YORUBA RICHEN

Promised Land

Promised Land examines post-apartheid South Africa’s efforts to pursue racial reconciliation through land distribution. The film follows two black communities’ multi-year struggle to recover land taken from their ancestors during apartheid. Through these two stories, the epic battle over land and race unfolds with dramatic consequences for all sides. Promised Land was awarded a Diverse Voices co-production grant from the PBS program POV. The film also received support from NBPC, The Jerome Foundation, New York State Council of the Arts, Fledgling Fund, the International Reporting Project, the Caliban Foundation, and the Sharing Fund. Promised Land aired on PBS' POV in 2010 and has screened at more then 20 festivals around the globe. Check out the film website: http://www.promisedlandfilm.com/

Yoruba Richen is a Brooklyn based documentary filmmaker who has directed and produced films in the U.S and abroad including Africa, South America and South East Asia. In addition to Promised Land, Yoruba was the co-producer of Take it From Me, a documentary exploring the effects of welfare reform on New York City women, which was broadcast on POV in 2001. She was also an associate producer for the investigative unit of ABC News, as well as a producer for the independent radio and television news program Democracy Now. A winner of numerous grants including the prestigious Fulbright Award, Yoruba is also an assistant professor at CUNY's Graduate School of Journalism.

Yoruba has rejoined the Producers' Lab to work on her new film, The New Black, focusing on the complicated and often combative histories of the African-American and LGBT civil rights movements. This film promises to be equally provocative and illuminating as Promised Land. Go to her profile in Current Projects for more info.