Black directors overcame the odds to create these great films
Julie Dash launched her career with the widely acclaimed “Daughters of the Dust” in 1991 and has only made one movie since. Charles Burnett’s “Killer of Sheep” made a huge splash in 1978, but he has struggled to complete a handful of features since.
Dash’s lyrical fable and Burnett’s tough-minded drama are nothing alike, but they do have one thing in common: Both overlooked filmmakers are Black.
Even getting their debut features into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry hasn’t made it easier for those two in Hollywood, and they’re not alone. Only in the past few years have directors such as Regina King (“One Night in Miami”), Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”), Jordan Peele (“Get Out”) and others begun to chip away at inequities demonstrated by a 2019 study that found that only 6% of the movies in the previous 12 years were directed by Black artists.
If the filmmaker was a woman, the situation was even worse. Of the 1,200 movies included in the study, five were made by Black women.
That lack of representation hurts artists, but movie fans are also missing out on the stories that they could tell.
Against the odds, Black directors have produced many singular works, way too many to note in this space. In addition to those named above, here are seven greats worth getting your hands on.
‘Fruitvale Station’ (2 0 1 3 )
Ryan Coogler has made three features, all starring Michael B. Jordan and all landmarks (the others are “Black Panther” and
“Creed”). His toughest and most political work, this Sundance award winner finds a measure of hope in the fact-based, sickeningly suspenseful account of the last day of Oscar Grant III, who was killed by police at an Oakland light-rail station in the first hours of 2009.
‘Eve’s Bayou’ (1 9 9 7 )
Another entry in the National Film Registry, Kasi Lemmons’ supernatural-tinged family drama uses its bayou setting to bring a mythic quality to the story of Eve, whose child’s view of the world is shattered by a series of confusing events.
‘13th’(2016)
Named for the amendment that abolished slavery, Ava DuVernay’s nonfiction movie contends that slavery has continued to flourish in the form of the prison system, which disproportionately punishes Black Americans and allows for a newer form of involuntary servitude.
‘Lovers Rock’ (2 0 2 0 )
Part of “Small Axe,” Steve McQueen’s five-part project for Amazon, this ecstatic romance takes
place at a 1980 house party where Black Brits dance, eat, sing “Silly Games” and smooch.
‘Boyz n the Hood’ (1 9 9 1 )
Writer/director John Singleton’s first film, a riveting drama about the toll racism takes on a Los Angeles community, also made him the first Black person nominated for the best director Oscar.
‘I Like It Like That’ (1 9 9 4 )
A vibrant debut like this romantic comedy/ drama would usually lead to conquering the movie business, but Darnell Martin has made just three features since. That could be her choice, but the movies could use more of the fresh, quirky energy she gave the tale of Lisette, who realizes she must take the reins of her struggling family.
‘Tongues Untied’ (1 9 8 9 )
Late writer/director Marlon Riggs was way ahead of his time in depicting the racism and homophobia that affect Black men who love each other. “Tongues Untied” is a poetic essay that uses literary and conversational excerpts as a free-flowing kind of narration.