New Documentary 'Am I?' Explores What It Means To Be African And American

"You've got to be able to be a chameleon sometimes."

Cultural identity is always complex, especially for those who straddle the lines of two worlds. So when you're an African living in America, how do you navigate what it means to "African-American?"

It's this idea that Sierra Leonean-American filmmaker Nadia Sasso explores in her documentary, "Am I: Too African to be American or Too American to be African?" The first in a series, the film features interviews with several women of African descent in media, including "Awkward Black Girl" creator Issa Rae, who is half-Senegalese.

The film highlights issues that divide African and black American people in the United States, including internalized prejudices and a lack of community.

"It's a fine line. You have to get your identity together. You've got to be able to be a chameleon sometimes, be in both places," says Sierra Leonean-American Mariama Jalloh-Heyward in the movie's first trailer (above).

"Am I?" is touring the east coast in a series of pop-up screenings this month. For more info go to amithefilm.com

H/T Blativity

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