In the setting of the historic Carver Community Cultural Center in San Antonio, Texas, an aunt and her niece explore the history of African American music.
Aunt Cynthia, a music history buff, helps her niece Lauren learn about the music genres that were born and formed by African American history and culture. They cover a wide breadth, all the way from the times of slavery, to Negro Spirituals, Blues, Ragtime, Jazz, the Harlem Renaissance, Gospel, the Civil Rights movement, Soul and R&B, and Hip Hop. Cynthia works to inspire Lauren’s curiosity about these periods of history by continuously making it relevant to the music and uses the layers of a quilt to explain how music of the past connects to the contemporary music that Lauren is most familiar with. By the end of the film, Lauren feels more empowered by the generational connections of music and culture she has learned.
JULYA JARA is a film director with formal training in acting. She earned her BA in Theatre from the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute, where she graduated with distinction.
Her feature documentary THE QUILT received multiple festival awards, including Best Documentary Feature at the Queens Underground International Film Festival, Atlanta Children’s Film Festival, San Diego International Kids Film Festival, and Urban Mediamakers Film Festival; Audience Choice Award at the San Antonio Black International Film Festival; and 2nd Prize from the Children’s Jury at FACETS’ 40th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.
Her latest narrative short, SUBTRACT NINE SUNDAYS, is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).
Julya’s work behind the camera is informed by her experience on stage and screen as an actress, and by her background in photography and visual storytelling.
Queens Underground International Film Festival 2023
Chicago International Children's Film Festival 2023
International Black Film Festival 2023
Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival 2023
Saint Louis International Film Festival 2023
Atlanta Children’s Film Festival 2023 - Best Documentary Feature
San Antonio Black Film Festival 2023 - Audience Choice Award
Chicago International Children’s Film Festival 2023 - 2nd Prize Documentary Feature Film
Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival 2023 - Semifinalist
Singer - Michael Sumuel
Singer - Veronica Williams
Pianist - Arlington Jones
