Video: Afro-German Musicians Fighting Racism – “Yes I am” –

The documentary film, “Yes I am,” tells the story of Afro-German musicians fighting racism even though they are worlds apart.

These black German musicians came together to form the musical “Brothers Keepers” after a black man was beaten to death by a right-wing extremist teenager. Their journey of “Yes I am” started from that moment. A commitment to fight discrimination with their voice.

Synopsis: At the centre of this film are musicians Ade Bantu, D-Flame and Mamadee. When Ade was 15 years old his father was murdered in Nigeria. Following that he moved to Cologne with his German mother and siblings. When D-Flame’s problems with his mother escalated he was sent into a home and turned criminal. When Mamadee was ten years old, the German Democratic Republic collapsed dashing her dreams of wearing the red neckerchief worn by the Thälmann Pioneers.

All three have a black father and a white mother, but they all had to grow up without their fathers. They are all German and yet, because of their skin colour, are seen as being different. They met for the first time after the Mozambican Alberto Adriano was pummelled to death by three youths in a park in Dessau. Together with other black German musicians like Xavier Naidoo they founded the project “Brothers Keepers” (swiftly augmented by “Sisters Keepers”) with the aim of performing together in schools in East Germany and elsewhere to mobilise people to act against racism in everyday life.

“Yes I Am” is a documentary produced by Thomas Tielsch and directed by Sven Halfar. You can follow this link to watch the full movie, Culture Unplugged.

The movie was produce in Germany in 2007.