Why Black film matters

Arrick Wilson, Photo Editor

Black film is more than a movie made by a Black person; it’s the stories, themes, cultural relevance and messages that resonate with Black audiences.

Oscar Micheaux, born in 1884, was one of the first Black filmmakers and producers in film history. I’m guessing you didn’t know that, did you? Amassing over 44 films, he was a pioneer for his time, creating films that targeted racism in the early 20th century.

I brought up Micheaux to explain the little-known influence that has birthed many Black filmmakers. Spike Lee, a two-time Oscar award winner and pioneer once called Micheaux his “idol,” stating that Micheaux inspired him to shoot his first project, according to IndieWire.

Black film matters just because of this. Black filmmakers are influenced by others, creating and giving the proper representation needed to tell Black stories.

Proper representation is essential in Black stories, as only we can tell our own. While yes, others can write Black films and characters, no one can do it like us. There is a sense of authenticity in Black films, which in turn resonates with Black viewers.

Think of Spike Lee’s 1989 release, “Do The Right Thing.” The film is a social commentary on racial stereotypes and the social structure of America. 

Lee establishes the modern reality of America’s melting pot of diversity filled with conflict in the film, eerily mirroring the happenings of life today. This film matters because it has continued to show America a mirror of itself. With it being created by a Black man, the film demonstrates the conditions of a Black person in the United States.

Black film is a story of culture, a retelling of a journey and an honoring of the past as well as the future. 

Speaking of the past, many Black filmmakers make historical films based on different time periods in United States history, as the themes provide historical context for the future. Filmmaker and director Ava DuVernay frequently makes films meant as a representation of the past. As a director of the 2017 film “Selma,” DuVernay showed a snapshot of the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.

DuVernay additionally directed “When They See Us,” the 2019 television series on the false arrests of the Central Park Five in New York. Both of these films are period pieces that document and showcase the happenings of racism and the fight for equal rights in the Black community. 

These two sensitive pieces are made to make the viewer realize the horrors and problems that racism has done. Films like these two are done purposely to enact change for the future by telling the past. 

Jordan Peele changed my life with his directorial debut release of “Get Out” in 2017. Peele often utilizes Afro-surrealism in his work, which was first introduced to me in this film. Afro-surrealism is where “strangeness and blackness” meet and co-exist together, according to an article by The Guardian. 

Peele uses Afro-surrealism in “Get Out” by creating this hypnotizing, mythical space called the “sunken place” that is used to put white brains into Black bodies. The film is an allegory for racism still being alive in America, being carried by conditioned oppression and dehumanization of the Black community. 

I think this is what Black film does best: creating a story that is used to become an allegory for life in America. Afro-surrealism carries this story by utilizing its “strangeness” to tell the utmost truth. 

Though the genre of Black film can be seen as a monolith, filmmakers showcase Blackness through a plethora of topics. For example, Barry Jenkins’ 2016 film “Moonlight” speaks on Black masculinity, tackling the topic of sexuality in Black America. 

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2000 film “Love & Basketball” showcases Black love in its lightest and darkest moments. 

Gary Gray’s 1995 film “Friday” follows two friends navigating the day after one gets fired on his day off. 

Whether it’s drama, historical fiction or even comedy, Black film reflects Black life. Black film, in all its forms, is essential. It’s powerful. It’s authentic. It’s Black.

Black filmmakers create a path to reflect on their part in America by telling Black stories with authenticity and creativity. Black films showcase the good and bad, helping the world see our perspective — showcasing that Black life, in all its forms, is worthy of celebration.

Keep watching, keep celebrating and keep supporting Black cinema.