While there was only one student present at the viewing, Hellen Lee-Keller, assistant professor of English, was happy to see that someone joined to watch the film, “Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony” with her Wednesday night in Multi-Cultural Center. “The number of students showing up has been pretty uneven,” she said. “I used to have about 20 people at each event last year, but this semester it has been one or two, ten at the most.” As the final event of One-Book movie series, Lee-Keller presented “Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony” on Wednesday night in the Multi Culture Center. The movie is a collection of interviews and footage from political activists, musicians, poets and leaders who were a part of South Africa’s movement against apartheid. “All the segregation and discrimination were happening just 20 years ago,” said Raquell Sanchez, graduate counseling major. “I had no idea that these things were still happening in my life time.” Sanchez and Lee-Keller agreed that music is what helped the activists and the oppressed people of South Africa to keep fighting for justice. “I really liked the musical aspect of the film,” Sanchez said. “It tells you their story and in a way I felt like I was living it. I felt that they were trying to keep a positive attitude through music.” Lee-Keller, who coordinated the event, chose the film. She said she doesn’t pre-screen the movies that she shows because she wants to experience it with her students. “It’s a low-key event,” Keller said. “I just want the audience to walk away with something after the film.” Activists and musicians said in the film that chants and poetry reflected their emotions as well as the state of mind. “It’s like how NWA showed their experience through music,” Keller said. “It’s either revolution through violence or revolution through art.” For Bauj Shang, program intern at the Multi-Cultural Center and senior communications major, the movie was not only musical, but political as well. “Music and politics go together,” Shang said. “Each activist said music is what got them through. Even today, there are so many political songs.” The movie was the last film in the One-book movie series theme, relocation and internment. The theme was based on Julie Otsuka’s “When the Emperor was Divine.” Keller chose “Amandla!” because she wanted to end the series with a positive movie with music. “I think music worked to their advantage,” Sanchez said. “It seemed like it served a good purpose and their music was very powerful too.”

Miyu Kataoka can be reached at [email protected].