Documentary
African-American documentary filmmaker Marlon Riggs was working on this final film as he died from AIDS-related complications in 1994; he addresses the camera from his hospital bed in several scenes. The film directly addresses sexism and homophobia within the black community, with snippets of misogynistic and anti-gay slurs from popular hip-hop songs juxtaposed with interviews with African-American intellectuals and political theorists, including Cornel West, bell hooks and Angela Davis.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
The New Black
Kiki
Being BeBe
The Harlem Hellfighters' Great War
Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color
South to Black Power
James Brown Soul Brother No. 1
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
The L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin
Paris Is Burning
Men Of The Forest
The Legend of Glynn Turman
Uncle Tom
bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation
Coming Back for More
Echoes 'Cross the Tracks
The Singer: A Montford Point Marine
Night School
Dead Is Dead
SIMILAR MOVIES
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
IMDB 5 | Nov , 2019
Maurice Hines, a charming, gay African-American entertainer navigates the complications of show business while grieving the loss of his more famous, often estranged younger brother, tap dance legend Gregory Hines.The New Black
IMDB 5.2 | Jun , 2013
The New Black is a documentary that tells the story of how the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent gay marriage movement and the fight over civil rights. The film documents activists, families and clergy on both sides of the campaign to legalize gay marriage and examines homophobia in the black community's institutional pillar-the black church and reveals the Christian right wing's strategy of exploiting this phenomenon in order to pursue an anti-gay political agenda. The New Black takes viewers into the pews and onto the streets and provides a seat at the kitchen table as it tells the story of the historic fight to win marriage equality in Maryland and charts the evolution of this divisive issue within the black community.Kiki
IMDB 5.8 | Apr , 2016
25 years after Paris is Burning, we dive back into the fierce world of voguing battles in the Kiki scene of New York City, where competition between Houses demands leadership, painstaking practice, and performances on point. A film collaboration between Kiki gatekeeper, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and Swedish filmmaker Sara Jordenö, we’re granted exclusive access into this high stakes world, where tough competitions act as a gateway into the daily lives of LGBTQ youth of color in NYC. The new generation of ballroom youth use the motto, “Not About us Without Us”. Twiggy and Sara’s insider-outsider approach to their stories breathes fresh life into the representation of a marginalized community who demand visibility and real political power.Being BeBe
IMDB 9 | Jun , 2021
The intimate journey and unpublished backstory of BeBe Zahara Benet – a charismatic drag performer originally from Cameroon, and the very first winner of the culture-changing phenomenon, RuPaul’s Drag Race. With over a decade of unprecedented access, we observe BeBe’s struggles with celebrity, authenticity, success, and failure.The Harlem Hellfighters' Great War
IMDB 0 | Dec , 2017
Nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters", these African-Americans wanted to become ordinary citizens like everyone else. They saw fighting heroically in the trenches as their chance to achieve this. In 1918, the 15th New York National Guard Regiment became the most highly decorated unit of the First World War.Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color
IMDB 10 | Jul , 2021
Alma W. Thomas lived a life of firsts: the first Fine Arts graduate of Howard University (1924), the first Black woman to mount a retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1972), and the first Black woman to have her paintings exhibited in the White House (2009). Yet she did not receive national attention until she was 80.South to Black Power
IMDB 3.5 | Nov , 2023
In his provocative 2021 book, The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto, New York Times opinion columnist Charles M. Blow calls for a “reverse Great Migration” of African Americans from the North back to the South to upend today’s political power structures while reclaiming the land and culture they left behind. South to Black Power does more than illustrate Blow’s enlightening ideas; we journey through Blow’s personal story, from his childhood in Louisiana to his role as father to young adult children in New York City, showing us the hard-won truths behind his vision for the future.James Brown Soul Brother No. 1
IMDB 8 | Jan , 1978
The James Brown StorySLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
IMDB 6.9 | Jan , 2025
An examination of the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone – the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic Sly Stone – that captures the band's reign while shedding light on the burden that comes with success for Black artists in America.The L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin
IMDB 5.8 | Aug , 2014
Gay women living in the Deep South of the United States share stories of the bigotry, sexism, intimidation, and racism that confronts them in a part of the country known for its culture of Christian conservatism.Paris Is Burning
IMDB 8 | Mar , 1991
Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.Men Of The Forest
IMDB 0 | Jun , 1952
An African-American family in Georgia works to save money for a power saw. Includes depictions of timber harvest techniques and process. Film made in 1952 by the United States Information Service and intended for foreign audiences.The Legend of Glynn Turman
IMDB 0 | Aug , 2022
Actor Glynn Turman makes his Broadway debut at 12 years old in the original production of “A Raisin in the Sun” opposite Sidney Poitier and becomes a silver screen legend for six decades.Uncle Tom
IMDB 7.8 | Jun , 2020
In a collection of intimate interviews with some of America's most provocative black conservative thinkers, Uncle Tom takes a different look at being black in America.bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation
IMDB 0 | Jan , 1997
bell hooks is one of America's most accessible public intellectuals. In this two-part video, extensively illustrated with many of the images under analysis, she makes a compelling argument for the transformative power of cultural criticism.Coming Back for More
IMDB 0 | Jan , 2009
Funk legend Sly Stone disappeared from the limelight for more than 20 years. Musicians and the media tried to find the recluse but failed. In 2005 Willem Alkema started searching for Sly. Sly didn't want to be found or filmed, but Willem didn't give up and finally followed Sly in his first steps on stage in decades.Echoes 'Cross the Tracks
IMDB 6 | Mar , 2012
A powerful documentary starring Morgan Freeman about the genesis of The Blues in the South and the music spreading around the world. Morgan Freeman shares his story of his experience of growing up in Clarksdale, Mississippi and his love for the Blues.The Singer: A Montford Point Marine
IMDB 0 | Jul , 2023
“The Singer: A Montford Point Marine” tells the story of Henry Charles Johnson, one of the first African Americans in the U.S. Marine Corps and a professional crooner. Lured by the dignified Marine uniform and the allure of the G.I. Bill, he's abruptly thrown into the bare, segregated world of Camp Montford Point, a far cry from the lush expansiveness of Camp Lejeune he'd imagined. The harsh realities of Southern segregation strike a jarring contrast to his accustomed diversity of Manhattan, escalating further with hostility from drill instructors. Undeterred, his resolve is galvanized by the dream of donning the Marine uniform and the prospects following discharge. Post-discharge, Johnson immerses himself in New York's music scene, enchanting audiences with his soulful, Sinatra-esque timbre. This riveting narrative portrays the unmatched fortitude of the Montford Point Marines, representing a crucial African-American, American, and globally relevant human experience.Night School
IMDB 7 | Apr , 2016
Indianapolis has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. Night School follows three adult students living in the city’s more impoverished neighborhoods as they attempt to earn their diplomas while juggling other difficult responsibilities and realities. Through their stories, the filmmakers explore many issues that low-income Americans deal with, including unjust minimum wage and working conditions, arbitrary legal hindrances, and race and gender inequality.Dead Is Dead
IMDB 6 | Jul , 1974
An educational video exploring drug addiction, including footage of real-life addicts going through rehab therapy.