CHAPEL HILL -- The Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History will open its annual Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film on Thursday with a showing of "Follow Me Home," a story about the relationships of four artists -- one black, one American Indian and two Latino cousins -- who travel cross-country to paint a mural on the White House.

Joseph Jordan, the center's director and an associate professor at the UNC, said he chose the film because of the complex relationships developed between the characters.

"You rarely see a focus on relationships between people of color," Jordan said. "When it does happen, it's not what you see as a thoughtful and critically engaging dialogue or examination. And that's what you see in this."

A discussion led by Native American activist Lakota Harden will follow the film.

The center will pay tribute to Paul Robeson, an entertainer and social activist, with a special exhibit in early October. And it will show three more films in the fall.

The second film, to be shown Sept. 20, will be "Naming Number Two," about a Fijian family figuring out who will be named as the new matriarch of the family.

It challenges casting norms by putting well-known black actress Ruby Dee in the role of the Fijian matriarch.

"For me it sort of [holds] notions of grandmothers holding families together that crosses over in the African-American family to a place as remote to us as Fiji," Jordan said.

"Skin Complex" will be the third film, showing Oct. 2. It's a serious short film about a black person who is getting ready to undergo the first race-change operation. The Stone Center has invited the director, Craig Harris, to be a part of the discussion after the film.

The festival will wrap up with "Son of Man," a retelling of the story of Jesus set in contemporary South Africa.

Jordan, who picks the films for the annual festival, said it's always interesting to see how the audience responds to them.

"A lot of times your assumption about what will draw the greatest reaction does not play out," he said.

Last year the focus was South Asian and African-American interactions. The year before it was Latino and black interactions.

"We really have to focus on sort of thematically challenging people to actually think," Jordan said. "And have a sort of faith in the audience that they will engage in that critical process."

All the programs are open to the community at no cost.