SXSW 2025

The Ebony Canal: Filmmaking Difficult Topics

Description:

Black babies are 2.4 times likely to lose their lives before their first birthdays than their White counterparts. This fact sets the premise of the documentary, “The Ebony Canal,” which centers the pregnancy journeys of four Black women. Four-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, Emmai Alaquiva, crystallizes the issue of Black infant mortality with focused-driven enlightenment by speaking truth to power over radical trauma. This artistry and activism (“artivism”) invites the creative to consider solutions. Filmmakers will learn to prioritize social issues and enliven them with a fresh approach.

Additional Supporting Materials

Slide Deck

Other Resources / Information

https://www.theebonycanal.com

Takeaways

  1. Tackle hard subjects and issues without falling into the damned trauma loop.
  2. Locate supporting research for documentary films.
  3. Strategies to help interview subjects reveal the most intimate parts of their lives.

Speakers

Organizer

Emmai Alaquiva, Director, Ya Momz House, Inc.

Meta Information:

  • Event: SXSW
  • Format: Fireside Chat
  • Track: Creating Film & TV
  • Track 2
  • Level: Advanced
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