Hollywood filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles dies

Melvin Van Peebles, the Black filmmaker, novelist and playwright, whose audacious, rebellious work had an influence on generations of artists, has died at age 89.

A statement released by the Criterion Collection and Janus Films — scheduled to release a box set of Van Peebles’s work next week — said the filmmaker died at his home in New York with family.

In a testament to his continued relevance, a restoration of his best known film, 1971’s Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song was previously set for a 50th anniversary tribute this weekend at the New York Film Festival, and his Tony-nominated play Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death is planned for a revival on Broadway next year. His debut feature film, 1968’s interracial romance The Story of a Three-Day Pass, was rereleased in theaters earlier this year.

Speaking to The Times in 1968, Van Peebles displayed his showman’s flair and disarmingly blunt demeanor when he said, “The point isn’t that I’m Black or white, but that I’m a genius.” He added, “I don’t have to prove myself to other people. If they can’t accept me as a human being, that’s their problem, not mine.” — Los Angeles Times