“Oceans From Home” is an unflinching docudrama confronting four centuries of terrorism and genocide inflicted upon the Indigenous peoples and Africans of America. Courtesy photo

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Lincoln Village Businessman and Multidisciplinary filmmaker a’Ali DeSousa and Soulstorm Media Group™ have achieved back-to-back recognition at the Cannes World Film Festival. A festival whose selected creatives and works have featured Donald Sutherland, Clint Eastwood, Jane Goodall, Johnny Depp, the Dalai Lama and dozens of the world’s most distinguished artists, scientists and visionaries.

Last year, his docudrama “Oceans From Home” earned Finalist nominations for Best Short Documentary and Best Director at Cannes and Best Short Documentary at the Djargo International Film Festival. This year, his HUMANCENTRIC™ Testimony Film “Survivor’s Anthem (Flying With Angels)” has been officially selected at Cannes, with Finalist notifications announced May 7.

“Survivor’s Anthem (Flying With Angels)” is the inaugural work in a formal new cinematic genre — the Testimony Film — introduced through the HUMANCENTRIC™ framework. Where documentary bears witness and music, spoken word or silence moves the spirit, the Testimony Film does both simultaneously. “Survivor’s Anthem (Flying With Angels)” — the score is not illustrating a story. The score is the testimony.

“Dedicated to every survivor who was never believed.”

“Survivor’s Anthem (Flying With Angels)” is the inaugural work in a formal new cinematic genre — the Testimony Film — introduced through the HUMANCENTRIC™ framework. Courtesy photo

“Oceans From Home” is an unflinching docudrama confronting four centuries of terrorism and genocide inflicted upon the Indigenous peoples and Africans of America — a poignant reckoning with a debt that remains unsettled. Video on Demand world premiered on Vimeo On Demand, April 24.

a’Ali DeSousa is a Cannes-recognized writer, director, producer, composer and lead actor. This 71 years young filmmaker does not consider himself the author of these works so much as their vessel — what arrives, he renders faithfully, at the highest standard the craft allows.