Black Is… Black Ain’t
Lyrical, meditative, thoughtful. A really fascinating and affecting video essay from Marlon Riggs that feels handmade and personal.

Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property
I decided to watch this because I was taught next to nothing about Nat Turner and his rebellion in school. What I really liked most about this was that it was less about Turner, and more about the various artistic interpretations of him over the years. It made me think a lot about how most docs/biopics of old famous people are probably based on a great deal of conjecture, since we don't always have accurate information available to base these stories on.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Huey P. Newton
Bobby Seale
Eldridge Cleaver
Bobby Hutton
Fred Hampton

Oh, hey, I didn’t see you there! I was just naming important figures in modern American history that were never once uttered throughout my 12 years of public education in a wealthy and supposedly liberal suburb of New York City!

I Am Not Your Negro
I have come to realize (as many of us have) that I am going to have to do a lot of self-educating, because the schools in this country have failed, repeatedly.

How can we expect our society to change when its citizens are either not informed or misinformed? We can all see what is happening now, but when are we going to attack the source and teach our children (aka the fucking future) about more than just the Civil War and Civil Rights. This movie was two hours long and it still did more to educate me about the history of racism in American than any schooling I’ve ever had. Two full years of “US History” and nothing about this.

Black Mother
Khalik Allah’s documentary about Jamaica is about as pretty and poetic as an abstract video essay can get. What I love about Allah’s work is the way he mixes his audio and images. It’s a unique style of editing that I have not seen replicated. Not everything in Allah’s films works for me, but that’s okay because I know it’s not made for me. Still, I have come to appreciate and admire his artistic vision and I can’t wait for him to continue creating thought-provoking work.

School Daze
Spike Lee’s School Daze is funny, stylish, and (as you might expect) politically charged. I really enjoyed the neatly choreographed dance numbers and hilarious Gamma pledge line, but what I liked most was the fact that Lee told a story about the prejudices that exist on the campus of a historically black college. We often see the struggle of black vs. white depicted on screen (and in our daily lives), but Lee’s ensemble comedy effectively takes an alternative route, proving that there are many different and important POVs than just our own.

Malcolm X
About an hour into the film, I began to seriously question why I never learned about Malcolm X in school. I mean, I know why (because the American public education system has a severe racial bias), but I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and cheated that I never learned about the life of Malcolm X. Part of the reason why I do this 5 Film Film Festival is to watch some classic movies, yes, but also to learn and fill in the gaps of my cinematic and historical knowledge.

As for the film itself, I thought it was wonderful. Denzel Washington’s performances was as great as I expected it to be, and the three and a half hour runtime just flew by. I honestly could have watched another two hours of his story.

4 Little Girls
This movie is another one that has been circling my watchlist for a while, and it did not disappoint. While It may not be the most cinematic film in Spike’s oeuvre, it’s gotta be one of his most emotional. Stylistically, it feels a little bit dated, but you can’t deny the strong wealth of emotion that he has imbued in this thing. I would consider this a must-watch for doc fans and history buffs alike.

A Huey P. Newton Story
I actually remember watching around a half hour of this in some college class my freshman year, but I don’t remember the context. Still, getting to see the whole thing was a treat. Easily one of the best “filmed-plays” I’ve ever seen with an absolutely knock-out performance from Roger Guenveur Smith.

When the Levees Broke
This strikes me as one of the most important American documentaries ever made. Totally engrossing, disturbing, sad, beautiful, and awesome. Officially the “longest” movie I’ve ever seen according to Letterboxd and I still wanted more! I guess that’s what the four hour sequel is for, right?

Oh, but that Kanye bit didn’t age too well, huh

Seven Beauties
There is certainly a lot to admire in this one. Though I never fully connected with Pasqualino, Giancarlo Gianni’s performance as the titular thief certainly deserves recognition. If I’m being honest, I didn’t really vibe with a lot of the first half of the film, but things really picked up for me towards the end, when the comedy faded a bit and it focused in on the tragedy of it all. Specifically, I felt like the last 35 minutes of the film really stuck the landing— truly incredible stuff.
I also loved the “oh yeah” intro (and all the music choices in general). This is the kind of movie that warrants a second viewing, but these are my thoughts on first watch.

Mikey and Nicky
Mikey and Nicky is sort of what I imagine an indie New York crime drama to be— tense, talky, and well-acted with a killer ending. I immediately felt like this could have been an influence the Safdie Brothers (turns out, it was).
This type of movie usually isn’t for me, but I have to say I really liked the film’s small scope. The reason I shy away from “mob movies” in general is because I never actually care about any of the characters. In that regard, Mikey and Nicky was different.

The Meetings of Anna
I know from Jeanne Dielman that patience can play an important role in watching Akerman’s films, but unlike her 3+ hour portrait of a single mother in Brussels,The Meetings of Anna felt very slow. I admit that I probably didn’t give the film as much of my undivided attention as it deserved, but I also think its meandering weakened it a little. I think I actually would have preferred fewer (and longer) scenes, so I could really absorb the hotel room/train station atmospheres.

The Juniper Tree
Though I think this is a beautifully shot and scored film, it just sort of made me want to rewatch Robert Eggers’ The Witch. That said, I’m glad I watched it and I hope Criterion continues to circulate lesser seen work from female filmmakers like Nietzchka Keene.

35 Shots of Rum
“When we revolt, it’s not for a particular culture. We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe.”

I really liked the score, cinematography, and Mati Diop’s performance. Based on the first fifteen minutes (including the incredibly timely quote above), I would’ve thought it would end up being a little more political, but I still appreciated it for what it was— a somber and intimate portrait of a young girl’s “family” unit.