Great Movies by Black Filmmakers
Curated by Ellery Harkness
These past few weeks have been a testament to the power when we collectively come together in support of what is right. As we continue to protest, write letters, donate and educate ourselves in order to counter the systematic racism within our communities, consuming and supporting media made by Black creators is more important than ever. It is just one of many ways to work towards anti-racism.
Here is a list of some Team Smarthouse picks to start with:
The Watermelon Woman (Directed by Cheryl Dunye, 1996)
Available to stream for free on the Criterion Collection website
Shot in a quasi-documentary style, this film blurs the boundaries between documentary and fiction. Writer/Director Cheryl Dunye plays the lead, a Black lesbian filmmaker who is making a movie about the “watermelon woman”–a Black actress from the 1930’s who played the role of the “mammy” in many films–while simultaneously working in a video store. The movie is the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian.
The Hate You Give (Directed by George Tillman, Jr. , 2018)
Watch for free on all digital platforms
Based on the YA novel by Angie Thomas, this timely story follows a young woman named Starr, as she navigates the stark contrast between her home life in a poor Black neighborhood and her school life at a wealthy private institution. When she witnesses the fatal police shooting of her friend who is unarmed and Black, she begins to speak up.
Moonlight (Directed by Barry Jenkins, 2016)
Available on Netflix and streaming services
This masterpiece, considered one of the best films of the decade, has won an Academy Award for Best Picture and Golden Globe for best drama, among many others. The cinematography flows like the water motif throughout the film. The film is split up into three sections that represent three parts of the main character Chiron’s life: youth, adolescence, and adulthood. Throughout his time in Miami, Chiron grapples with his sexuality and identity as a queer Black man.
When They See Us (Created and Directed by Ava DuVernay, 2019)
Available to stream on Netflix
When They See Us is a limited series based off of the true story of the 1989 Central Park Five. Five young Black men were charged with the assault of a white female jogger in New York City, despite their innocence. The series tells the story of the trial, injustice under the law, and their experiences in prison.
Do The Right Thing (Directed by Spike Lee, 1989)
Available on all streaming services
One of Spike Lee’s most iconic movies, Do the Right Thing was nominated for the Academy Award Best Original screenplay. The film tells the stories of tension between Italian pizzeria owner Sal, and community member Buggin’ Out. The tension arises from the fact that the pizzeria only has images of Italian actors on the wall despite being in a Black neighborhood.
Daughters of the Dust (Directed by Julie Dash, 1991)
Available to stream for free on the Criterion Collection website
Known for its visually rich imagery, Daughters of the Dust also has a sharp script and story line. The film follows a multi-generational family in the Gullah community in South Carolina at the turn-of-the-century. The characters are former West African slaves who grapple with maintaining their familial Yoruba traditions. The film is a dazzling visual of what it means to be a Black woman.
Since I Been Down (Directed by Gilda Sheppard, 2020)
Coming soon! Support the movie here.
Situated in Tacoma, WA, which represents a microcosm of policy in the rest of the world, this documentary focuses on hope and stories within the prison system. Award-winning filmmaker Gilda Sheppard explores the aftermath of police targeting gangs and drugs forty years ago, placing many young Black men in prison for life. The documentary explores how these men have found healing through education within the prison.
Get Out (Directed by Jordan Peele, 2017)
Available on all streaming services
This critically acclaimed twist on the horror genre follows a couple, Chris and Rose, who go to visit Rose’s parents. In this warped meet-the-parents story gone wrong, the viewer is never sure what exactly is happening underneath what they’re seeing on screen. This slow burning genre-bending film explores race through its shocking story.
I am not your Negro (Directed by Raoul Peck, 2016)
Available to watch on Kanopy (free) and all streaming services
Raoul Peck re-imagines the book, “Remember This House” that James Baldwin had begun and never completed. Baldwin only wrote 30 pages, a part of the longer book he intended to write about the lives of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. This incredible story uses the words of James Baldwin to explore race in America and Blackness in cinema.
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One (Directed by William Greaves, 1968)
Available to stream for free on the Criterion Collection website
An incredible experiment in filmmaking, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One begins with an argument between a couple while a documentary film crew simultaneously films the making of the movie. And at the same time, a third crew films the first two. This film could be described as an art piece which tows the line between experimental art-making and documentary.
Selma (Directed by Ava Duvernay, 2014 )
Available for free on Google Play and Amazon Prime
Selma retells the true story of the march from Selma to Montgomery led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in response to discrimination and voter suppression in the south despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In response to the march, President Lyndon Johnson signed The Voting Rights act of 1965 into law.
If Beale Street Could Talk (Directed by Barry Jenkins, 2018)
Available on Hulu and all streaming services.
If Beale Street Could Talk is based on James Baldwin’s novel and features an impressive ensemble cast. Set in the 1970’s, the film follows Tish and her fiance Fonny, who is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. Tish works to clear Fonny’s name before the birth of their child.
The Apollo (Directed by Roger Ross Williams, 2019)
Available on Hulu, HBO Go, and other streaming services
This documentary uses archival footage, music, comedy, and dance performances from the Apollo Theater to tell the history of the venue and behind-the-scenes stories of shows that have graced its stage. Opened in 1914, the theater is known as “the Soul of American Culture.”
Selah and the Spades (Directed by Tayarisha Poe, 2020)
Available on Amazon Prime
The Haldwell school, an east coast boarding school is run by five different student factions. Selah, a senior at the school, runs one of these factions. This film tells the story of Selah’s attempt to replace herself as the leader for the next year.
Jezebel (Directed by Numa Perrier, 2019)
Available on Netflix
Numa Perrier is a Haitian-American artist who co-founded Black&Sexy TV. Numa Perrier writes and directs this semi-autobiographical movie with her own words. The film Is about Tiffany, a teenage girl who starts doing sex work to get by financially.