American audience acclaim “INSIDE BUFFALO”, an Award winning feature film documentary which recently won the best documentary at Black International Cinema in Berlin. The story tells of the 92nd Buffalo Division, the all African American segregated combat unit that fought with outstanding heroism in Italy during the Second World War.
The battle of Sommocolonia , near Barga, fought by African Americans forces was one of the most important battles of the Italian front.
The City Hall of Barga, has been one of the sponsors of the project , believing that was necessary to promote the legacy of the unnoticed contribution of the African American soldiers who liberated many towns in Tuscany during WWII.
The Italian director, Fred Kuwornu, recently arrived back in Italy from a promotional tour of the main US institutions.
During the Black History Month and for most of March,the documentary has been screened at: Library of Congress, West Point Academy, Fort Belvoir, Headquarter of the Department of Veterans Affair, USC of Los Angeles, The Presidio in San Francisco, Martin Luther King jr. Memorial Library in Washington DC, Boston Public Library, Museum of African American Cinema in Harlem New York, California African American Museum,The Italian Embassy in Washington DC has hosted a special screening for the US Congresswoman and Congressman.
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Other screenings has been shown in the community venues: Churches, Schools, Libraries around the US.
“Inside Buffalo” recounts a critically important piece of African American history and places it squarely within the context of Civil Rights history. The “Buffalo Soldiers, were men who valiantly fought two wars at the same time; one against the Nazis, the other against racial discrimination.
Those who survived found that their contributions went unnoticed upon their return to United Stated of America.
Director Fred Kuwornu, an Italian film maker, searches out little-known aspects of the story, including details of the friendships forged between African American soldiers and the Tuscan partisan fighters and villagers they liberated from fascist rule.
It was a 2008 meeting with Spike Lee who was shooting “Miracle at St. Anna” on location in Tuscany — that inspired Kuwornu to start this very personal voyage of discovery culminating in the powerful documentary.
“inside Buffalo” was produced by FKK FILMZ and shot on location in Italy and the US. The documentary shows the background story of the 92nd infantry division, nicknamed the Buffalo Soldiers. That was the name that American Indians gave the black members of the U.S. Cavalry who fought Indians in the American West. The documentary is divided in 3 different periods, before WW II, during WW II and after WWII until today.
The main content of the documentary are the stories about the segregation in the army, the friendship between Italians and African Americans, and the discrimination when Buffaloes returned back home.
The central theme of Double V is the promise held out to African American military personnel that service in World War II would deliver to them a double victory – a “double V”- over tyranny abroad and racial prejudice at home. – Umberto Sereni
The last living African American soldier awarded the Medal of Honour in WWII, Vernon Baker, recounts vividly his war-time experiences and the heroism of his unit.
The film also includes a special courtesy appearance by President Barack Obama
INSIDE BUFFALO is a patchwork of stories that history almost forgot to tell … until now. It tells an untold story of ordinary people, Tuscans and African-Americans , who came together during a terrible time to act in a morally righteous manners.
Now available on Amazon.com – click this link other info on www.insidebuffalo.org
The film was first shown in was shown in the Teatro dei Differenti with an introduction by Vittorio Biondi and the director of the film Fred Kuwornu on 26th December 2008
