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JOHN AKOMFRAH FILM RETROSPECnVE the finest in Black British Film Testament Touch of the Tar Brush Handsworth Songs Who Needs A Heart U.S. Tour January - May, 1993 plus, a special new book "DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST: THE MAKING OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S FILM" by Julie Dash inteNiew with bell hooks intra by Toni Cade Bambara photos of Arthur Jafa $20 pp BlackFiIm Contents [i]l3l!1DI3~ Volume 7, Number 3 4 2025 Eye Street, w.I Interview: Marlon Riggs Suite 213 By KA1AMu YA SAlAAM Washington, DC 20006 The controversialdocumentaridn hys bare the art andpolitics ofrepresentation. (202)466-2753 Editor IN SEARCH OF OURFAMlllES Jacquie Jones Assistant Editor D. Kamili Anderson 10 Consulting Editor Fathers & Daughters Tony Gittens By BRIOCEIT DAVIS (Black Film Institute) Daresha Kyi's newfilm, Land Where My Fathers Died, explores the Managing Editor emotionaUy chargeddynamits between ayaungAftUan ArnerU:an Jane McKee woman, her akoholicfather andher dogmatic buyfriend Associate EditorjFilm Critic Arthur Johnson 12 Associate Editors Fathers & Sons Pat Aufderheide By ERIC fAsTER Roy Campanella II Manthia Diawara Marco WiUiams' autobiographicalfilm speaks volumes on the crisis offatherless Victoria M. Marshall B!a£kmen. Mark A. Reid Miriam Rosen Clyde Taylor 20 Art DirectorlGraphic Designer Features Davie Smith Afiican Cinema: Inside Out By FRANCDISE PFAFF Advertising Director Manthia Diawara 's AfriGlIl Cinema is the Imest, English-language volume on Sheila Reid thepolitics, aesthetics and economics ofAfrica's newest artftrm. 2 Founding Editor FillnClips David Nicholson AftUan ArnerU:an 1985-1989 14 Emmy winners, the Black Film Review (ISSN 0887-5723) is published four Generation X irrepressible St. Clair times ayear by Sojourner Productions, Inc., anon-profit HENRY WUIS GATES, JR Bourne, Neema corporation organized and incorporated in the District of Spike Lee's biopic Malcolm X: why now? Barnette and more. Columbia. It is co-produced with the Black Film Institute of the University of the District of Columbia. Subscriptions are $12 per year for individuals, $24 per year for institutions. Add $10 per year for overseas subscriptions. Subscription 18 26 requests and correspondence should be sent to PO Box Eternally Present Reviews 18665, Washington, DC 20036. Send all other ROSFMARI One False Move. correspondence and submissions to the above address; By MEALy submissions must include astamped, se~-addressed Cubanfilmmaker Glorid Rolando usesfilm to keep A.frican oral traditions alive. envelope. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Logo and 34 contents copyright ©Sojourner Productions, Inc., and in 28 New Releases the name of individual contributors. Minority Rule A Di.fIerent Image, Black Film Review welcomes submissions from writers, By SAMI SHAWM CHErn.rr Chameleon Street, Allah Tantou, A but we prefer that you first query with aletter. All solicited Ella Shohat "reads" Israeli cinema through critical eyes as no one has ever done. manuscripts must be accompanied by astamped, se~ Question ofColor addressed envelope. We are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. Black Film Review has signed acode of and more. practices with the National Writers Union, 13 Astor Place, un~L 7th Roor, New York, NY 10003. BiU Duke's action-adventurefilm, Deep Cover, explores the link between crime 35 This issue of Black Film Review was produced with the Calendar assistance of grants from the Academy of Motion Picture andB!a£k morality. Arts and Sciences Foundation, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Hu manities, the National Endowment for the Arts and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Cover photo by David Lee FILM CLIPS THREE FOR THE SHOW television last season. Carter, who and Leave 'Em Laughing, starring with someone else. And this year, also got his start acting on Mickey Rooney. Later this year, this technical category was television, beat out Launeville for Fowler's The First Thanksgiving, broadcast on Sunday night with This year, 29 Mrican Americans the honor in 1990 and has won which explores the holiday from the actors and actresses." Morgan were nominated for Emmy Emmys the past two seasons for a Native American perspective, was also nominated for the Awards, the highest number in "Equal Justice." Launeville's will air. Whoopi Goldberg series "Bagdad the history ofthe Academy of other television directing credits Donald Morgan, who took Cafe" in 1990 and the daytime Television Arts and Sciences. include "Quantum Leap," home the trophy for lighting, is TV series "Saved By the Bell" Unfonunately, though, they took "Doogie Hoowser, MD" and the only African American ever to this year. He has worked on over home only three trophies. "Equal Justice" as well as the be nominated in this category. A two dozen shows, including "The Without a doubt, the most pilots for "Pros and Cons" and former musician who literally got Golden Girls," "Benson" and familiar recipient for the "Going to Extremes." He was his start in the mailroom, "The Robert Guillaume television audience was actor also a producer on "Midnight Morgan has been nominated four Show."-George Hill turned-director/producer Eric Caller." times and has won twice. In 1985 Launeville, who won for Three-time local Emmy he won for "Mr. Belvedere," THE IRREPRESSIBLE directing the "All God's Chil winner Julian Fowler hit the along with George Dibie. This dren" episode ofNBC's dramatic ST. CLAIR BOURNE jackpot with his first national time Morgan beat Dibie and civil rights series ''I'll Fly Away." Emmy win as executive producer three other nominees, winning Launeville got his start on Veteran Mrican American on the Disney Channel movie for the "Lucky to be a Taylor television in the series "Room filmmaker St. Clair Bourne has Mark Twain andMe. Fowler, an Tonight" episode ofABC's 222," which also starred Denise been commissioned to produce attorney and former PBS "Home Improvement." Nicholas and Lloyd Haynes, and two one-hour documentaries production executive, did what "This was twice as exciting appeared in numerous sitcoms in about the political impact ofthe many Mrican Americans in as my earlier win," said Morgan. the '70s and early '80s. But it was Black athlete in international Hollywood are doing these days: "It was my first win I didn't share on "St. Elsewhere," the dramatic He developed his own project, series on which Launeville co getting the rights to the book starred with Denzel Washington, about Twain, overseeing the that he made his directorial writing ofthe teleplay, selling debut. He went on to direct Disney on the movie and twenty episodes ofthe show. producing it himself. His As part ofhis acceptance producing credits include the speech, the director thanked television movies Look Away, friend Thomas Carter, who which starred Madge Sinclair and recently directed Strictly Business, Ellen Burstyn, Eleanor: In Her which starred Halle Berry, for Own Wordr with Lee Remick, not being available to direct for Filmmaker St. Clair Bourne. 2 Black Film Review sports. These films Myth and who is a leader in the first new Fellow. "Reunion" examines the Handsworth Songs, a documen Reality and Breaking Down the wave ofAfrican American emotionally charged and difficult tary about race and civil disorder Barriers, will be fearured in a six women directors to make feature issues related to AIDS in the in Britain in the '80s; and his part series entitled 'Will to Win." films, has an extensive back African American community. recently produced BBC docu Produced by London-based ground in theater, television and To assure the greatest mentary on mixed-race children Catalyst TV for the British ftlmmaking. Barnette and sensitivity in portraying the in Liverpool, A Touch ofthe Tar Broadcasting Corporation Harlem Lite are based at the complex issues confronted in Brush. All were written and (BBC), "Will to Win" celebrates studio's Culver City lot. "Reunion," producer Laverne directed by him. and examines the achievements of "Neema has tremendous Berry and "Out in Film" founder Born in Ghana and raised in Black athletes from a social and passion as an artist and fllm Scott Robbe have assembled a Britain, Akomfrah is one ofthe political perspective. The series, maker," said Columbia Produc production team that is diverse in most influential and innovative written by cultural critic and tion Vice President Stephanie terms ofrace, gender and sexual directors to emerge from the sports journalist Clayton Riley, Allain. "She has an unusually orientation. The film's messages Black British cultural renaissance will be broadcast next season on strong understanding ofthe about condom use and tolerance ofthe '80s. A key contributor to the BBC European network. material that she wants to ofthose infected with HIV were Black British film culture as a Bourne also has two address-which is to bring developed by an AIDSFILMS filmmaker as well as cultural dramatic feature projects in representation ofMrican Advisory Committee ofAfrican theorist, his work has been at the development, The Bride Price, a American women to the screen." American community leaders center ofdebates on race and contemporary romantic thriller ''I'm pleased to be at and medical and health profes postcolonialism for a decade. set in Senegal about a romance Columbia for many reasons," sionals. Together with the touring between an African American Barnette said. ''I'm particularly In order to secure the widest program, Third World Newsreel Peace Corps volunteer and the glad for the opportunity to tell possible audience for "Reunion," will publish an extensive daughter ofan Mrican holy man, stories on film about Black AIDSFILMS has secured monograph ofinterviews with and The AmistadIncident, based women, who have been either donations for the free distribu Akomfrah and essays about his on the infamous 1838 shipboard invisible or portrayed mostly tion of500 videotapes to non films by leading British, Ameri slave revolt.