing term paper, his past becomes an issue, and the film creatively analyzes issues of race and class through the lens of a psychological thriller. Also starring Octavio Spencer, Tim Roth and Naomi Watts, the film received rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Luce is playing at Landmark Shattuck Cinemas in Downtown Berkeley.

Iya Iya's House of Burning Souls is the latest production by the Lower Bottom Playaz. The play is a set of stories by and about women which examines themes of healing, the rise of the feminine voice and reclaiming the feminine divine. Iya Iya means grandmother in Yoruba. The play stars Ayodele Nzinga, Cat Brooks and Khyrishi Wiginton. Iya Iya's House of Burning Souls begins this weekend and runs until Sept. 22 at The Flight Deck in Downtown Oakland.

The Lost Element is a compilation film that follows young artist Leo Mercer through the streets of Oakland. It shows his progression from boy to man, healer, and community organizer. The film also addresses such issues as gentrification, mass incarceration, and cultural extortion. Catch it at the New Parkway Theater this Sunday at 12pm , followed by a Q & A with Leo Mercer himself.
 

The Oakland International Film Festivalstarts September 19th and goes until Sept. 29th. Make sure to see KALW's Where is East Oakland? documentary at the festival.

Jeneé Darden is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and proud Oakland native. She is the executive producer and host of the weekly arts segment Sights & Sounds as well as the series Sights + Sounds Magazine. Jeneé also covers East Oakland for KALW. Jeneé has reported for NPR, Marketplace, KQED, KPCC, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony magazine, Refinery29 and other outlets. In 2005, she reported on the London transit bombings for Time magazine. Prior to coming to KALW, she hosted the podcast Mental Health and Wellness Radio.