“It Ain’t About The Money”
Race films have evolved into what people recognize as
independent films or cinema today. At the start of production until now, most
African-American films have not focus on expense as much as theme and overall
perception by the audience. Race films were produced exclusively for Blacks to
tell authentic Black stories. With that
background, what resonates the most with me about Black cinema or the
discussion of African-American film is the production value.
I appreciate the frugality and passion displayed by early
African-American filmmakers. Although Black films were considered low art,
African-American film writers accomplished the mission of providing an
alternative view of Black lives and culture than that which has be displayed
over the years. Manthia Diawara explains how “filmmakers’ independence from
Hollywood enables then to put on the screen Black lives and concerns that
derive from the complexity of Black communites. Early independent film makers
and current Black film writers typically do not focus on displays of
African-American poverty and social decay but instead display African Americans
as educated, genteel protagonists which is very refreshing in comparison to the
usual display of uneducated drug addicts.
No comments:
Post a Comment