Co-Produced with the Black Film Institute of the University of the District of Columbia the Vision

Co-produced with the Black Film Institute of the University of the District of Columbia the vision. the voice.

From LA to London and Martinique to Mali. We bring you the world ofBlackfilm.

Ifyou're concerned about Black images in commercial film and tele­ vision, you already know that Hollywood does not reflect the rnulti- cultural nature ofcontemporary society. You know thatwhen Blacks are not absent they are confined to predictable, one-dill1ensional roles. You ll1ay argue that ll10vies and television shape our reality or that they sinlply reflect that reality. In any case, no one can deny the need to take a closer look atwhat is cOllling out ofthis powerfullllediulll.

BlackFilm Review is the forum you've been looking for. Four times a year, we bringyou film criticism from a Black perspective. We look behind the surface and challenge ardinary assumptiol~s about the Black image. We feature actors aI~d actresses that go agall~st the grail~, aI~d we fill you ll~ Ol~ the rich history ofBlacks ll~ American filrnrnakll~g- a history that goes back to 1910!

And, Black Film Review is the only magazine that brings you news, reviews and in-deptl1 interviews frOIn tl1e Illost vibrant movement in conteIllporary film. You know about Spike Lee butw11at about Euz11an Paley or lsaacJulien? Soulelllayne Cisse or Charles Burnette? Tl1rougl1­ out the African diaspora, Black filmIllakers are giving us alternatives to tlle static illlages tllat are procluceel in Hollywooel anel giving birtll to a wllo1e new cinellla...be tllere! ••••••••••••••••••••---ooten INTERVIEW ------4 VOL.5 NO.3 John Akromfah &Robert Gardner by Miriam Rosen Two award-winning filmmakers talkto each Black Film Review other about Britai n's fi 1m 2025 Eye Street, NW collectives and the American long dis­ Washington, DC 20006 tance runner. (202) 466-2753 The Future of Black Film: The Editor Jacquie Jones Debate Continues ______6 by Zeinabu irene Davis and by Assistant Editor Peter J. Harris Clyde Taylor Criti cs and fi Immakers ag ree that the theme Features Ed-tor Lett Proctor for the 90s must be open lines of communication Consulti g Editor 10 Tony Gittens SIDEWALK STORIES (Black Film Institute) On the Cover: A Minute A Year ---- 10 Associate Editor/Film Critic Arthur Johnson by Roy Campanella II Associate Editors Charles Lane recounts the making of Sidewalk Stories, the silent film Pat Aufderheide that shook Cannes Roy Campanella II Victoria M. Marshall The Distance Travelled 16 Mark A. Reid by Yule Caise Miriam Rosen From New York to LA, from short to feature, Reginald and Warrington Hudlin discuss Saundra Sharp their new film, House Party Clyde Taylor Marketing Director What Is Madison Avenue Really Selling?- -- -___ 21 Jenice View by Gene Robinson Advertising Director While white Americans are reading about the dangers of cholesterol, Black Ameri­ Jennifer Logan cans are being shown the "joys" of eating Kentucky Fried Chicken Art Director Davie Smith Books ------22 Founding Editor Black Action Films David Nicholson by Roland Jefferson 1985 -1989 Finally, a readable reference book Black Film Review (ISSN 0887-5723) is published fourtimes ayear by Sojourner Productions, Inc., anon­ FEATURES profit corporation organized and incorporated in the District of Columbia. This issue is co-produced with the Film Clips ------2 Black Film Institute of the University of the District of Venezuelan Oscar Lucien, Prized Pieces, On Call, and more Columbia. Subscriptions are $12 ayear for individuals, $24 a year for institutions. Add $10 per year for overseas subscriptions. Subscription requests and Reviews ------24 correspondence should be sent to P.O. Box 18665, Harlem Nights, Gloryand Driving Miss Daisy Washington, D.C. 20036. Send all other correspon­ denceand submissionstotheaboveaddress;submissions must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. No Calendar ------32 part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Logo and contents copyright (c) Sojourner Productions, Inc., 1987, and in Classifieds ------29 the name of individual contributors. Black Film Review welcomes submissions from writ­ ers, but we prefer that you first query with a letter. All unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. We are not respon­ sible for unsolicited manuscripts. Black Film Review has signed acode of practices with the National Writers Union, 13AstorPlace, 7th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10003. This issue of Black Film Review was produced with the assistance of grants from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities the National Endowement for the Arts and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. 16 HOUSE PARTY III eli p s by Victoria Marshall society. The film had an ••••• elaborate formal opening in and was very well received. There is a hu­ morous irony in realizing nlike most inde­ that in the audience was pendent filmmakers, Oscar the same people, sarcasti­ LUCien has the patronage, interacts, familiarizes slavery. To call Lucien a cally characterized who public recognition and himself and camera with "Black Venezuelan" would mockingly condone cor­ satisfaction of knowing the people who are the be inappropriate since all ruption. that his films are appreci­ focus of the film. Only after Venezuelans acknowledge Lucien also co-produced ated. However, Lucien all are comfortable within being of mixed-blood EI Escandalo, a feature does not consider himself, each others' presence is he ethnicity. Memorias lets based on the actual events fundamentally, "a comfortable shooting the the audience see and hear of an insider-trading filmmaker." He is a soci­ film. from the people of Cumana scandal in the Venezuelan ologist and to him making What is fact and what is about their history and petroleum industry and he films is only one way of fiction in a realist docu­ how they understand their is in the process of struc­ communicating to fellow mentary? Through his present conditions. turing a script for his first Venezuelans what he has aesthetic values and his Lucien considers all feature, a fictional love observed of his society. pre-occupation to present expression of social com­ story with people who Lucien's films, realist . reality honestly, Lucien ap­ munication in his analysis have to deal with "every­ documentary shorts, have proaches varied subjects of Venezuela. Releve, made day issues." Social issues received government with a delicate intimacy as an homage to a Vene­ are critiqued by the funding, distinctive hon­ that allows viewers to feel zuelan artist, Degas, is a audience who are con­ ors, international exhibition close to the people and the dance practice. Dancehoy fronted with the "reality" and commercial respecta­ subject of his films. is the dance troupe high­ and how Lucien presents bility. Memorias is his only film lighted. Lucien's camera the issues.He hopes to "I aspire to situate that directly focuses on the inconspicuously captures begin production this year. myself as a documentary life and history of Afro­ the troupe members as Speaking as a Venezue­ filmmaker because I am Venezuelans living in they warm-up and re­ lan sociologist/filmmaker interested in following Cumana. Venezuela is a hearse a dance. The final of African descent, Lucien social movements by par­ South American country, dance performance is not is very interested in having ticipating, by taking an that shares the historic re­ the only expression of more concrete, interactive aesthetic, political and gional legacy of colonial social aesthetic beauty. contact with other social perspective," Lucien The process of preparing filmmakers of the African says. for the presentation of the diaspora. Although there is What does Lucien dance also has aesthetic nodiasporie thematic consider a beauty and warrants social focus within his films, realist appreciation. Lucien is interested in all docu­ Releve and Memorias films that concern people men­ are examples of Lucien within their own culture. tary? capturing moments of Venezuela is Lucien's He will reality and presenting home. It is a multicultu­ not im­ those moments on film. ral, multiethnic, multilin­ pose As a sociologist, gual, Latin American himself, Lucien critiques social society. "Subtle forms of with a cam­ issues through articles racism do exist in Vene­ era, within a and films steeped in zuela," according to Lu­ social environ­ social satire and cien, as they do in all ment, then dramatic realism. societies of the African superimpose a Reportaje Especiaj diaspora. narrative expla­ addressed the om­ He wants to make a film nation of what is nipresence of con­ about the African presence being viewed. doned "corruption" in Latin America, and Lucien observes, in all segments of his intends to do so once he

2 has raised enough money. Unspoken Conversations against women as well as Variations of the Mo Better Film is generally regarded by Iman Hameen, U.S.A.; reflections on the Civil Blues. Although the film as fictional representation. Best Black Independent Rights era. The video was will still feature Coltrane's Perhaps Oscar Lucien's Producer, Zajota & the shot by independent music, Lee agreed to many successes come Boogie Spirit by Ayoka filmmakers Susan Pollack change the title because from his aesthetical Chenzira, U.S.A. and Zeinabu Davis, and is Coltrane's widow, Alice prese ntati 0 n of fact, For information on co-produced by Konda Coltrane, was uncomfort­ through the eyes of a Prized Pieces contact Mason. For more informa­ able with the explicit sociologist. Jackie Tshaka, National tion contact: Quinta Se­ language in the film's Lucien completed his Black Programming ward, 1292 Burnside Ave­ script. university education in Consortium, 929 Harrison nue, Los Angeles, CA Lee's controversial Do France, obtaining degrees Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 90019, Telephone (213) The Right Thing, recently in both sociology and film. 43215, Telephone (614) 965-0306. received the 1989 Los He is another member of 299-5355. Angeles Film Critics Asso­ the diaspora at work. LOVE SUPREME BE­ ciation's Award for Best Picture. The Association &JUTH AFRICA I\IIIV COMES MO BETTER also voted Lee Best Direc­ PRIZED PIECES Sout~ . Africa '!ow is a Spike Lee's fourth tor. The National Black Pro­ highly informative. half- feature film, a contempo- gramming Consortium hour news magazine ~h.ow rary story about jazz musi- held its 1989 Prized Pieces produce~ ~y GI~bal VIsion cians starring Denzel Awards screening and In ~ssoclatlon ':'Ith the Washington, recently got a reception November 9-12 Afnca Fund .. It IS sh?wn on name change. Formerly in Columbus, Ohio. Events 7.0 PB~ stations. This titled A Love Supreme, included a special screen­ ~Itally Import~nt program also the title of jazz deity ing of the works of Black IS the only reliable new~ John Col- women independent source for s~u~hern Afnca trane's most- filmmakers and a seminar, on ~.S. tele~lslon. South well known "Women in the Market­ Afr~ca A!0w IS .curre.ntly ex- tune, the place," with Ayoka Chen­ p~n~nclng a financial. film will zira, Zeinabu Davis and cnsls. Letters supporting now be Kathe Sandler. Rosalind the program should be called Cash hosted the Awards sent to local PBS station ceremony on Saturday managers. Tax-exempt evening which attracted contributions can sent be more than 200 guests. The to: South Africa Now, 361 weekend concluded W. Broadway, New York, Sunday with a screening of NY 10013. all the winners. ON CALL Winners of Prized Pieces On Call: A Dialogue with Awards include: Best Angela Davis and June Documentary, Twilight Citt Jordan, a video documen­ ENOUGH ALREADY by Avril Johnson & Linda tary by Quinta Seward, is Jackie Mason, a Jewish Writer ,,- Gopaul, U.K.; Best Drama, e- - , ulrecto now nearing the final comedian who used the ~Pike Cycles by Zeinabu irene lee. r, prOducer stages of post-production. term, "Schvartzer", the Davis, U.S.A.; Public Shot on location in the San Yiddish equivalent of Affairs, Other Faces of Francisco Bay Area in "nigger, " to describe AIDS by John Grassie, August 1989, the piece David Dinkins, had his U.S.A.; Cultural Affairs, covers the friendship of ABC s,tcom Chicken After the Hunger & political activist Angela Soup cancelled on the Drought by Olley Maruma, Davis and celebrated poet same day Dinkins was Zimbabwe; ChildrenlTeens, June Jordan, their per­ elected New York City's Coffee Coloured Children, sonal heroines, issues of first African American U.K.; Best Student Work, physical abuse and rape mayor.

3 Interview.._-_..__ ...- Gardner and AkrolDfah International film festivals have long provided America's Black independents with the opportunity to reach audiences all over the world and maintain ongoing contacts with other Black filmmakers from Africa and the Diaspora. by Miriam Rosen

In a report on the 1986 Third major source ofsupport, the and worked as a production Cinema Conference at the Ed­ Greater London Council, was assistant and sound man in New inburgh Film Festival (BFR, Vol. 2, York for several years before writ­ No.4), Black Film ReuiewAssociate ing, producing, and directing his Editor Clyde Taylor noted the first feature, Clarence and Angel particularly ''warm affinities" (1980). Made on a budget of between Mrican American and $85,000, this widely acclaimed story Mro-British filmmakers, stemming, of as friendship between two he wrote, from their "shared semi­ young outcasts in a Harlem grade colonialism." But at the same time, school won the Silver Leopard and the historical circumstances of a special festival prize at the 1980 these two groups - and the films Locarno Film Festival. Gardner's resulting from them - are quite second film, KingJames Version different. Discussion between (1987), about an adolescent girl them almost inevitably results in a caught between the conflicting comparing and contrasting of religious commitments ofher par­ Di~spora experiences. ents, was nearly five years in the As the following excerpts sug­ making, on a paltry budget of gest, from the American vantage­ $125,000. He is now putting point, the phenomenon that together the production for his looms largest on the British hori­ next film, The Gift. zon is the emergence ofpublic­ abolished by the Thatcher govern­ John Akromfah, one of the funded Black media workshops, ment in 1986, the workshops have founding members of Black Au­ which now include Black Audio, continued to operate with cop­ dio, was born in Ghana, in 1957, Cardiff, Ceddo, Macro, Retake, tracts from England's Channel 4. and came to England with his Sankofa, and Star. The institu­ At the last Amiens International family after the 1966 coup d'etat. It tional framework for the work­ Film Festival in France, American was while studying sociology at one shops was set up in the wake ofthe independent Robert Gardner and ofLondon's Polytechnics that he Brixton riots, notably through the John Akromrah, a member of the met the other members of the Workshop Declaration of 1981, London-based Black Audio Film which made nonprofit media Collective, agreed to tape an groups with at least four salaried exchange for Black Film Rev.iew. *For an interview with Martin Attille members eligible for production Associate Editor Miriam Rosen was ofSankofa, seeBFR3/1,'Wlnter 1986­ and operating funds. Although a present. 1987. See also Coco Fusco's monograph, Robert Gardner, born in Wash­ Young, British, and Black Audio Film ington, D.C., in 1940, studied film Collective (Buffalo, N. Y.: H allwalls, Miriam Rosen lives in Paris and writes fre­ 1988), published in conjunction with the quently about Black and Third World film. at the City College ofNew York, travelingfilm program ofthe same name.

4 future workshop. Following their was going to air, PBS was accused ofSpike separate from his films. first production Expeditions: Signs ofbeing a station that showed left­ But when the door was held open ofEmpire/Images of ationality wing stuff; so PBS backed off. At and Spike went through- and (1983), a tape and slide show, he that point, that [PBS] was the only then [Robert] Townsend and directed their a\\ ard-winning outlet where stuff could go. It others - itjust created this documentar: Hansdwarth Songs wasn't like there was a station that incredible schizophrenia. (1986) \\hich examines the 1985 would say, 'Well, we're going to Everybody who was underneath, Hands\vorth and Broadwater Farm put this on anyway because of the struggling alone down there, riots in the context of Britain's publicity." suddenly stopped and said, 'What colonjallegac . His first fiction Akromfah: Well, four workshop the fuck am I doing? I'm killing film Testal17£nt (1988), shown in films have now been banned too, myself. I'm out here doing this rep­ the Critics Week at Cannes, but I think there's a larger ques­ resentational film. I'm trying to do follo\\ s a former Ghanaian_ activist tion involved. It's the problem of avant-garde. These guys got $6 on her ph,sical and metaphysical how your wish is returned. The million. I've been out for 20 years, joume back to Ghana and I car!,'t break through." after twenty years of exile. Robert Gardner: In the Black Film Review: It States, it's much more of seems to me that another big an economic question. difference in your experi­ All the people who ences is that, for whatever started out in independ­ your reasons, you people in ent film have now run to England have been institu-; the center. Mter they tionalized as collectives, made the first couple of while Robert is talking about films and the door was the loneliness of the long­ sort ofopen, they ran to distance runner. the center. They raced to Akromfah: When we were the center. at art college together- we John Akromfah: It's a banded together not for yery complicated world very honorable reasons. We \ e're living in, compadre. banded together as a pack Suddenly all the fault because it was easier to lines are cracking. In hunt. There was no political England, you see, the raison d'etre for why we set political ideas and politi­ up these collectives, ini­ cal positions simply don't tially. It became much conform to the more so later on, and I stereotypes. Handswarth think that isn't so different has been shown twice on from that lot [in the US]. lV, and it's been seen by Gardner: Yes and no. For almost 2 million people. us it started to happen not This is a so-called difficult docu­ institutional generosity which as a group but in different regions. mentary that nobody understands. wants you on television has no Like the UClA group, they came Gardner: But you see, ifwe do interest at all in the political rheto­ together, and they stood together the same thing in the States... First ric ofyour films. Itjust has no and said, 'Well, rather than be of all, they're too afraid. PBS would interest. And, obviously, in that pushed into the abyss, we will do be the only place the film could kind ofworld, certain things drop this." And the New York people get on. Cable isn't going to do it. off. In a sense, it creates a flat stood together. But when each They have to fill the slots, for sure, world. region came together - the but there's a limit as to how far Gardner: Well, what happened South, the West, the Midwest, the they'll go. Ifit's a difficult film, like with us is that there was all the Northeast - at whatever point we you say, then you have to think of struggle to make these films. all came together, maybe at a the politics, of the administration Nobody had any money, and there conference at Howard [University] that's in power, because the right­ was no institutionalized nothing or maybe over here in France for a wing newspapers will attack you, that worked. Then, Spike [Lee], Black festival, suddenly people which means that your funding who's one ofus, made his film. realized they didn't like each may get pulled. They picked Spike out, and he other. There was this Washington Think of that film on Nicaragua, becomes part of the advertising clique, and there were the West From The Ashes. The day before it machinery; so that you don't think continued on page 30

5 The Future of Black Film:

by Zeinabu irene Davis

,,I'm tired, Charlie, I'm tired!" - Line from Billy Woodberry's Black independ­ ent classic, Bless Their Little Hearts This statement sums up my responses as a filmmaker to recent articles in Black Film Review by David Nicholson (Vol. 5, No.2) and Clyde Taylor (Vol. 4,: No.4). Althqugh these critics of Black independent film make provocative statements that should move all of us as filmmakers to hone and push the limits ofour craft, I can't help thinking how off-base some of their thoughts are and how insidiously they seem to promote "blaming the victim." Yes, it's true that independent Black feature film production in this country has indeed declined since the early 80s. Many of those from Taylor'S "L.A. Rebellion" left institutions and found they had no support to continue making films. Faced with no finances and no equipment access, it has taken filmmakers awhile to save money and begin new films, let alone features. However, there is no "dearth of production," as David Nicholson would like us to believe. The fact is that in the last eight years Black independents have created a significant number of new short films, videos 'and experimental works, but they generally have been ignored. Taylor and Nicholson lead us to ..... ~~ believe the works have been ignored because of their own shortcomings such as stylistic inaccessibil­ ity and structural inadequacy. .-However, it is Mrican American critics such as Taylor and Nicholson who are themselves stuck in a mode that has them chanting the same names constantly. Perhaps Nicholson should take a closer look at some of the last few issues of Black Film Review that were done under his editorial flag. It

Zeinabu irene Davis is an independent filmmaker teaching at Antioch College in Yel­ low Springs, Ohio. Los Angeles filmmaker/ critic Scott Cooper contributed to this article. continued on page 8

6 By Clyde Taylor

Iedebt we all owe to David Nicholson cannot be repaid by simple thanks. His vision in, starting 'Black Film Review and persistence in bringing it to its present level are among the bright moments of the 80s. David's farewell assessment of Black independ­ ents (BFR, Vol. 5, No.2) comes after one I recently made ("The Paradox of Black Independent Cinema," BFR, Vol. 4, No.4). Together they suggest that the movement is at a criticaljuncture. I now see more clearly that this sense of crossroads has been partly provoked by the rise of one filmmaker out of the ranks to popular and critical success. This success has, perhaps dangerously, offered us a subliminal yard­ stick for ranking independent film efforts across the board. One danger (and opportunity) here is that this singular triumph raises questions about the direction and cohesiveness of Black filmmaking as a "move­ ment." Should we look at the corps of Black inde­ pendents as apprentices readying themselves for big studio "breaks?" How was the goal ofbuilding a Black film culture beyond Hollywood control and sup­ ported by the Black community been affected? Now that commercial success has been added to the picture, it becomes clearer that Black independ­ ents have been pursuing a variety of creative goals all along. Does this welcomed diversity threaten the potential for a vital, unified movement toward cul­ tural democracy? But a crossroads for filmmaking also implies a crossroads for criticism. One demand of the cross­ roads is that critics engage each other's ideas so that they, and others, get a sharper read on what we are all/' talking about. The most needed criticism for Black independence will come out of engaged dialogue among the widest circle of the interested

Clyde Taylor is a professor in English at Tufts Afr\rqf~if~~ University and the author of numerous articles , on Black Film. He is the recipient of a Ford Foundation Fellowship. continued on page 9 7 ZEINABU IRENE DAVIS continuedfrom page 6 that only momentarily dazzle the whether it's a feature or short­ seems as ifAfrican Americans eye. When was the last time you the critics do not do their own can't get into the Review unless felt impassioned and moved to homework or push the limits of they are dead or their last names discussion after seeing a Holly­ their craft as critics and advocates happen to be Townsend or Lee. wood film? of the Black film movement. There is no room in the stagnant Recent Black independent film To some degree, shouldn't the critic's vocabulary for new African takes on new subject matter and role of a Black film critic be to American voices like Iverson often brings interesting perspec­ encourage and promote the White, Linda Gibson, S. Torriano tives to old themes that we as a completion of new work? After Berry, O. Funmilayo Makarah, community don't care to discuss: all, ifwe as filmmakers do not and Debra Robinson, among sexuality, sexism, slavery, migra­ finish our films, what do critics others, or even old pros likeJessie tion, religious fanaticism, the have to write about? Critics Maple. color line, science fiction, and should be writing and talking to The fact of the matter is that campus politics. the people at the Corporation for new Black independent film is Nicholson would also like us to Public Broadcasting, the National alive and well, thank you. Even as believe that in Third World Endowment for the Arts, the compared with 15 years ago, the countries people are not film­ Hollywood studios, or the Black new work is vibrant, fresh, and goers and television watchers, so middle class whowon't finance us more diverse, as more people are therefore they will accept a three­ or who may finance us with so working in video, or are fusing hour film with a different sense of many strings attachedthat our film and video technologies. (For structure, whereas a Black Ameri­ creative freedom is stifled. a fusion offilm and video tech­ can audience will not. Contrary nologies, see Zajota and the Boogie to his belief, people in Third Spirit by Ayoka Chenzira and my World countries watch a lot of ~OUgh Taylor may argue Trumpetistically Clora Bryant). film and television, but are that the "intellectualist" tradition exposed to such a variety offilm has "surrendered to Hollywood styles-in addition to the Holly­ without a fight the right of Black "Y: Black American inde­ wood films that are imposed on people to enjoy conflict, drama, pendent filmmakers-the former their screens-that they can humor, poetry, while being "darlings" of the late 70s and early accept and identify with a film challenged or edified," the battle 80s - have been put on the shelf that has characters who reflect for a vision that is uniquely and Black British filmmakers have their life experience. African American has to be waged filled the void for those in the by critics along witll filmmakers. academic and art house world. We can only succeed with pres­ It is true· that the technical A a filmmaker, I have found sure on various cultural fronts. To quality of Black independent film that Black American audiences blame the Black filmmaker is to is a large part of the battle. are also hungry to see their own fall victim to the very same syn­ Nicholson implies that we should image or the image of any Black drome Taylor is attacking. try to better duplicate the Holly­ people on the screen, that they Taylor also wrote that Black wood standards to which Black can make thatjump, that suspen­ filmmakers should be working audiences are accustomed. But sion of disbelief, and accept a film with established Black writers to why should we ape Hollywood, that has a style radically different break out of the auteur mode. On when it already pimps whatever than what they are used to. the surface, this is a good sugges­ aesthetics we may develop in our Although Nicholson acknowl­ tion. However, the reality is that films? (Case in point: Melvin Van edges that "the filmmaker who Black writers, especially recog­ Peeble's Sweet Sweetback's Badassss wants to make a feature film has a nized ones, need paychecks just Song helped to launch Holly­ hard way to go," there is no real like everybody else. Most inde­ wood's Blaxploitation Era). understanding ofwhat making a pendent filmmakers don't have What independent Black feature films means. It takes years the money to finance the produc­ filmmakers are creating is a new to mount a feature. "A hard way tion of the film, let alone the cinematic language in our films. to go" is too pat an explanation writing of a script. We are asking the audience to see for the years of sacrifice, bank­ By the same token, just because things anew. If one really looks at ruptcy and relationship crises that one can write a novel does not the recent development in too many filmmakers unde:r:go. mean that one can also write a Hollywood films, one can see that Rather than do important case screenplay. Alice Walker's at­ there are no new explorations of studies of new works that could tempt to write the screenplay for narrative style or any real innova­ bring an audience into a deeper The Color Purple is a case in point. tions in terms of content. Studio understanding ofwhat it means As recent competitions sponsored films are feeding us a pablum of to make a new film-regardless of by the Black Filmmaker Hall of multi-million dollar visual effects continued on page 26

8 CLYDE TAYLOR continuedfrom page 7 Wright's novel Native Son that fections," even because of them, and the committed. From this helped make it an awesome as they stand opposed to the spirit of dialogue, I want to air statement. Yes, the book could "perfections" of Hollywood: some of my differences - along have been better done, but better smoothly crafted, expensively­ with some agreements - with does not in this case mean mounted spectacles where the David's editorial. smoother. (The recent movie film does all the work for the My differences hinge mainly on from the novel was smoother and viewers and none of that work questions of "craft," ideology and emptier.) involves thinking about their own expectations. I confess to a Something like this same issue reality. nervous tic every time I hear the was involved when Brent Staples Once I was chatting about the wolf cry of "craft" raised against faulted Do the Right 1ningfor not rightness in many African films' Black independent films - as in, offering rounded characters, as avoidance of glossy spectacle that "They've got to learn their craft!" compared to She's Gotta Have It. might be within their reach. The speaker seems to hold some But the point is that the consider­ Burkinabe filmmaker Gaston precise idea that everyone should able ingenuity in each is directed Kabore overheard me and put my share, but ignores a range of to different ends, even different casual drift in a well-thought out meanings and ideological impli­ audiences. place. ''Yes,'' he said, "they make cations left floating. What Spike was doing included use of appropriate means." We all love excellence-let's stirring public opinion in New That's the key: Appropriate get that out of the way. But the York to help Ed Koch become an Means. exhortation of craft echoes in my ex-mayor. Do Black people need For an African American ear like a Booker T. Washington­ rounded characters or do they interpretive community, appro­ ism. "Drop your intellectualism need peace andjust~ce? priate means might include and political posturing and study Nicholson's objection to School livelier expression than in some the fundamentals of the White Daze likewise 'seems to bring pre­ Third World habitats. But the man,s success." set ideas of craft to a different value of this key is lost ifwe Maybe that's not what is in­ intention. That School'Daze "subor­ evaluate these means by compari­ tended. But the separation of dinated plot and character to son with Hollywood's products. craft from other layers in creative idea," and successfully, though work leads to misperceptions. perhaps not perfectly, is what The best craft is whatever afford­ gives this movie distinction, for A appropriate understand­ able instruments help·a film me. ing of a Black independent film achieve its goals with its intended includes the realization that audience. It may be best for some nobody, including the Black practitioners to learn all the . Rght here, I can slip in a community, is making more than traditional ABC's before setting snide word about that bete-blanc, a few thousand available for these any aside. I am still impressed, the aesthetic. In looking at books films. When we talk about sub­ nevertheless, by the number of and movies, I am not interested in tlety, we should understand the important works that break the how they stack up as "art" or budget connection: so many rules on their way to marvelous entertainment (though in a points of storytelling equals X realization. private corner of my mind I can thousands of dollars. get pleasure here). First of all, I'm Somewhere around these issues interested in the politics of lie my differences with David W seem to be repeating representation, then in how they Nicholson on interpreting specific old discussions about craft in jazz. impact on the experience in films. David invokesjazz as support for history ofAfricaIl AInericans and He calls Illusions "execrable." I his arguments. Butjazz history other people. recently described the film as "the can be read many ways. It can The misapplication of craft miniature gem of the Black film surely suggest the diversity ofways makes me wish everybody inter­ movement." Its celebrated record­ this question of craft has been ested in cinema independence ing studio scene I called, "One of succ~~sfully handled by different would read, if only one, a piece of the great moments ofAmerican mUSICIans. theory, Julio Garcia Espinosa's filmmaking." Nicholson deplores Our posture towards the rules, essay, "Toward an Imperfect its bad lighting and poor sound traditions and conventions are Cinema." Written from a Cuban quality. I concede these points in rooted in the politics ofour context, much of it applies north part. The sound track is indeci­ personalities and in how we of Miami. To butcher his point in pherable at points unless you use decide to address the world. it is paraphrase, the triumphs of a perfect projector. The lighting not easily debated. I for one ap­ independent cinema must be in some scenes is uneven with the preciate the "ugliness" of Richard appreciated within their "imper- continued on page 27

9 A AYear By Roy Campanella II

A MINUTE A YEAR continued from page 10 these cats on the platform aren't BFR: What do you enjoy most, the BFR: Is it true that the concept for going to make it into the new year. writing, the directing? making Sidewalk Stories came to That was the second thing. Lane: The editing. It psychologi­ you after meeting a homeless person Then walking home, this card­ cally, literally, means that you on the subway? board box was on the street, and as finished your work. Ifyou find Charles Lane: Yes, absolutely I walked past it moved. It made me yourself in an editing room that correct. It was 3 o'clock in the jump; by now, it's almost 4 o'clock means you've done it. When morning. I was coming from a in the morning. And I see these you're in the editing room it'sjust Sugar Ray Leonard fight, and I saw feet sticking out, an image I've you and your work, no more this guy on the subway coming in seen before. So it's like a trilogy of debating. It'sjust pulling it all my direction. I knew I was going to things that happened. together and making it work. be solicited. He came over and Two days later I put it together This is a little credo that I live by: asked me in the sweetest voice ever -I can do a film about this. Dorothy Parker, the great writer, did I know who won the fight. I once said, 'No writer likes to write, said Sugar Ray Leonard. We talked BFR: We're all inundated everyday all writers like to have written.' I about 45 minutes - boxing being with the plight of homeless people think it's true. I think it infuses our my subject. So that impressed me a all over the United States. It takes a lives throughout. lot. It wasn't the first time. Over very special artist to experience that the years, in New York especially, it and then bring it to the screen in BFR: I've often thought that the [homelessness] has grown to such a powerful and eloquent way. editor performs the same function as epidemic proportions, and over What was the script development a writer in that he's shaping the the years we see the numbers period like? Was it easy going? Was material. As the director and then, increase. But this was the first time if difficult? Did the script come fast later, in post-production when the I was side-by-side, for a good 45 or slow? director and editor work together, minutes to an hour, conversing. Lane: I knew it was going to be they're actually continuing the Mter that, I saw a lot ofbodies silent, having worked in the silent writing process. on the platform - as I've seen for medium before. I thought, politi­ Lane: I totally agree. I personally years - but this was November. cally there was something to that, enjoy the whole process ofediting­ It's cold, and in New York, with too, using the universal language. I physically, hands on. But it is a winter coming we would hear how thought I could pull it off. But I continuum of that. It continues the many bodies have been found ­ knew how risky it was, and I knew writing where, ifsomething was in homeless men, women - bodies. that ifit didn't work, the whole my mind's eye, in my pen's eye, as They count them off. So, you hear thing would bomb. It's risky I wrote -I knew there were two January 15, and the number's up because it's not a short. It is a ways to do it. And as a director I to eight or nine in the city. This is feature, and that is a longer covered it really strong one way November 6, the night after the structural form. You're asking an and half-assed the second way - in fight; so I'm thinking some of audience to hang out for an hour the editing you can compromise and a halfofsilence. That was and get both happening by using a difficult, but from day one I knew reaction shot of this and a stronger it was going to be that genre. shot of the other. And you may Part of the script was easy in that find it better than you even con­ I knew where it was going and I ceived. knew ultimately that the homeless That, I'm very passionate about people were going to be given a editing. Directing I like, but I'm voice. The difficulty came in not passionate about it. I know working out some ofthe nuances how important it is. and choreography on paper to tell the story in a visual way, sustaining BFR: I've heard that it was very the plot for an hour and thirty­ easy for you to raise financing seven minutes. The process which, for most independent physically took about four weeks. filmmakers - whether they're And I had dialogue in it, lots of working on a feature or a short - is dialogue. There was no real guess usually quite a struggle. What's the work; the actors were workiIJ.g story? from a vvritten text. The improvis­ Lane: I introduced the idea, ing was kept to a minimum. So the having thought about it for a few writing process was basically about days, to my lawyer, Howard Brick­ four weeks. ner, in late November 1988. He was very, very interested in it. I Nicole Alysia in Sidewalk Stories

12 have fun with it. That was the only way I thought that I could pull it off- given the limited time and given that it wasn't one of 'dem' Holly­ wood productions where with the child you get twins and you can work the full hours. I was thinking, how old? Five might be pushing it because there's a lot ofroom for conver­ sation. If she was five, she would be able to identify herself, tell her name. So I wouldn't get the logical amount of time that they spend together. I needed an infant, one that was almost able to walk but couldn't yet speak. although, in a silent film, speaking isn't that wanted to do important. But still, there's the logic ofit. So I knew that the child it on t~~ quick; I wanted to Sandye Wi . had to be about two years old. So, shoot It III February for two rea- 'IsDn /fl Sidewalk . sons: One, I wanted to get the best Stones then I said, 'Hey, this is wonderful! crew in New York. February is a Right over there in the crib I got a very slow month in New York and a decade or more, 13 years, that you kid that's two years old.' lot ofgreat technicians are not spent between ·A Place in Time and Also, quite seriously, with what­ really working. Come March, they Sidewalk Stories. What a strange ever child I used, they would have get paid the real money. Two, I kind of contradiction. to always look at it as a game and understood the Cannes Film Lane: In between that long gesta­ fun because once that's happen­ Festival. That was a possibility that I tion period I was trying to raise ing, that's the real crux of the was looking at. Ifwe could pull it some money. It's time-consuming, movie. And I have a good relation­ off- thatjust seemed gargantuan especially in my case. I was involved ship with my daughter. -I would have a chance to show it with some outfits, some film Rehearsing her, that was easy to the people vvho select for companies, where the deal was because we just kept going Cannes in March. going through and, in two cases, through it. We rehearsed and So that, in effect, meant that I we actually signed papers. This walked her through a lot ofstuff would shoot the month ofFebru­ whole process takes a year per pop, and constantly made it a game. ary and hopefully finish by the per company. I was also doing script She became very friendly with 26th or 27th, then have, effectively, work for people: re'Writing, doing everybody on the crew and on the 13 or 14 days to edit the film, get it adaptations from novels, and being cast. It was great fun for her. some sort ofform to show it to the a doctor on scripts. I found that I was also aware of the whole people. That was a big order. kind ofwork in between. It was a camera thing. I had a 16mm Brickner said, 'Let's do it in long period of time, but the focus camera on a tripod in the apart­ house. I'll put the money together. for Skins was there and that was 11 ment for a long time once I knew Let's start it.' I said 'I'm not guar­ years within the 13. it was going to be this kid. So that anteeing that we can get into she would really get used to the Cannes, but I think we can ifI BFR: Your talented daughter, camera and discard it ultimately work real hard.' That was my line. Nicole, plays the child in Sidewalk and keep the line ofconcentration Two weeks time, he had decided to Stories. It seems natural for her to between she and I. And that take the fly on it himself; he did it play the part, but I'm curious at how worked. And that's why you don't all. Two weeks, the money was you approached casting her. get that kind of self-consciousness there. I got to work immediately; I Lane: I wanted a little girl. I was going on. finished the script sometime in looking at opposites because I like But ultimately, as well as the December. to work in dichotomies and ironies rehearsals were going, it got to be and with the harsh urban r~ality of February. It was the coldest Febru­ BFR: All of this was happening so survival. I wanted to contrast it with ary in New York in many years, and fast, it seems. Yet in contrast to the the innocence, the wide-eyed it started to hit me that, as a 'Writer, rapid pace of putting together wonder ofa child. I knew that I you can 'Write anything. I can have Sidewalk Stories, there's the near wanted the child to be cooperative, aliens come and take the Empire cute when it hurt, but also able to State Building and leave only the 13 middle floors suspended in the air photography, did an excellent job. wanted to hit them with something ifI wanted to, and then it would be How did you select him? What was really hard because I knew that I up to the special effects depart­ the collaboration like? was coming with this small, low, ment to pull it off. I can write Lane: I interviewed about 20 budget film in silence. I knew I had about the winter in New York and camera people. Bill was head and to take absolute control as the this artist finds this little girl whose shoulders above the people I director. Bill's feeling was, with this father is killed and they have a interviewed in that we connected. low dolly, we should have some happy life and then he has to It was his sense ofhumor more pop ins. But I said no. We ran return her. I can write about this, than anything else. He was very through it one time and my crew but, in reality, I have 15 days to much the technician and very into [and] Bill, they fell in love - and shoot and I'm dealing with a kid it from the spirit. But he has a tre­ there was never any talk ofdoing and everything now rests on the mendous sense ofhumor. And I the pop ins again. We did that take shoulders and the wings ofa two­ said, 'Good, we can use that. It's about four times and we got it. year-old. going to be cold and no one's From that time I had full control She came through like a champ. going to be laughing.' and there was nothing that was too We only had one situation where I For me, the collaboration was hard for them to do, even though was doing the scene in the park about doing a lot of talking. I told we didn't have the equipment. with all the other children. I had him [Bill Dill] that I didn't want to not rehearsed the other children make itjust simple camera set ups. BFR: Did you encounter any unique so much, and they ended up not It was going to be very deceptively problems during post-production? having a clue as to what was going simple - or very deceptively so­ Lane: The most unique problem on. They started crying in tandem, phisticated - for as many long was that we didn't have enough a symphony ofcrying, and my little takes as we have. Long takes are time. We're dealing with a handi­ girl looked around and all the kids not the easiest thing to do. You run capped film; it had to be the way I were her age. And she started with for four minutes, anything that conceived it on paper - and the mouth, then started crying. happens within that you can't cut better. With the Cannes situation, I That was the one time I almost lost out, you have to do it again. It think we finished shooting on the it. We finally bribed them with becomes a performance piece. I 27th, 28th, and I had to have it M&M's and popcorn. You can't be was concerned that a cameraper­ ready for them, cut and with some logical with them; it's not about son, anyone, including Bill, that I modicum ofa sound track on it, by that. worked with, would have to under­ the 13th. I left us 14 days to cut this stand that the style is not overly thing. That was a joke, but we did BFR: How did you come to terms energetic with the camera move­ it. with playing the bashful artist ment. But because I like to have The Cannes people saw it and yourself? Was it a choice made early energetic cameras, there were they called me the next day. They during the film's development? places where we could subtly move said it was the best thing they'd Lane: Yeah. Well it was a choice that camera so gracefully that it's seen in all of made initially on thinking about almost not felt but it's happening. the film and the story line again We had this elaborate coming offofA Plnce in Time, a dolly shot that silent film I made, a kind of goes across 6th homage to [Charlie] Chaplin with Avenue in New degrees ofphysical comedy and York from West social commentary. It was my first 3rd to West 4th thought that it would be this street "Street. It dollies character, the street character in A across the street Place in Time, which I made in with little stops on 1976. the vendors. Incredi­ The difference was the definition bly complicated. of homelessness was quite different Roger Ebert said that then. It was more romantic. It was for the studio to pull seeing America, backpacking. Now that offit would take it's a whole different thing. And I them about two days recognized it was the same charac­ ofcamera set upsjust ter; I played him before. This time, to get it right. That was he's a little morejaded; we're now one ofour first days of talking 1989. shooting; it was the most complex shot that we BFR: Bill Dill, your director of had in the movie. I

takes care ot 14 Charles Lane The Art~st . walk stories. a/ysia '" Side North America, and they'd viewed alright. We made it here. That was of this real estate wheeler-dealer about 67 films. They said, 'You can my attitude. who is not really this person at all, get in the festival ifyou finish it.' So we get there, the place is but really an underworld figure And then they started laughing. packed, and the film starts. Every­ thought to have been killed. And They said, 'There's no way you can body's nervous, and I'm feeling because of this information, the finish it in time, but wejust wanted confident. There weren't any big life of the Black cat, the Black to tell you that you could get in.' I laughs or anything. There were actor, is in danger, and he takes said, 'wait, wait, wait. I shot the little chuckles and a few guffaws in drastic means to survive. thing in 15 days, ofcourse I can places but not screaming and so finish it.' They said 'there's no way on. Then towards the end of the BFR: What are you going to be you can finish it.' film, the last third ofit, the laughs doing next? started coming. Then, at the end Lane: My next step is what I'm in BFR: Let's talk about Cannes. The ofit, when the speaking comes in the process ofdoing - getting film was very well received. I'd like breaking the silence, the titles that script in shape. your impressions of going to Cannes. came on and we hear the applause I think it was for the first time, is and the applause and the ap­ BFR: Do you have any intentions of that correct? plause. Then there was the over­ appearing in the film? Lane: First time. We went there whelming, 'Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!' Lane: Not strong intentions. I May 11 th, my film was being shown It was so emotional, so thunder­ may have a little cameo, an Alfred on the 18th - seven days ofagony ous, and then they stood up. I was Hitchcock walk-through, and that's because, for me, this is the real test. on the balcony with my people, about it. Now I'm showing this black and and they all faced me and they white silentjob to real people, ob­ were doing this standing ovation. It BFR: And there's also been some jectively. I had no friends that are, lasted for 12, count them, 12 development with Touchstone being like, 'We thought it was great. We minutes. Mter the seventh minute interested in purchasing Sidewalk love you!' This is the real world. I realized what was happening. Stories, is that right? The first minute you blow your Lane: That's absolutely right­ BFR: Where was it being shown kisses and you wave. And then the remake rights. They want a major specifically? second minute. But then, when star for it. Lane: This was in the directors' you get to that third minute...and fortnight competition. I went there itjust kept going. I had a tear in with my wife, my cameraman, my my eye; I started to cry. leading actress - an entourage of It was this big, enormous hit and about 12 people - and some I wasn't prepared. I thought that it actors whojust found their way might get some good notices and there. Theyjust had to go; go from there. We won an award they couldn't believe we there as well, the Public Prize. That ~ SpcciaIIzInc In Black VIdcooo.. . were at Cannes. Everybody was the start ofit. was patting me on the *' shoulder 'It's going to be BFR: That's when Island Pictures ~edtetut ••• okay, it's going to be put in a bid? ALTERNATIVE VIDEOS okay.' I said 'not neces­ Lane: Island has a lot ofenthusi­ sarily.' The day before, asm. They were behind the film, BUY OR RENT the 17th, I was calm. pushing the film quite a bit and UNIQUE BLACK VIDEOS Ultimately, I knew really putting it out there. The tomorrow we're going three-picture deal includes Side­ CLASSICS to find out and it's walk. You see, when I say three CHILDREN either going to be pictures, it's Sidewa[k Stories, Skins DOCUMENTARIES received pretty well or and...I owed them, effectively, two HEALTH they're going to hate films. The other one, I don't know. LITERARY ADAPTIONS it and run me out of MUSIC town. Now I don't BFR: So then you were approached ACTION have to wait another by Touchstone to do a rewrite and to week to find out. direct a project called True Identity. It's going to be Do you want to talk a little bit about cool because even the nature of the story? SEND 1.00 FOR OUR CATALOG if they hate it, Lane: It's about a Black actor P.O. BOX 270797 which they who becomes privy to some DALLAS, TEXAS 75227 dchild Nicole probably will, it's information about the true identity 1-800 888-0263 labandone 15 by Yule Caise

ouse Party began as Regi­ music videos and nald Hudlin's student that started our part­ thesis at HaIVard, inspired nership. We would by Luther Vandross and a switch off as director promise to his childhood and producer, de­ friends that he would one day pending on who capture their good times on film. originated the That was 1983. Now Reggie and concept. his older brother, Warrington (the film's producer), are enter­ BFR: How long had ing 1990 with House Party the you been making feature, and that is only the films previous to this, beginning. Warrington? Warrington Hudlin is co­ Warrington: My first founder and President of the film was made in 1974 Black Filmmaker Foundation and it was called Black (BFF) , in addition to his own at Yale. filmmaking career. His Street Corner Stories, a feature-length, BFR: How did you cinema verite documentary, has get the funding? been translated into Dutch, Warrington: I found German and Swedish. the funding for my first The BFF, which celebrated its films through the Na­ tenth anniversary this past year, tional Endowment for is a national arts service organi­ the Arts, the State zation with over 1,500 members. Council for the Arts, The Hudlin brothers spoke to and the private Yule Caise, in Los Angeles, for foundations; basically, Black Film Review. the whole philan­ thropic sector of Black Film Review: How did American society that you two come together as a supports films about working team; and has being social issues or for brothers helped or hindered that artistic expression. relationship? Reggie Hudlin: Warrington BFR: Warrington, had been making films for a you are President of number ofyears, working the Black Filmmaker outside of Hollywood, and I Foundation (BFF) made up my mind that I which has remained a wanted to make films as well. successful organiza­ So I first began by making a tion over the years. How have you number ofshort films on my managed to keep BFF running and own. And around this time keep your own career on track as something major happened... well? Warrington Hudlin: She's Gotta Have It premiered .. Yule Caise is an award winning filmmaker cur­ Reggie: Exactly. And that rentlyworking in Los Angeles. He is a graduate ofHarvard Universitywhere he studiedfilmmak­ film started a new era in ing, and was a Filmmaker-in-Residence for a Black cinema. ~Also, we got year and a half. He recently wrote a feature film that will star Robert Townsend 'and He is cur­ some offers to do some rently finishing the script for his feature film di­ "Kid (Christopher Reid) in House recting debut. Party_ 16 Writer/director Reggie Hudlin on the set of House Party with Bowlegged Lou (left). Warrington: It's been a very difficult filmmakers. So in order to have the that task. balancing act. When I came out of opportunity, and for all of us to have I did that up until 1986 when I film school my goal was to become a the opportunity, someone had to do formed a partnership with Reggie creative artist, Cl.nd almost by default the work of organizing in our collec- called Hudlin Brothers. And now we did I become an organizer. I realized tive interest to fill the gaps that hinder have House Party. that my creative aspirations could not our being successful filmmakers. be successfully pursued in the face of Gaps like distribution, exhibitions, and BFR: Reggie, I remember being a the institution of racism that has dis- access to our work and each other. freshman at Harvard while you enfranchised Black people as So beginning in 1978, I undertook continued on page 18

17 THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED continued from page 1 7 was to go back to Harvard, I was and commercial value. were making your senior thesis. It listening to the radio while pack­ / was a short comedy called House ing for school and "Bad Boy BFR: And what was your biggest Party, did you have any idea that Having a Party" by Luther Van­ nightmare on the set? it would one day dross was on. And as a mental Warrington: The biggest nightmare blossom exercise at that time, every time I happened one day when we were into heard a song I liked on the radio, finished the day's shooting, the I created a music video for it in my assistant cameraman was unloading mind. I thought to myself, this the film and some fool turned the light would make a great video; better switch on in the changing room. We yet, this would be a great MOVIE! had to wait until the next day to see if So that night I wrote the outline the film was alright and, lucky for us for House Party, the short. I sat it, was. He wasn't from our crew. down, looked at both scripts, and Reggie: House ?arty was abnor­ knew that even though Kold mal in that it had an absence of Waves had been in gestation for problems on the set. We had no a long time, House Party was prima donnas, even though we easier to do first. had a mix offirst-time actors and The following summer I professionals. And there was a real did do Kold Waves, and a air of tremendous cooperation similar thing happened that extended among the cast and with the studios. A number the crew, it was fantastic. ofstudios were hot for Warrington: We shot the bulk of the Kold Waves and it was in film at night. Usually you're battling to development at a couple keep the daylight; we were battling to of places. Then one keep the night. day, as a burst of Reggie: It was great because we an idea, I sat couldn't go overtime. Dawn was down and began dawn, go home. to write House Party, the ducer , feature. And once again, it was the d BFR: Any advice to other young . (,eft) al1 pro this, a first one made. Black filmmakers, like myself, who je Hud\ll1udUIl. feature film? New Line Cinema was consider­ are about to embark on their first f\eg~rjl1gtol1 H Reggie: At the time I ing both scripts closely and feature film? WlWas just trying to get the film thought they wanted to go with Reggie: Have confidence in your done. I did not make it with the Kold Waves. Then at the last min­ vision. My rule of thumb through­ idea of taking it to a feature, ute, they abruptly changed their out, if I couldn't make up my though I did have enough ideas mind and chose to go with House mind about something, was to ask for a feature. Ijust didn't have the Party. It was fine with me, because myself, 'What's my gut feeling?' money. they're all my children. Let'sjust Go with your gut feeling. Even if So when the opportunity came make one. you can't articulate why at the to make House Party into a feature time, subconsciously you've often I had already had the time to mull BFR: What was the budget? Who thought it out. it over and digest the story for a are the stars? When you're making your film, number ofyears. Thus, writing the Warrington: It stars Kid N' Play, Full no one else quite knows what you script came very easy and quickly. Force, Robin Harris, Tisha Campbell, are doing. On the set, my ears are A. J. Johnson, and Martin Lawrence. always open to anyone on the BFR: How long did it take to write The budget? The budget's funny crew who has a suggestion be­ House Part(l because it started off being afilm that cause anyone can say something Reggie: Seven days. was going to be produced under the helpful. But I trust instinct. SAG [Screen Actor's Guild] low­ Also, do not sell the value of BFR: Seven days! budget agreement, $2 million and your work short. One of the Reggie: Now it can be told. It's under. But after they saw how good it important things about the new funny because I had been writing was they gave us more money.. My Black film boom is that, according the script for Kold Waves all sum­ guess is that it will end up being $2.5 to conventional wisdom as prac­ mer before my senior year. That million, but it could be more. ticed by most of the studios, none was the film I planned to do as my Now they know it's something of these films should be successful. thesis, and I thought it was pol­ special and not a quickie or an exploi­ It should not work; none of these ished. Then, the night before I tation film. It has both artistic merit films should even exist. As far as

18 the Hollywood system goes, Spike they had huge profit margins. So the know each other. So actors can meet Lee should not have even have reasons for stopping were definitely writers, and writers can meet direc­ been able to make She's Gotta Have not financial. tors, and we can build that kind of It or Robert Townsend, Hollywood One of the great consolations now collaboration since filmmaking is such Shuffle. But these films are making is that, since I have made the transi­ a collaborative medium. Hopefully, money. tion back to being exclusively a BFF as an institution can be a real Warrington: But we must look at filmmaker, we now have an institution focus of all that kind of progress. So I history, Melvin Van Peebles and in place that helps aspiring Black am very pleased, now that those ten Sweetback, long before Spike, and filmmakers. So those ten years spent years are spent, that there's an Oscar Micheaux, way before him. We organizing the BFF have really begun institution there that can continue that have to realize that films for Black to payoff, and I'm pleased that work. audiences have always had a market, whatever I know I can communicate but Hollywood has not seen fit to to others via the institution. Other BFR: Did you find that racism was always make them. In face of the fact filmmakers, like Spike Lee, Robert a barrier in getting your film made? that these movies are profitable, Townsend, and Keenan Ivory Wayans, Warrington: Yes. I think that racism Hollywood makes them for a period of have been very supportive of the or­ is constantly with us and it's certainly time then stops. Not for good eco­ ganization as well. So we now almost a barrier. Making movies is a very nomic reasons but for reasons of have a clearing house [repository] of privileged pursuit, and the people racial politics. They stopped making information as well as activities­ making the decisions on who has that them then, and I believe they'll stop like our workshops and our publica­ privilege want to keep it in the family. making them again. tions - for Black filmmakers. These Given the fact that we're not related to things build a sense of community. anybody, that kind of cuts us out. BFR: Is the end near? Or are we in In many ways, Hollywood operates the beginning or middle? on the Old Boy network, and BFF is BFR: I asked this question be­ Warrington: I don't know. But I do trying to create a sense of community cause I am hearing around town, know that the films in the 70s made that can functio~ like an Old Boy's here in L.A., 'Oh, you're so lucky to money. I recently saw a chart of network. So we can share our in­ be a Black filmmaker right now.' I financial records for those films and sights, strategies, and just get to am hearing this a little too often. George Clinton in House Party_ Warrington: If that's true, then why how wide your film is released is Warrington: As compared to the aren't there more Black films in based on other films which are industry average which is less than production right now? Think about it similar. They say, 'X' film, which is five percent Black. In New York, Spike is doing afilm; like your film, did this much Reggie: We were real happy with Julie Dash is doing a film. In Los business and so we'll release it in that. We'll probably end up being Angeles, Keenan [Wayans] did a film; this many theaters.' The moment bi-coastal. Robert [Townsend] is getting ready to you say something like, 'my film is do another film, and Charles Burnett kind of like Eddie Murphy's,' they BFR: Who do you admire and/or just did a film, and we're doing a film. say, 'Hold it! Eddie Murphy aspire to be like? You can count them on one hand, doesn't count.' Well, my film is Reggie: Well, you know, you try almost. That's a ridiculous statement Black, and it's humor. Same thing to steal from the best. Crib a scene - the persons who said that are not happened when I said the film was or two from everybody. Seriously, being honest. kind of like Risky Business, that I'd have to say everybody from But my attitude is that racism is par didn't count either. Well, what Kurosawa to the Cohen Brothers. for the course. You just have to does count? It's a Catch-22. Warrington: I want to make sure decide you're going to overcome that that we are equally attentive to the obstacle. The aspect of racism that BFR: Are you here in LA to stay? business side, and not have all of our frustrates me most, now and today, is Reggie: We're here to make a aspirations on the creative side. It that when Black people are super film. It's been great working here, seems to me that if our ideas are successful they say, 'That was a fluke. and there is a wealth of Black generating a tremendous amount of That's not success that can be ex­ technical talent. We came here profits based on our consumers, then tended to the rest of the group.' knowing very few people in the the business aspects are something Reggie: In Hollywood, of course, industry and ended up with a 65 we should be looking toward in the how much money they give you or percent Black crew. long term. In every aspect of motion pictures, we should have a long- term interest in extending our MOUTH PRE SS influence. We should not simply be content to Photographs by Bert Andre\Ns be talent. .Text by Paul Carter Harrison BFR: I agree with you and Bert Andre\Ns completely. What's Introduction by Cicely Tyson next? Warrington: Another Alandolark collection of work by the premiere movie. photographer of African-American theatre. History unfolds Reggie: That's for in draolatic photographs, sure! Between the two of us we have enough illuIninating text, and personal projects to keep us olemoirs to reveal the plays, the THUNDER'S busy well into the theatres, and the people that next century. But fueled the Black Theatre MOUTH~ right now we're just Renaissance in Ne\v York frool concentrating on 1957 to 1985. PRESSLJ making sure that the 54 GREENE STREET first punch is a $39.95 cloth knockout. SUITE 4S, NEW YORK Available in bookstores, or order N.Y. 10013 (212) 226-0277 ~louth Note: The Black Fi Immaker directly from Thunder's Foundation is located at 80 Eighth Press. Add $2.50 for postage. Ave., Suite 1704, New York, NY 10011; (212) 924-1198

20 What is Madison Avenue Really Selling? rr By Gene Robinson .J..he coming ofage ofthe "Baby the images on the television Boomers" was one of the most sig- screen, day after day, had merci- nificant economic development of lessly made the war a personal one. the Reagan years. What made the Black returning But what the { -==::=- /~_.-.-- -~~ {:t--- -='\-\ veteran distinct r-- '(~ -= Boomers faced in _ .,- ..II from the the 80s were tre- I ,." ~" J I white returning mendous taxes II \ .------.L------I' veteran (other and huge mort- \J ~,..:------)\ I I ,than the color of gages which' \ I (,.. p': - ., ~ ~ .,....~ I his skin) was the ~~a~~i~~~~r;te II I )~ ;i<..1!1- , /"O~~" ~ ~.~, I, I ~~~~: ~at con- whatever might , ,,~ , an unstIntIng be at the end of \ ~'. " , J loyalty to wllite the rainbow. I• I~: IJV superiority. The ~'.. " ·, --- ~n Their frustra- I' \. I 1 I I Black Vietnam tion fueled the I, I If \ ,-=_. I ,'/ .; 'I I 'I veteran was trau- decade's eco-, " -:;. (\."" I matized by the war no~ic -~). e--~~J urgen.cy to I\ l.-:,,-::: j I I as was the white get zt now. ThIs /II ~ to" -r-t veteran. However, urgency was fu- I.. I' '.. \" .J! ...... _,/ I for the white eled, in turn, by \~~...... ·A~uJ.1.·..£'..lJ..&.JlV ~ ,tu " I~' u..'.'UUo I Vietnam veteran, MadisonAvenue \ '{~.:.,,\ ,// "y"f',,' __' J\. thewarwasonlya s~o.gans - in tele- 't'ti' {\\~1~\--,,-' " If..; I~ , ternporary inter- VISIon commer- , "~'~I\~~ .. "'"• ,'I ruption in their cials - that ~J-" .' '..-'- !.. .1:1 ~ I ' I pursuit ofthe wedded the I I ~'~~ \'-- .-- -.. American Dream. success ·b·In. U~I- J ( ~0...~,~ A",,(I I FBlkhor ac s, t e ness to Amencan " ~ -): • nightmare contin- patriotism and by ,!__,,<,_ _' I \ ued. jingles that ------/-- ~ =-= = ~ Emotionally celebrated thejoy P drained by the civil ofbeing "Born in the USA," and they looked to the post-Vietnam rights marches of the 60s that "The Heartbeat ofAmerica." experience for answers. What they ended with the assassination of Those commercials were seen by found was merely more confirma- Martin Luther King,jr. Having wit- an almost forgotten group, s of tion of their plight. nessed America's brutality directed Baby Boomers - Black Americans. The legacy of the Vietnam War toward its college-educated youth, While the windows ofeconomic was real testimony to the confusion Blacks turned increasingly to that opportunity and success were in American life, especially for mind-numbing an esthetic that has being opened for others, Black Black Americans. Returning become another American icon - Americans were receiving a differ- veterans had shared the same the television set. ent message. Blacks watching TV horror, witnessed the same humili- As they turned on and tuned commercials could see that only a ation, seen the incompetence and out, Blacks created the perfect en- few of their number were riding participated in the machinations vironment for "..a word from our the wave to economic riches, while for survival. They returned from sponsor," or 'We'll be back after others continued to be ignored by the war to an America that was this message." The 30- or 60- the Regan Administration. unwilling and unable to deal with second spot became the vehicle by During the Reagan years, Blacks anything less than victory. In fact, which they began to see America's and their aspirations were put on idealized vision ofitself, the'Ameri- hold, and increasingly poor Blacks Gene Robinson, Ph.D. teaches advertising and can Eden. found themselves more unable to film at the University of Maryland at College The commercial minidramas Park and conducts and seminars on the struc- break out and move up the class ture and criticism of televjsion advertising. Dr. portrayed smiling, happy, affluent ladder. Frustrated and confused, Robinson is also a filmmaker and screenwriter. continued on page 28

21 ...... Boo l~ -s Blacl~ Action F- Black Action Films the late 80s. Ofparticular impor­ 1971 film Sweet Sweetback's Badassss byJames Robert Parish tance is the inclusion ofBlack­ Song. Ofcourse, after reading this, and George H. Hill, Ph.D. themed television movies because the serious film student will come McFarland & Company they tend to airjust once and then to realize that Van Peeble's "inge­ $35; 385 pp.; Illustrated fall victim to the syndicator who nuity" was pioneered by Oscar may not include such a film in a Micheaux some 50 years earlier. By Roland Jefferson sale package. As a result, these Because there was a plethora of particular films may only repeat on "Black films" in the early 70s, it A a general rule, people will late-night television once in a blue would seem that this work is only read a reference book when moon. slanted toward that era. But the it's absolutely necessary, and then Most importantly, Parish and book details earlier Black action tuck it away on a shelfuntil needed Hill have tried to minimize subjec­ films of the 50s and 60s as well as again. However,James Parish and tive criticism ofaction-{)riented, those produced in the 80s. But George Hill have written an Black cast films and let the films there may be a misnomer in the exception, a reference book that speak for themselves. They have book's title. Black Action Films should stay close at hand, Black included, whenever possible, clearly defines the subject matter, ActionFilms: Plots, Critiques, Casts quotes from the prominent film but the inclusion of the ROCKY1­ and Credits for 235 Theatrical and critics ofthe day, both Black and IVfilms or the Sidney Poitier film, Madelor-Television Releases. white. What is revealed is a rather Shoot to Kill, seems suspect. Carl The authors have isolated a concise exposure of political think­ Weathers was certainly prominent unique and often overlooked ing on the part of society at the in the ROCKYfilms, but those four genre ofBlack film and scrutinized time the films were released; so, films are hardly "Black action it under a microscope. And the the reader gets a view ofjust how films." More likely, they are "Great magnification is really quite society saw Black cinema at any White Hope" films. startling. As a result, their work given time. Does the presence of a single reads more like a well-prepared In addition to a detailed cast and Black actor make the film a "Black" press kit than a reference work. crew list of the films, the authors film? It depends upon who is The reason is their chosen format, have provided the which differs considerably from reader with some rarely companion works such as Thomas available information on Cripps's, Slow Fade to Black or the behind-the-scenes Donald Bogle's Toms, Mulattos, activity that surrounded Mammies and Bucks. Although each one. This informa­ other film historians have covered tionisnotcouchedin the same ground before, Black gossip but rather pre­ Action Films finely details each film sented in a context that from both the artistic and techni­ illuminates the circum­ cal perspectives. stances surrounding What makes this volume so certain films, shattering remarkable is the realization ofthe myths and inaccuracies. sheer magnitude of this particular For example, Dimen­ genre ofBlack film. Action/ sion Films's 1976 adventure films have long been a release, Dolomite­ mainstay ofthe film industry, but alleged to have made to finally see the number ofBlack some $400,000,000 at action/adventure films is fascinat­ the box office - in fact, ing. grossed little more than Black Action Films covers Black­ $3,000,000. themed films from the 50s through There is detailed ac­ counting of how Melvin RolandJefferson, M.D. has recentlycompleted Van Peebles marketed his first feature film, Perfume. Dr.Jefferson is a practicing psychiatrist as well as a novelist. his ground-breaking

22 Louis Gossett, Jr. in Iron Eagle watching the screen. This debate is one that major film studios use to keep from developing and releas­ ing Black cast products. In their >e c minds, the prospect any Black per­ a:: ::;) former in a starring role Inakes l­ e that film a "Black" film and often o leads to the studio's reluctance to market the film universally. The authors do devote ample attention to those films considered excep­ tional by virtue of their box office ~ .. performance, their content oi'the c timing of their release. So, there is ~ considerable discussion ofmany of LL Sidne Poirier's films as well as the staples of the genre such as Shaft, The Vlack, and Superjly. Ho\ve\ er, there are some glaring omissions. Films such as The Harder The) Corne, Solomon King, Tou.gh, Deliver GS From Evil, Disco 9000, and Bab)' ..\Teeds a New Pair ofShoes, are certainlY Black "action" films. Their o111ission may suggest that the allthors are not aware of them. Many independently produced Black filn1s had little ifany expo­ sure and no more than one or two prints \\~ere e\er struck ofsome. So, the\ are in effect, "lost" to the public an.d historians. co One of the more helpful things N Parish and Hill have done is to update the status ofmany of these films \'-}1ere\er possible by provid­ ing the reader with the video release title changes. Many of these film are noV\ in video stores under different titles than those of their theatrical release. OYerall, Parish and Hill have done a yell' commendablejob in extracting the Black action genre. Their ork places Black cinema in another frame of reference and should encourage the serious student of Black film history to research and seek out these and others of the genre as well as expand their appreciation of the Black presence in American and V\ orld cinema. James Robert Parish is a histo­ rian and author ofseveral books on film history. Dr. George H. Hill is an author who has written several books on Black people in the telecommunications industry. Reviews •••••••••••• Harlem Glory, A Tentative Step performances of Brando-like in­ Nights by David Frechette tensity in the films, A Soldier's Harlem Nights marks the official With Glory, Tri-Star Pictures Story (1984) and the seldom-seen screenwriting/directorial debut of makes a tentative step towards For Queen and Country (1988), a Black comic superstar, Eddie Hollywood's recognition of the grim look at the plight of return­ Murphy. presence of Black people in the ing Black veterans in England. Set in the Harlem ofthe late 30s, history of this country. Glory In Glory, Morgan Freeman plays it teams Richard Pryor and Eddie depicts the 54th Regiment of the the pivotal role ofJohn Rawlins, Murphy as partners in a swank Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry, a grave digger who volunteers for after-hours club who take on a the first Black fighting unit raised the 54th and rises to the rank of mobster (Michael Lerner) and a in the North to fight in the Civil sergeant major. crooked cop (Danny Aiello) . War. Freeman and Washington are Outsmarting the bad guys is hardly Matthew Broderick plays Colo­ extremely persuasive. In a camp­ the world's most original plot. It's nel Robert Gould Shaw, a 25­ fire scene where soldiers are been used in countless films, from year-old Boston Brahmin who testifying, the two of them, aided The Sting to The Book ofNumbers and takes command of the 54th. Den­ by the hand-clapping of several it doesn't get any new twists here. zel Washington plays Trip, a re­ others, make the audience feel as (Murphy shamelessly cribs the end bellious runaway field hand with though it's eavesdropping on his­ scene ofBrian de Palma's 1986 VVlse a chip on his shoulder. Washing­ tory. The scene seems so sponta­ Guys). ton gives an excellent perform­ neous as to be improvised, and On the plus side, Murphy the ance. He alternates between hero the images of Black men bond­ actor/ director is considerably more and villain, and he eschews his ing are powerful and moving. generous with screen time than trademark likability in several It is an unfortunate irony that superstar Barbra Streisand was with powerful and confrontive scenes. the Black soldiers of the 54th had her Yentl (1983). All ofhis actors, Washington is fast becoming to die in what was basically a even an ugly sting victim, get ample an actor's actor, especially after suicide mission to be considered screen time. Lerner and Aiello, the good fighting men. main villains, are allowed to move Andre Braugher is beyond stereotypes via subtle admirable in his first performance shadings. Lerner, who film role as Colonel specializes in sleazy roles, has Shaw's childhood perfected a sneer that starts at his chum, a free Black eyes and works its way down. who gets a bitter taste Another plus is that Murphy the of reality when he Scriptwriter has foregone the joins the 54th. trademark homophobia that Based on two non­ marred Beverly Hills Cop (1984), fiction books and the Raw and the HBO special, Delirious. letters of Robert He's still as misogynistic as ever, Gould Shaw, the though. When a feisty female film, shot primarily coworker (Della Reese) challenges in southern loca­ him to a brawl, he winds up shoot­ tions, has an authen­ ing one ofher toes off. (Her tic feel to it. Epic in limping around during the rest of scope, the film has the film is woefully milked as a the potential to comic device.) He beds a homicidal generate a lot of vamp (Jasmine Guy) and ends up Black pride even shooting her in self-defense. In the though, ironically, it old days, a possible love interest is directed by Edward would have been pressed into Zwick, the creator of service as a double agent. That "thirtysomething," a would have lent Harlem Nights some top-rated television badly-needed tension. drama that has no It's been said that the film is set in major Black charac­ ters. David Frechette is a native New Yorker who has written about film and popular music for The Amsterdam News, Right On, GQ; 'Essence, Black Denzel Washington Enterprise and the London-based Black Music in Glory. magazine. a Harlem ofthe mind, but whose? Freeman Avoids Lovable Director Bruce Beresford who also The film looks beautiful but its Servant Cliche in Daisy did the cute Grimes ojthe Heart ~ostumes and production design, In Driving Miss Daisy, a wealthy, (1987), gets a lot ofmileage out lIke the failed Reynolds/Eastwood SouthernJewish matron (Jessica the Southern locations. vehicle City Heat (1984), look like a Tandy) crashes her new 1948 Yet, however enjoyable, there is weird pastiche ofthe 20s, 30s and Packard into her neighbor's no getting around the bottom line 40s. Like Coppola's The Cotton Club gar?en. Her son (Dan Akroyd) , of th.e film. Driving Miss Daisy (1984), director/scriptwriter agaInst her wishes, hires a driver contlnues the expected "white Murphy seems afraid to deal with for her, a Black widower (Morgan shadow" trend ofHollywood­ Harlem's rep as an artistic mecca Freeman) in his early sixties. The films like Cry Freedom (1987) and or, for that matter, what Harlem matron and the widower, after Mississippi Burning (1988) that cast meant to the average Black of the initially getting used.to each other, Black people in the background of period. Strangely enough, for a film embark on a friendship that lasts our own stories. Scripts that cast whose milieu is nightlife, there is twenty-five years. Blacks as loyal servants seem, no not one big musical number. Based on a long-running, Pulit­ matter how well-intentioned, to Pryor, in an even more subdued zer-Prize winning play, the film feed on white America's fleed to role than his hapless suburbanite in could hav~ easily lapsed into yet see us in "our Moving (1988), looks great and another pIece of Black/white, place." The performs well but doesn't have a lot servant/master drivel, such as last stage to do. Maybe ifhe and Murphy re­ year's rotten Clara's Heart, in team, Pryor will get a chance to cut which Whoopi Gold­ loose. Murphy's real-life running berg played a buddy, Arsenio Hall, does cut loose feistyJamaican in an inspired, lunatic cameo as a maid working for a gangster trying to avenge his wealthy white brother's death. Harlem Nights woman. (Her accent could have used more ofthe was pitiflll and her Chester Himes (Cotton Comes to part was merely an 80s Harlem; Come Back, Charleston Blue) update, but the critics type ofmadness exhibited in this raved about it.) sequence. However, despite the Jessica Tandy, an ac­ critical drubbing the film has claimed stage and screen received, audiences have made the actress, is-pardon the film a hit. Why not-it is the same cliche-memorable in her kind ofrich, escapist fantasy that role as the difficult old Murphy has been serving for years ~oman. Whether disparag­ from TradingPlaces (1983) to Ing her social-elimbing Coming to America (1988). Of d~ughter-in-Iawor arguing c~urse, n<:ne ofthis critical carping With everyone within earshot, Will be p~Id any attention by Tandy never makes a false Murphy's legions ofdie-hard fans. ~ove: Mo~gan He's reached such icon status that Freeman, repeat­ Ing hIS able Award-winning role he could turn a profit by reciting as Hoke the chauffeur, is excel­ the alphabet. JeSSica lent as usual. An Academy Award all alld DaisY· nominee for his role as a menac­ all free.(t\illg tJliSS version ing pimp in Street Smart, and a dis­ tJlorgdY ill ort" ofDaisy has run tinguished stage actor, Freeman lal1 for several years to ca- cannily underplays what could pac~ty crowds. All God's Dangers, a have been a handkerchief-head stunnIng one-man show in which part. In films likeJohnny Handsome Cleavon Little played a Black (1989) and Lean On Me, his cool sha:ecropper who stood up to a ffie;yestic presence lit up the scre~n. raCIst system, barely lasted six But then, Freeman has a knack for weeks. drawing the viewer effortlessly into DrivingMiss Daisy is a heart­ his reality. warming, well-done movie, but Both he and Tandy turn in God forbid it should start another Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor and Redd Oscar-ealiber performances. "lovable Black Servant" trend.­ Foxx in Harlem Nights. D.F.

25 ZEINABU IRENE DAVIS continuedfrom page 7 tion on the paper to its birth on quality of lighting in Illusions is Fame in Oakland have shown the screen. Instead, critics are unquestionable and the poor us, there are quite a number of being paid to attend international sound quality was probably due to Black freelance and independent conferences and festivals, while an electroprint soundtrack, a screenwriters. A system needs to the filmmakers are at home living faulty projector or lack of mainte­ be developed where the on credit cards and still hustling nance by the distribution com­ filmmakers can more fully utilize to get the word out on their films. pany. the talents of these writers. The Nicholson laments that Black And where is the unparalleled quality ofwriting in Black film is independent films are "so densely access to technology for Mrican certainly much more complex convoluted they require explica­ American filmmakers that than Taylor allows us to believe. tion by professors of semiotics to Nicholson claims? Without Nicholson calls for filmmakers be comprehended." Why might putting too much emphasis on to be like 'Jazzmen" and to some Black independent films be our alma mater, most frequently "connect with absolute fidelity to "so densely convoluted?" U CIA, we as filmmakers have the human condition." Yet, at the One answer might be fear. Fear found out, all too painfully, that same time, he wants the that you will never be able to even though we make an award­ filmmakers to adhere only to a make another film again and that winning thesis film, and studios simple narrative structure. History you have to say everything in one may court for a hot moment, the shows us thatjazzmen and women ten-minute film. You know all the reality is that after film school broke with form and tradition bull that you had to go through to there is not much out there for that they themselves had estab­ do this film and you're not sure" if us, except exorbitant student lished in order to take music to a you have the personal courage or loans, the bitter opportunity to new level. Why won't Nicholson morale to do it all again. Why work for someone for peanuts, or let Black filmmakers emulate this haven't any of the critics ad­ teaching. creative process as well? Has dressed themselves to the many It is, in fact, a myth of the Nicholson seen the works of films that never get finished, all armchair critic which allows Arthur Rogbodiyan (aka AJ. the many films that have never people to believe that the entry of Fielder) and Philip MalloryJones? gotten out of post-production a solitary Black figure or two onto They are artists who make us (probably many stay unfinished), the studio scene indicates an question, who probe our re­ that are still sitting in the opening of the technology to all. sponses to visuals and music, who filmmaker's garage? Such myths are indeed consistent move the media offilm and video Nicholson is right in claiming with Hollywood's own delusions to a higher aesthetic level. Yet that we are too parochial as - letting in one or two to con­ Nicholson and Taylor don't even filmmakers and that we tend to vince itself mistakenly of its open­ acknowledge that these artists break into narrow political camps. mindedness and plurality, smugly exist. I see us outgrowing this stage and content to keep the door closed Nicholson also mentions how possibly developing some new to the scores of others who are as jazzmen honed their skills in a aesthetic forms, especially if a equally talented or even more workshop orjam session. It would confluence of ideas and co­ talented and creative. be wonderful if Black filmmakers production is fostered between The fact of the matter is that as a group could have access to filmmakers from the Americas, most filmmakers are not such artistic residencies. U nfortu­ Europe and Mrica. filmmakers full time. They are nately, filmmakers need the But what does Nicholson want? occupied by other daily activities: financial backing and support of I'm not sure he even knows. He doing temp work to pay the bills. someone other than filmmakers criticizes the films for being teaching on the elementary or to make a workshop happen. Like poorly constructed with inconsis­ university level or working as a the jazzman with his musical tencies in the plot. In particular, I craftsperson on some asinine instrument, the camera is our take issue with his criticism of studio production in the hope of instrument, but, unfortunately, Illusions, a film which I have seen "liberating" the so-called unusable we need money to make it pro­ time and time again only to be expendables such as gels for duce a note, let alone keep it out renewed and amazed at all the lighting and short ends (left­ of hock. Simplistic comparisons different levels ofmeaning and overs) offilm. with other art forms belittle the relevance thatJulie Dash was able Filmmakers,are certifiably crazy process offilmmaking and to structure in a 28-minute piece. people who live and die for illustrate the critic's ignorance of Nicholson points to a film like putting an image on the screen. the field. Illusions for its seeming lack of We are workaholics who abuse A Black film critic would do well technical virtuosity. Nicholson our health and stay holed up in if he or she could attach him/ would do well to check on the dark rooms at night and on

herself to a film, from its concep- quality of the exhibited print. The r continued on page 28

26 CLYDE TAYLOR continuedfrom page 8 elementary rules governing the cinema might enunciate. Even rest and, at a few points, the print develop-ment of character, the Toni Morrison has said her looks underexposed. construction of plot and story...the writing is going to be dwarfed by The ability to see the brilliant simplest narrative guidelines." the Black writing soon to come. conception of the film, its largely For me, the idea of only one all­ Then how do I justify the successful execution, its balanced encompassing film language is criticisms of the movement that I synthesis of idea, character and incomprehensible. It suggests the made in the "Paradox" essay? narrative - through the distrac­ speaker knows nothing about David and I agree that the tions of goofed lighting and language and only those examples concepts and storytelling strate­ sound - is a part ofnot confusing of cinema (Hollywood?) that fit gies of many Black independent our history with somebody else's. the argument. If there were only narrative films are weaker than I differ from David's readings of one "correct" language for cinema they need be, but we probably films where he seems to hold and storytelling, they would never have different ideas in mind when fixed ideas ofwhat a film should change. Language and narrative we make this cri~icism. be without considering the are culturally and historically de­ The question I bring to these question of appropriate means­ termined, often by the golden rule: films is: discounting production artistic, technological and socio­ "Them with the gold make the values, do the imaginative means historic. Without this flexibility, rules." We all talk about Black of telling the story stand up on his barbs on the trailer for Daugh­ music as the paragon of creativity. their own, or could they have ters ofthe Dust fall into cheap shot But the spirituals, the blues, jazz, been made more compelling for a territory. gospel, were all mistakes when they wider community through interac­ The music on the trailer is heavy appeared, according to the tive exchanges with other Hollywood (in fact, from Tess). "elementary" rules governing filmmakers, critics, programmers, But a little slack is in order. This musical expression, and were writers and ordinary viewers before music is righteously appropriate viciously attacked as such. the script was filmed? for its purpose: to raise money to One bright sign of hope carried The questions of craft plus complete the film, which the by Black independent film unfurls ideology are also complex. I agree trailer did. I'd be surprised if the partly around its search for a more with David that some of the music is anything similar on the appropriate film language for the political stances in some films are finished film. expression ofMrican American approached simple-mindedly. It's And what's wrong with spring­ perspectives and sense of history too easy to make characters the ing out of the "Alice Walker­ than the self-betraying classic vehicle~ of only one position each, Gloria Naylor-Toni Morrison formulas. But that sign hasjust as in a medieval morality play school ofwriting?" I've been appeared on a new horizon. The where one is labeled Pride and arguing for more attention by movement is young; that is not an another Virtue, instead of seeing filmmakers to good writing, as excuse but a historical perception. conflict take place within charac­ David has, too, so where's the Not young in years, but in devel­ ters. That's poster cinema. Such problem? These aren't good opmental opportunities, both for storytelling can hardly hope to writers? How long has it been a practice and reception. advance the discussion ofMrican put-down for a film to remind you This youth should influence our American destiny. of, say, Tolstoy? As for taking itself expectations. I learned a lot from But the. ideologies themselves seriously, considering our history, Kathy Collins when she declared call for separate discussion, what impresses me is that this film, Black independent films hardly leading offwith the entitlement of along with just a couple others ready for criticism. 'We'rejust filmmakers to pursue whichever from Black women independent baby filmmakers," she'd say. "I've line they choose and subject to filmmakers, is one of the few just begun to learn. I've only the judgement ofaudience where Black women do take made two films." And her shoot­ response, criticism and history. I themselves seriously, like in real ing partner,Ronald Gray, chimed frequently suspect some films life. (There's a subtext under this in with a telling analogy: 'Would harbor a self-indulgence of last discussion that deserves a you like to bejudged on the basis personal "artist" fantasies and separate dialogue.) of the first thing you wrote? Not personal ideological positions. But The issue of "craft" links to the published, but wrote?" a larger audience, once it is issue of film language. One school Then why show the films? First, developed, may bring a weightier of thought argues that there is because exhibition is part of the sense of dialogical responsibility. only one film language and Black learning process. And then It's a bit much, though, to ask filmmakers better stop fiddling because there is such a hunger filmmakers to bring us a more around and learn it. This line among many Black people for cogent vision of history, the parallels David Nicholson's even a provisional glimpse at what present and the future than they repeated prescription of "the an independent Black voice in continued on page 28

27 DAVIS MADISON AVENUE continuedfrom page 28 not sophisticated enough to want continued from page 21 weekends. We desperately need to view anything other than Whites who were handsome, the entire body of Black people in strictly fictional work? attractive (by White America's the audience, encouraging us The Black independent film standards), who drove BMWs, had psychologically and offering us and video movement is adapting 2.5 children, wore the brightest financial backing when possible. to the current political, economic colors, had the whitest clothes, had We as film·makers are taking the and social milieu in which it finds the greenest lawns and possessed an bull by the horns, learning the itself engaged and by which it is abundance ofcredit cards to end technology and circumventing its challenged and often repressed. their boredom. basic premises to create new But like music or any other art As the 1V spots showed, these visions that give rise to hidden form that Blacks actively pursue, were the benefits flowing to those voices. Clyde Taylor and David Black film seemingly submerges who followed the exhortations of Nicholson, we need your criticism and breaks out with new style that the Reagan administration, whose and your thoughts, but, most of challenges the status quo. central message was clear­ all, we need your support. The theme for the 90s must be "Invest in America, beware of the There seems to be some un­ collaboration-open communica­ foreign import" (or so said Frank speakable wall that critics and tion lines between filmmakers, Sinatra in a 1V commercial filmmakers cannot cross. There is critics and those interested in the rallying the American consumer to no communication going on. The movement that will allow Black buy American cars). critics are formulating theories independent media to prosper, While the Reagan administration that are naive, mistaken and have flourish and nourish our visual largely ignored much ofwhat was no basis or relevance to Black in­ souls always so hungry for images happening in the Black commu­ dependent filmmaking. At the of ourselves. • nity early in the 80s, advertisers same time, filmmakers are getting were beginning to become aware angry reading these articles but of the Black community as a are not responding and challeng­ TAYLOR source for potentially new profits. ing these writers. continued from page 29 However, the advertisers did not We can not survive in the 90s are presently doing, much as one have an easy time extracting profits unless some deeper understand­ would like to see such films. Who from the Black community be­ ing of the filmmaking process is doing as much outside offilms? cause the term "disposable in­ begins to occur. Black critics seem And who is doing it in a medium come" was and is not a reality in to take the question of style and where it takes maybe eight to ten the Black ~ommunity.Advertisers form in Black independent years to get one's vision packaged faced the problem offinding a way filmmaking as a simple matter of and before an audience? to attract Blacks to the market­ aesthetic choice. It is not. It is a Further, I am heartened by the place. matter of extreme hardship­ sense of commitment and fidelity So, during the 80s the 1V spot in political and economic factors, to a sense ofMrican American America began dramatizing and lack of opportunity and equip­ destiny - including development, featuring Black life. Particular ment and more that influence independence of mind and spirit, attention was given to strong Black and form aesthetic decisions. and the imperishable demand for male role models within a Black Personally, I am not interested justice - that I find in these films societal context. Blacks were shown in making feature films at this over all others produced in this working two jobs and setting aside point in my career. I want to put country. If I were not, I wouldn't mornings for trips with the kids to out a new work every year or so, bother with them, except to McDonald's. not every ten years. Therefore, I denounce them. In'some spots, such as those for make short film and video works Black cinema is barely into the Wang, young Blacks were shown in that tend to use an experimental ScottJoplin stage, getting ready white-collarjobs, conveying the style. In my latest film, Cycles, I for the profound innovations of a impression that Wang was a very made a decision to use black and Louie Armstrong. It is only progressive organization willing to white film and to do without sync because our traditions are so rich take a chance on people ofcolor. sound because it was cheaper to that we can dream at the level of While these images seemed produce. This was an aesthetic Monk and Coltrane. But because confusing, they provided clear choice bound by the limitations our traditions are rich, we mayjust insight into the strategy employed of economics and equipment move through these stages more by American business to capture access. Does this mean I am not quickly than anyone now antici­ the Black consumer. Blacks were valid as a filmmaker because I pates. studied, their purchasing patterns choose not to work strictly under David, hang tough! And thanks charted, their preferences noted narrative conventions? Are we for the rise you've given us, as and in a survey for the fast food saying that the Black audience is publisher, editor and critic.• industry, were found to be major

28 patrons offast food restaurants. and consumers are indoctrinated house ofrole models, then what is While white America was reading with the belief that their lives will needed is a critical analysis of those government reports about the be enhanced by purchasing them, models and an understanding and dangers of cholesterol and fats in the level offrustration increases a examination ofthe motives of the diet and dangers to long life hundredfold among Blacks American business. Otherwise, free of cancer by good nutrition, outside the mainstream. Black Americans will continue to Blacks were being shown the 'Joys" An examination of the riots face the tragedy ofAmerican life ofeating Kentucky Fried Chicken following the death of Martin which can be seen in the mount­ and biscuits with mashed potatoes Luther King,jr. illustrates clearly ing number ofBlack youths dying and gravy. the impact of1V commercials on drug-related deaths in our cities. Messages were tailored using Black Americans. Those merchants And as this barbarism continues, Black images, with Black voice­ hit hardest stocked the products of the selling of the American Dream overs often singing in the back­ the good life, the good life as plays on and the message ofthe ground, and with the spotlight on defined by the 1V commercial that 1V commercial never pauses for a successful Black entertainers. IS. moment of silence. Thejingles McDonald's presented the final act Left unspoken here, is the loss of continue.• in this rather bizarre play - young those values that have sustained Black women were shown as cheer­ Blacks and their CI leaders performing a dance fatuilies in a s s i fi e d s routine with pom poms in hand as America for so if to cheer on Black assimilation long. In a strict into the American mainstream. cause-and­ Each time a person switches on a affect relation­ 1V set, he or she becomes a ship, it can be consumer. To be sure, a young concluded that Black man or woman living at the Blacks have poverty level learns that whether or bought into the not a person is affluent is deter­ myth ofthe mined by how fast you could go "reality" of the from 0 to 60. 1V commercial. Yet, Black reality is radically They have con­ different from the "reality" of the sumed the 1V commercial. When a Black products man or woman watches a 1V regardless of commercial, he or she witnesses the cost because representations ofwhite life and they believed white behavior in America. Miss their lives would White America is concerned with be immeasura­ her hair, her wrinkles and the bly changed for water spots on her glasses. the better; sur­ Black America has other con­ rounded cerns. Think of the young Black themselves with single mother living in the projects the symbols of ofAmerica's decaying cities who the American has her life interrupted by the Dream of sounds of a different reality taking affluence; and place outside her window on the proclaimed, to streets below. The participants in all who would that drama also saw those commer­ listen, that they cials, then opted for crack as a were in the means to obtain the symbols of mainstream. affluence or to blast offinto Where do we oblivion. That particular drama go from here? If lacks the jingle, and these prob­ the 1V com­ lems cannot be solved by the intro­ mercial is where duction of the sponsor's newest Americans form product. images of them­ Perhaps, in a very real way, as selves, if the 1V more products become available spot is the store-

29 JOHN AKROMFAH continuedfrom page 5 while you are doing it. we've had enough, we aren't doing Coast guys who were kind ofsoft What I think is that some genera­ anymore," people have now because they lay in the sun all the tionjust has to stop and say, 'We acquired skills, and they can go off. time and the New York people can't all be filmmakers." In the Gardner: I try to find the person whojust run allover everybody. States, somebody must be a pro­ from the generations before me Once we came together, we ducer. Somebody has to step who doesn't quite have the talent couldn't work as a group. We outside history and say, "I will go but has the ego and keeps making created some organizations which and find the money for these films. So, unlike the workshop got rammed through, but the people, to keep this machine situation, you have to go to some­ people with the political vision, moving." Butthathasn't happened. body to convince them, without who didn't have the organizational Akromfah: One of the growth hurting their feelings, that some­ skill, were the ones from New York, areas in Britain is the producing one has got to be a producer. and they couldn't come together area. There are three organiza­ We've got all these directors; we've on anything. tions whose whole reason for exis­ got people who can write. We've What you have in the United tence is to get producers together. got technicians, but we have States is your independence. You It also includes directors, but nobody who will step forward and grab hands and run to the edge of ostensibly these are people who've say, "I will go and get the money the cliffand leap offand it's dark­ set up production companies and for the films." And I'm thinking ness. Generations have leaped off are looking for production mate­ that maybe, after my next film, or there, but the next generation rial. Very few Blacks in that, but maybe even while I try and do the doesn't come and look over to see enough to make some difference. next film, I will actually begin to do somebody down there and say, But ifyou contrast it at a larger that myself. ''You need a rope ladder?" They level, you have a sort of market­ Now it's frightening to me, not don't learn any lessons. People oriented culture; whereas, we're in terms ofego or anything, but keep thinking they're the first ones kind ofinheritors ofa sort of because I'm not quite certain I can to do it because nobody talks. cultural planning and welfare in­ do it. But, ifsomeone doesn't try, Everybody's too afraid, guarding frastructure. Through a workshop, we'lljust be doing the same thing what little bit they have. It's very in­ you could plan it that way. You over and over again. We don't dividualistic in that way. All ofour could say to somebody, "Look, I have the luxury of the workshop conversations ofthe 70s were on just saw the last 10 minutes you situation; so somebody has to step the model of the workshop. Given tried to edit there. You're never outside. And I don't know who it's the climate of the States, the indi­ going to make an editor, so don't going to be The Hollywood pro­ vidualism, they'd start the work­ bother. But you did raise that ducers, they're in Hollywoo-d, and shop, but whoever had the strong­ money pretty easily.... " You could they're no help at all. They're at est personality would pull it in a do that in a very organic way. You the mercy ofa liberal person given direction. It would get all could find home for all kinds of who'll say, "I think I'll give you the bent out ofshape. sensibilities, all sorts ofsentiments, money for this film, but I want Akromfah: In the early 70s, in within the structure of the work­ some slight changes here and England, a number ofBlack shop, knowing full well that it was there," or they'll say, "I want a filmmakers also tried to set up a conjunctural, that it was not going certain kind ofscript," And they'll workshop, which fell apart for to go on. You didn't want it to. keep turning down every kind of other reasons. It's interesting now Before Handsworth Songs, nobody script until they get what they want. to try to figure why that didn't talked about Black films, so to try So all the other stories don't get work in the first place and why it and rely on any kind ofinfrastruc­ done. worked in the 80s. I think it's a very ture - ofintellectual support, of Until somebody says, "There are conjunctural thing, a sort of practical support, of having your no workshops here; there isn't that strategic thing, that's probably not friends on committees who would kind offringe - pardon the word going to last much longer. say, ''Yes, they're great, give them - representation here." Some­ Gardner: That's my argument­ money" - was not possible. So we body must produce, or the genera­ isn't that the idea ofthe workshop? set up something strategic, and, for tion that finally does say - again, I That as you go on, people may not me, the importance of the work­ come full circle - "Oh, we need want to put('all their work into one shop is the people. It's nothing producers, we'll be the producers," thing? People will have different else. Sure, I can tell you the they're going to look at us and say, directions that they want to go in. politics; I can mouth them 9ffwith ''Vall wasted at least three genera­ For us, in the States, that leaves you some skill, but that's not the point. tions with nobody stepping outside as the producer and the director. We really tried to turn the thing to try to produce." So the only You spend five years trying to get around to invest the energies in answer I can figure out, as I'm the money,; then you come back, the people. If tomorrow everybody having this conversation with you, and you've got to be the producer, at Black Audio said, "That's it, is that I must try to do it.•

30 ...... Calendar_.....- February THURSDAYS, February 1 through 22 at 8:00 p.m. Sherry Millner); the use of language and art The Baltimore Film Forum will present a four­ in self-definition (Mar. 4 with Leslie week series "Black Women: A New Filmmaking Thornton); the empowermeIlt ofwomen Talent" on Thursdays in February. (Mar. 11 withJoan Braderman); sexuality February 1, the series opens with Euzhan Palcy's (March 25 withJulie Zando); and the prob­ Sugar Cane Alley. lems women face living in a man's world (Apr. Set in Martinique in 1931, this film paints a 1 with Vanalyne Green). rich impasto of native life under French colonial FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: rule filtered through the coming-of-age of a bright, Dara Meyers-Kingsley sweetly opportunistic black boy learning to recon­ Coordinator of Film and Video Programs cile the value of his shanty-town roots with the edu­ The Brooklyn Museum cational opportunities that beckon him to the big 200 Eastern Parkway city. An audience-pleaser as well as an adventurous Brooklyn, NY 11238 work of cinema, this film established Euzhan Palcy (718) 638-5000 ext. 234 (A Dry White Season) as a major new filmmaking talent. FRIDAY, February 23, 8:00 p.m. February 8, Remembering Thelma (U.S.A.) 1981, Baltimore Film Forum presents Mapant­ directed by Kathe Sandler. ...But Then She's Betty sula (South Africa) 1988, directed by Oliver Carter (U.S.A.) 1987, and Storme: The Lady oftheJewel Schmitz. Mapantsula, loosely translated as Box (U.S.A.) 1987, both directed by Michelle Park­ "gangster," is about a carefree thiefwho is erson. transformed as he sees beyond his self-interests February 15, Picking Tribes (U.S.A.) 1988, di­ to the harsh realities of life for Black South rected by Saundra Sharp. The Thinnest I-Jine (U.S.A.) Africans. This powerful film has won critical 1988, directed by Daresha Kyi. Older Women and acclaim in the U.S., Europe and Australia. Love (U.S.A.) 1987, directed by Camille Billops. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Visions ofthe Spirit: A Portrait ofAlice Walker (U.S.A.) Baltimore Film Forum 1989, directed by Elana Featherson. Baltimore Museum ofArt February 22, Illusions (U.S.A.) 1982, directed by 10 Art Museum Dr. Julie Dash. Back Inside Herself (U.S.A.) 1984, di­ Baltimore, MD. 21218 rected by Saundra Sharp. Hairpiece: A Film for Nappy­ (301) 889-1993 Headed People (U.S.A.) 1985, directed by Ayoka Ch­ enzira. Nice Colored Girls(Australia) 1987, directed by SATURDAY, February 24, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 Tracy Moffatt. Coffee Coloured Children (England) p.m. 1988, directed by Ngozi A. Onwurah. Cycles (U.S.A.) Film Symposium, University of California, 1988, directed by Zeinabu Davis. Berkeley. Gala Dinner and Dance, Oakland Hyatt SUNDAYS, February 18 through April 1 (except Regency, 6:30 p.m.. March 18) at 2:30 p.m. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: The Brooklyn Museum, in collaboration with Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, Inc. Women Make Movies, will present a six-week series P.O. Box 28055 "The Feminist 'I": Video Programs from the Oakland, CA 94604-8055 ,Women Make Movies Collection." Grouped the­ (415) 465-0804 matically, the six programs will be introduced by guest video artists and followed by discussion. The SUNDAY, February 25, 4:00 p.m. six programs are offered on Sunday afternoons at Oscar Micheaux Awards Ceremony, 2:30 p.m. in the Museum's Education Division, Paramount Theater, Oakland, CA. located on the first floor. The screenings are free FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: with Museum admission. Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, Inc. Issues to be addressed include race and racism P.O. Box 28055 (on Feb. 18 with Linda Gibson); how media repre­ Oakland, CA 94604-8055 sents and misrepresents the women (Feb. 25 with (415) 465-0804

31 March April SUNDAY, March 4 THURSDAY, April 19, 6:00, 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. "In Visible Colours." Films included are Zajota Independent film screenings, Parkway Theater, and the Boogie Spirit by Ayoka Chenzira, African Oakland, CA. Woman Broadcaster by Goretti Mapalunga; Sun-Up FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: (Kumekucha) by Flora M'mbuga-Shelling; Coffee Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, Inc. Coloured Children by Ngozi Onwurah; Winter Illusion P.O. Box 28055 by Kim Soyoung; and OurDaily Bread by Gloria Oakland, CA 94604-8055 Cameruaga. Cheryl Chisholm, director of the (415) 465-0804 Atlanta Third World Film Festival will be the discus­ sion leader following the screening. This program is FRIDAY, April 20 through April 26 part ofWomen in the Director's Chair Film Festival The Black Talkies Film Festival will present its and co-sponsored with The Community Film Work­ 12th annual Black Film Festival at the Four Star shqp. Theatre, 5112 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles CA. On FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: opening night, Friday April 20th, there will be a Carolyn Glassman special screening of Dr. RolandJefferson's new film, Community Film Workshop "Perfume," at 7:00 p.m. Films and videotapes from 1130 S. Wabash, Ste. 400 the Black American Cinema Society's 1990 competi­ Chicago, IL 60605 tion for student and independent filmmakers will be (312) 427-1245 shown on Saturd~y, A£ril 21 at 1:30. p.m. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: MONDAYS, March 19 through April 9 from 7:00 Dr. Mayme A. Clayton p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Executive Producer Scribe Video Center will present a Producers' Black Talkies Film Festival Forum. Film/Video producers will show their work Western States Black Research Center and discuss the process of creation. All programs will 3617 Montclair St. be held at the Devine Lorraine Hotel, Broad and Los Angeles, CA 90018 Fairmount Sreets, Philadelphia, PA. (213) 737-3292 March 19, Shu Lea Cheang, independent producer, Color Schemes, and member of Paper Tiger FRIDAY, April 27 through May 5 Collective.. The Athens Center for Film and Video an­ April 26, Philip MalloryJones, video artist, nounces competition deadlines for the 17th edition Dreamkeeper, VVhat Goes Around/Comes Around, Foot­ of the Athens International Film and Video Festival. prints; curator, "The Icono-Negro: The Black Aes­ Deadline for video entries, including 1/2" NTSC, thetic in Video Art." 3/4" U-matic, high-8 and 8mm formats, is February April 4, Arthur Rogbodiyan (aka AJ. Fielder), 5, 1990. Deadline for film entries, including 8mm, independent filmmaker and Director of Photogra­ 16mm, and 35mm is March 5,1990. Categories phy, Geeche Girls Productions, Inc. include documentary, narrative, experimental, April 9, Michelle Parkerson, Independent animation and a new category for camcorder video filmmaker, ...But Then She's Betty Carter, Storme: The works. Prizes total $3000 for the video competition Lady oftheJewel Box and Gotta Make ThisJourney. and $3000 for the film com2etition. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: The Scribe Video Center Ruth Bradley or Craig Stevens 1342 Cypress Street Athens Center for Film and Video Philadelphia, PA 19107 P. O. Box 388 (215)735-3785 Athens, OH 45701 (614) 593-1330 THURSDAY, March 22, 6:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., Independent film screenings, Parkway Theater, Oakland, CA. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Black Filmmakers Hall of'Fame, Inc. P.O. Box 28055 Oakland, CA 94604-8055 (415) 465-0804

32 The editors wish to acknowledge the following .donors for their generous contributions:

Elizabeth Alexander James Alan McPherson Anonymous Ethel S. Meeds Lisa Buchsbaum Patricia Meyers A 'Lelia Bundles Rodney Mitchell Lorenzo A ugusta Calendar II James A. Miller Roy Campanella, II Spencer Moon Elden Cave Cornelius G. Moore Mbye Cham Gloria Naylor Joel Chaseman Annelle Primm, MD Herbert"E Colley, Jr. Diane Porter Robert H. Devine Richard L. Rivard The Lucius and Eva Eastman Fund, Inc. Trodville Roach Kay Ferguson Roger B. Rosenbaum Richard and Phyllis Ferguson Liane G. Rozzell Bryan Fortson Charles Scattergood Charles Fuller Charles Sessoms Dr. Naomi M. Garrett William and Elaine Simons MableJ Haddock Kenneth Small Robert S. Hainey C.C. Still Judi Hetrick Piankhi Tanwetamani Charles F. Johnson Eve A. Thompson Charles E. Jones Robert Townsend Humphrey C. Jones Josephine S. Wade Humphrey C.Jones,Jr. The Washington Blade Charles F. Johnson Herb VVhite Joseph G. Kisha Marti Wilson Lamda Rising Bookstore Paula Wright

II III

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