When something resonates with Black people, it becomes a source of comfort, and when it’s incredibly familiar and can make us laugh, it’s gold. A Black Lady Sketch Show came to us in 2019, and after my friend and co-host of Reely Melanated Ashlee put it on my radar, I wondered what divine sorcery was... Continue Reading →
HBO’s Exterminate All the Brutes: An AAFCA Roundtable Interview
In my grade school history class, I remember my history teacher talking about the War of 1812. He spoke of “savages” and Tecumseh. It was in the late 70s, and I wondered what he was talking about, who were the “savages”? In high school, I did a study on Indigenous women and the unfair loss... Continue Reading →
Night of the Kings (La Nuit des Rois): The AAFCA Virtual Roundtable Interview
Philippe Lacôte’s Night of the Kings defies genre. Through dance, music and calling upon the pageantry of the stage, he creates a world of storytellers and danger within MACA, one of the most notorious jails on the Côte D’Ivoire, in D’Abijan. This critically-acclaimed film draws on Lacôte’s own experiences as a child visiting his mother in MACA,... Continue Reading →
Test Pattern Adjusts the Picture of Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is never an easy subject to approach cinematically. It's hard to convey the anguish and violation without sensationalizing the event, and the aftermath can often be lost in dramatic embellishment for the most part. Shatara Michelle Ford attempts to change the perspective with her award-winning first feature film, Test Pattern. Renesha (Brittany S.... Continue Reading →
TIFF Next Wave Film Festival 2021: Unapologetic
Black women and girls have a heavy load to bear. We are nurturers and fighters, supporters and innovators, working behind the scenes caring for families, lovers and doing the work. Often, we go unnoticed because that has been the narrative for so long. We can be rendered voiceless, and when we speak up, we are... Continue Reading →
Black Art: In The Absence Of Light Uplifts Black Artists
Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a father who was an artist, and I have fond memories of gazing at each brushstroke that made up his vibrant paintings hung all over our house. In general, however, black artists seem to be an invisible resource. They have always been here, creating anything from paintings... Continue Reading →
Respite
Crime drama crosses cultural lines with Saro Varjabedian's Respite. Jimmy Baz (Monte Bezell) is a former cop turned private investigator who looks for people owing money to his dodgy clients and tracks down cheating husbands. He's rough around the edges, and his life is a mess. When he's asked to help a couple find their... Continue Reading →
End of the World Fun with Save Yourselves!
In act of bettering ourselves and being less self-absorbed, we become self-aware and more self-absorbed, and it’s facilitated through technology. If you’re not following me, you might get it when you watch the alien invasion comedy Save Yourselves! Su (Sunita Mani) and Jack (John Reynolds) are a millennial couple. They live in Green Point, Brooklyn... Continue Reading →
BBC America Brings Pratchett’s The Watch to Life
Fans of Sir Terry Pratchett are vehemently protective of the worlds he creates. One, in particular, Discworld, is a place of mystical beings and magic. With trolls, imps, dragons and wizards, Pratchett wrote about social issues by using the world of fantasy to illustrate social injustice and classism, to name a few. Now, BBC America... Continue Reading →

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