Carnegie Hall 2024

Cinematic Documentation

The Water Bearer

A Story of Liberation

BlackGermany.com is thrilled to host the non-profit association and creative collective Black German Arts and Culture, one of over 50 partners from across New York City and beyond participating in the Weimar Festival 2024, “The Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice”!

Navigating one of the most intricate and pivotal periods in modern human history — the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) — the cinematic adaptation of the multimedia play “The Water Bearer. A Story of Liberation” unfolds episodes of Black German history – past, present and future.

Free Access

until May, 31.

In the multimedia show, the Black German artist collective breathes life into the bronze statue, „The Nubian Water Bearer“, crafted by Jewish sculptor Bernhard Sopher (1879 – 1949), which has graced the Rheinterrassen in Düsseldorf since 1928, with interruptions during the national socialist era. The captivating playwright narrates a compelling story of resilience, empowerment, and self-determination taking the audience on an emotional journey into the Afrofuture.

The cinematic documentation derives from the highly praised stage production that premiered on February 14, 2024 at the Studiobühne in Düsseldorf, Germany. After three years of conceptualization and negotiations with the Düsseldorf Cultural Office and the State Ministry of Culture and Science, The Water Bearer represents the inaugural international production of Germany‘s first Institute for Black German Arts and Culture.