Morrinho, founded in 1997, is a model made from pieces of bricks, installed in a favela (squatter settlement) in Rio de Janeiro. Over a thousand figurines inhabit this “toy,” avatars in a role-playing game that follows the rules of urban life where “bandits” and “good guys” alternate roles. In 2001, Morrinho was instituted as a cultural project and traveling exhibition. This event presents a series of short films narrated using Morrinho’s diminutive characters, with discussion led by the project’s participants, collaborators and researchers.

The Making of Global Capitalism, through its highly original analysis of the first great economic crisis of the twenty-first century, identifies the centrality of the social conflicts that occur within states rather than between them. These emerging fault lines hold out the possibility of new political movements transforming nation states and transcending global markets.

The all-encompassing embrace of world capitalism at the beginning of the twenty-first century was generally attributed to the superiority of competitive markets. Globalization had appeared to be the natural outcome of this unstoppable process. But today, with global markets roiling and increasingly reliant on state intervention to stay afloat, it has become clear that markets and states aren’t straightforwardly opposing forces.

Aden,1935; a city vibrant, alive, and full of hidden dangers. And home to Jama, a ten year-old boy. But then his mother dies unexpectedly and he finds himself alone in the world. Jama is forced home to his native Somalia, the land of his nomadic ancestors. War is on the horizon and the fascist Italian forces who control parts of East Africa are preparing for battle. Yet Jama cannot rest until he discovers whether his father, who has been absent from his life since he was a baby, is alive somewhere.

The Black Power Mixtape examines the evolution of the Black Power Movement in the black community and Diaspora from 1967 to 1975. The film combines music, startling 16mm footage (lying undiscovered in the cellar of Swedish Television for 30 years), and contemporary audio interviews from leading African-American artists, activists, musicians and scholars.

What is violence? Who gets to define it? Do illegal actions have a place in our movements? This discussion never takes place in a vacuum or on a level playing field; rather, it occurs within the context of a struggle that is already in progress, where every statement has immediate ramifications for the participants. Differing tactical approaches often reflect fundamental differences in strategy and goals.

Mazibuko Jara will discuss the current political situation in South Africa in the aftermath of the Lonmin-Marikana mineworker massacre and its broader context, including the internal ANC battles in the lead up to its conference in December, and what this means for working class struggles and efforts to build the left.

Dear Mandela is the remarkable story of Abahlali BaseMjondolo – Zulu for ‘people of the shacks – the largest movement of the poor to emerge in post-apartheid South Africa. Dear Mandela was awarded the ‘Best South African Documentary’ prize after its World Premiere at the Durban International Film Festival, and top prize, the ‘Grand Chameleon Award’, at its US premiere at the Brooklyn Film Festival.