One of Billops and Hatch's masterpieces, a documentary comedy that explores the various ways American people deny, hide, and in the end tolerate racial discrimination. The directors guide us through a catalog of vignettes that are as humorous as they are painful, drawing on archival footage, testimonials, skits, and a sweeping performative spirit that lays bare the segregationist misery an entire empire is built upon. A key figure in African-American feminism, Billops said, "It is important that we write our own histories. Otherwise, they will say we were never here." Spanish premiere of the restored version (JHE).
Camille Billops, James Hatch
77' | 1994 | EEUU | USA
Inglés | English
Subtítulos | Subtitles: Español | Spanish
Unjustly ignored outside the United States, the duo Camille Billops (1933-2019) and James Hatch (1928-2020) made some of the most lively and prescient non-fiction film work about hardships endured by the African-American community. Their work addressed issues such as female sexuality, family dynamics, gender roles and, of course, racism, always from a sharp-eyed, innovative perspective, proving that great hard-hitting documentary films can also be entertaining. In Billops' words: "Some people say our films have a tendency toward dirty laundry. The films say it like it is, rather than how people want it to be." (JHE)
Unjustly ignored outside the United States, the duo Camille Billops (1933-2019) and James Hatch (1928-2020) made some of the most lively and prescient non-fiction film work about hardships endured by the African-American community. Their work addressed issues such as female sexuality, family dynamics, gender roles and, of course, racism, always from a sharp-eyed, innovative perspective, proving that great hard-hitting documentary films can also be entertaining. In Billops' words: "Some people say our films have a tendency toward dirty laundry. The films say it like it is, rather than how people want it to be." (JHE)