'Invisibility: African-American Film Developments 1916-1946' at Kimura Gallery through March 17, 2017
by Michelle Saport |
"Invisibility: African-American Film Developments 1916-1946" is a historical revisionist cinematic anthology of films illustrating the marvelous
work that directors such as Oscar Micheaux and William D. Foster produced over the
years at their production houses as well as a large body of work other African-American
filmmakers created from the mid-teens of the 20th century to the mid-1940s. The obstacles
faced by these cinematic pioneers is an expression of their tenaciousness to overcome
the obstacles of a pervasive white Hollywood. These filmmakers provided African-American
audiences with film experiences they could relate to. The range of these films consists
of burlesque comedy, melodramas, religious-based works and even excursions into surrealism
with the surreal melodrama Eleven P.M. From a historical perspective, African-American film has had an important connection
to the social concerns the African-American community has faced over the years. These
films are part of the history of race cinema and important particularly in a climate
of violence and profiling of African-Americans.
Visit the Kimura Gallery website for a full list of screenings.
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