Cinema

Harry Belafonte on Race & Cinema

Posted on by in Cinema, Film Critics Circle Awards, Harry Belafonte, New York, Quotes, Race.

This is from a speech made by the legendary artist Harry Belafonte at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards last week.

“… The power of cinema is an uncontainable thing and it’s truly remarkable, in its capacity for emotional evolution. When I was first watching the world of cinema, there was a film that stunned the world, with all its aspects and art form. They did a lot, at that time. The film was done by D.W. Griffith, and it was called The Birth of a Nation, and it talked about America’s story, its identity, and its place in the universe of nations. And that film depicted the struggles of this country with passion and power and great human abuse. Its depiction of black people was carried with great cruelty. And the power of cinema styled this nation, after the release of the film, to riot and to pillage and to burn and to murder black citizens. The power of film.

At the age of five, in 1932, I had the great thrill of going to the cinema. It was a great relief for those of us who were born into poverty, a way we tried to get away from the misery. One of the films they made for us, the first film I saw, was Tarzan of the Apes. [Ed note: The movie is called Tarzan the Ape Man.] In that film, [we] looked to see the human beauty of Johnny Weissmuller swinging through the trees, jump off, and there spring to life, while the rest were depicted as grossly subhuman, who were ignorant, who did not know their way around the elements, living in forests with wild animals. Not until Johnny Weissmuller stepped into a scene did we know who we were, according to cinema.
Throughout the rest of my life … on my birth certificate, it said “colored.” Not long after that, I became “Negro.” Not too long after that, I became “black.” Most recently, I am now “African-American.” I spent the better part of almost a century just in search of, seeking, “Who am I? What am I? What am I to be called? What do I say? Who do I appeal to? Who should I be cautious of?” In this life, when we walk into the world of cinema, we use the instrument that is our ability to try to give another impression of who and what we were as a people, and what we meant to this great nation called America. I’m glad that Sidney Poitier should step into this space right after the Second World War, and new images of what we are as people, certainly as men.

A lot’s gone on with Hollywood. A lot could be said about it. But at this moment, I think what is redeeming, what is transformative, is the fact that a genius, an artist, is of African descent, although he’s not from America, he is of America, and he is of that America which is part of his own heritage; [he] made a film called 12 Years a Slave, which is stunning in the most emperial way. So it’s a stage that enters a charge made byThe Birth of a Nation, that we were not a people, we were evil, rapists, abusers, absent of intelligence, absent of soul, heart, inside. In this film,12 Years a Slave, Steve steps in and shows us, in an overt way, that the depth and power of cinema is there for now the world to see us in another way. I was five when I saw Tarzan of the Apes, and the one thing I never wanted to be, after seeing that film, was an African. I didn’t want to be associated with anybody that could have been depicted as so useless and meaningless. And yet, life in New York led me to other horizons, other experiences. And now I can say, in my 87th year of life, that I am joyed, I am overjoyed, that I should have lived long enough to see Steve McQueen step into this space and for the first time in the history of cinema, give us a work, a film, that touches the depths of who we are as a people, touches the depths of what America is as a country, and gives us a sense of understanding more deeply what our past has been, how glorious our future will be, and could be.
I think that the Circle Award made a wise decision picking you as the director of the year. I think we look forward in anticipation to what you do in the future. But even if you never do anything else, many in your tribe, many in the world, are deeply grateful of the time and genius it took to show us a way that it should be. Forever and eternally grateful to say that we are of African descent. Thank you.“
– Text provided by Vulture 

Filmmakers of Color Speak at Tribecca Film Festival

Posted on by in Cinema, Film, Tribecca Film Festival.

Last month the Tribecca Film Festival hosted a panel of filmmakers of color called “Look Who’s Talking.” The panel consisted of Nelson George, Tambay Obenson, Frida Torresblanco, and Terrence Nance. It was moderated by Beth Jansen. The members speak on diversity in film, opportunities for people of color within the industry and their own experiences in making and distributing their work.

Still Thanking Black Starz 11 Years Later

Posted on by in 2002, Black Starz, Cinema, Facebook, Film, HD video, House Party, Joe and Max, Love Jones, March, Twitter, webisodes.

When the month of March rolls around, I get flashbacks. You see, while this site is just under a year-and-a-half old, media –specifically film– has intrigued me for the better part of 11 years. It’s been this fascination with moving images and the stories behind them, that has left me like a small boy chasing a dream that always seems just beyond the horizon. It all started rather simply.

March of 2002 was an interesting time. I was 6 months into my freshman year of high school, my Oakland Raiders were a winning and respectable organization, and I was witnessing a miracle at the Meadowlands as Jason Kidd was leading the then New Jersey Nets on a path to the NBA Finals. It was also the time when my family upgraded from basic cable to digital cable. I had never seen so many channels before in my life. As great as the sheer volume of channels were, it was the included movie packages that caught my attention.

One of those packages was the Starz package. It was 5 channels of the Starz network and one of those channels was strictly dedicated to people of color. It was called Black Starz and it opened my eyes to a world of cinema I had never seen before. Seeing people who looked like me headlining movies on a 24/7 basis made me wonder why there wasn’t more diversity in Hollywood in the first place. It wasn’t just feature films shown on Black Starz, but shorts and documentaries as well. Ultimately, it left me with the impression that there should be more of these films shown.

From there I began writing down the films each month that had the greatest impact on me. I called the list my ‘Movies of the Month’ list. Movies such as: “To Sir With Love II,” “Love Jones,” “Joe & Max,” “Against the Wall,” and “House Party,” were just some of the few that I wrote down. Later, I would take a few documentary courses under the journalism department at my college, getting my feet wet in the industry.

Since graduating, I’ve been able to work on documentaries, shorts, features, music videos, and now a webisode. Each time learning something new and meeting new people. Now I watch movies with a whole different perspective than I did as a teenager. Once you’ve been behind the scenes and see the amount of work that goes into making a movie, you have a whole different level of appreciation for the craft.

After a few years of working on various projects (and doing odd jobs in the process to pay the bills) I started FilmSwag in the fall of 2011. I’ve certainly learned a lot and am still learning. In the 11 years since viewing Black Starz, the technology has come a long away. It’s never been easier to start filming your own projects. HD video was not readily available to many in ’02, now most cell phones come equipped with 720p or 1080p cameras. Youtube has opened up the platform immensely for aspiring filmmakers. And the rise of social media like Twitter and Facebook have made it easier to connect with one another in record time around the globe. So now in 2013 as there are many more avenues for our stories to be told, I continue to keep learning as much as possible, just like when I started out 11 years ago.

As Black History Month Comes to a Close, The Education Must Continue

Posted on by in Black History Month, Booty Call, Cinema, Dorothy Dandridge, Gone With the Wind, Julie Dash, Kasi Lemmons, Library, Oscar Micheaux, Spike Lee, Stepin' Fetchit.

It’s often a joke that Black History Month takes place during the shortest month of the year. However, the lack of history — especially cinematic history of African Americans — taught in schools is no laughing matter. This lack of teaching can often be reflected in embarrassing displays of ignorance, despite the best intentions.

I remember one night during my sophomore year of college heading to the video section of the on campus library to rent a movie for a class project. It was February and so there were a few things going on in regards to Black History Month. As I’m walking towards the video department, I notice a display case with a sign above it that reads something along the lines of “Black History Month Films.” I took a peek at what films were in the display case and after seeing the selection of movies, I was ready to slap somebody. Stepin’ Fetchit, “Gone With the Wind,” “The Amos n’ Andy Show,” and, drum roll please . . . “Booty Call.” These were the names and films chosen to ‘honor’ Black History Month.

After being shocked and disappointed at the displayed movies, I wrote a letter to one of the people in charge at the library and he responded basically saying that he apologizes and honestly didn’t realize the offensive nature of the films displayed. This begs the question, why wasn’t he aware that these films might be controversial, and how come not one person rose their hand and suggested that perhaps featuring “Booty Call” for a Black History Month display was not the smartest of ideas?

Ultimately, I don’t believe there was any malicious intent involved with the choice of movies displayed, but there was a heavy dose of ignorance present. If these types of mistakes can happen at an institution of higher learning, then what does that say about the rest of our society? Not enough people know about Dorothy Dandridge, or the man known as the godfather of black cinema — Oscar Micheaux. Everybody’s heard of “Shaft,” but what about the man who directed it? Even the work of more current people like Spike Lee, Kasi Lemmons, and Julie Dash, could have been featured in that display case, but weren’t. What does this all mean? That when it comes to black history, if we really want to begin to understand the stories of more than 400 years in this country, 28 days in February is only the beginning of what should be a 365 day process.

The Root Talks With Louis Gossett Jr. on Post Oscar Blues

Posted on by in Cinema, Film, Hollywood, Louis Gossett Jr..

A very good interview with Louis Gossett Jr. on the triumphs and challenges of winning an Oscar and then struggling to find work in the aftermath. Gossett speaks glowingly of working on the groundbreaking TV mini-series “Roots,” how he started out, battling alcoholism, and his current work with his foundation Eracism. Definitely worth the read.

Check it out here.

                                        Image courtesy of The Root

Looking at Nina Through A Different Hue

Posted on by in Cinema, Civil Rights, Nina Simone, Thurgood Marshall, Zoe Saldana.

So I heard about this casting snafu a few weeks back, but it wasn’t until a friend enlightened me about it that I began to take notice.

Apparently there is a biopic being done of the late great Nina Simone. Simone was more than just a singer. She was an activist, intellect, and a woman whose words and music influenced millions of people. Her round nose, dark hue, and potent afro, only helped to accentuate the struggle for Civil Rights during the turbulent 1960s.


Now it has come to light that director Cynthia Mort plans on doing a biopic of Nina Simone entitled, “Nina.” It is worth noting that whenever this movie comes out, it will be done without the blessing of the Nina Simone estate. Simone’s daughter lambasted the yet to be released film, but it appears all systems go with the casting of lead actress Zoe Saldana in the role of Simone.

This is where things get tricky. While I certainly appreciate the work of Zoe Saldana, it is worth noting that she looks nothing like Nina Simone. Some of you may say, “Well the actor doesn’t always have to look like the person they’re portraying.” And in many cases you would be right. However, because of who Simone was and the time in which she lived, and because her looks and features were so closely tied to her music and the movements of a nation, the looks of the actress portraying her do matter somewhat.

Now this isn’t to say Zoe Saldana is not permitted to play Nina Simone because of her lighter skin and more European features, I’m just saying there are better choices out there. For one, I think India Arie would be perfect. Not only because she looks more like Simone, but because unlike Saldana, Arie comes from a musical background. This is key in that audiences might be more inclined to believe India Arie as Simone than Saldana.

Photo Courtesy of Uptown Magazine

The casting of Zoe Saldana has made some people just downright mad. There is currently an online petition sponsored by one website that wants Saldana replaced from the film. A number of blogs and movie sites have picked up on this issue. Extensive debates have been taking place on Twitter and Facebook about just who has the right to portray who and the historical significance of this. Even the New York Times devoted an article to the Saldana controversy last week.

I think it is good that this issue of casting is being discussed and that people are taking notice. I also believe we’re treading down a dangerous slope when large swaths of people demand an actor be removed from a film because they don’t believe that the actor looks enough like the person whom they are portraying. Only time will tell if the director made the right decision in casting Saldana as Simone.

One thing people should keep in mind though, is that this is not the first time a black actor has portrayed a black icon of whom they bear little physical resemblance to. In the 1991 made for TV movie “Separate But Equal,” Sidney Poitier portrayed former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Poitier looks nothing like Marshall, but there were no protests or petitions decrying such discrepancies. Perhaps, something to think about.

 

A Brief Intro

Posted on by in Cinema, Film, Movies.

To everyone who might see this and read this, I say thank you. I’m Warin. I’m a guy into film and specifically interested in how people of color are perceived through film and media in general. This blog will have a little of everything in it. Movie reviews, current events, flashback ground breakers, and what’s going on today. Let’s get educated together.