![]() It wasn't until the 1970's that Black cinema truly hit the mainstream, but even then it was denigrated by the term " Blaxploitation," referring to the landmark films of Gordon Parks and Melvin Van Peebles, amongst others. ![]() Beloved by Black audiences, the movies were largely ignored and forgotten by an industry which couldn't have cared less, and only a hundred of these survive. 'Race films,' as they were called, were made by early Black cinematic trailblazers like Paul Robeson and Oscar Micheaux outside of the studio system, as the Hollywood machine would never allow them to be produced. This strong, human desire has been present in cinema since its inception. ![]() ![]() Spike Lee has said to Vulture, "People of color have a constant frustration of not being represented, or being misrepresented, and these images go around the world," which is why it's so important for Black films to exist. A Black film can be defined as a movie created by Black filmmakers and centered on their lives and stories, something which has been a real rarity throughout history, and in doing so connects to people who have otherwise felt marginalized. For a long time, the predominant whiteness of the movie industry had failed to accurately reflect the real experiences and identities of Black audiences, which is why Black cinema is a necessary corrective to a century without diverse representation. It's extremely powerful and affirming to be able to relate to an incredible character.
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