Eve Tushnet
…forgotten indie films from ’68 through ’89?! WHERE DO I SEE THESE:
Last week, the Film Society of Lincoln Center concluded its beautiful ode to an era, “Tell it like it is: Black Independents in New York, 1968-1986.” The survey of more than a dozen titles produced during the period, some never-before seen, offered a peak into an unheralded, often forgotten moment of visual storytelling which is responsible for some of the most impressive and richly nuanced portraits of black life in film.
Most notably, “Tell It Like It Is” debuted Kathleen Collins’s marvelous feature Losing Ground, which she produced in 1982, nearly 30 years ago. Sadly, Collins would never have the satisfaction of seeing her work premiere on the big screen, passing away in 1988 at the young age of 46. The film, which tracks the life of a middle-class black couple — a young philosophy professor, Sarah (Seret Scott), and her artist husband, Victor (Bill Gunn) — examines ideas around feminism, modern marriage, and sexuality. As actors, both Scott and Gunn give incredibly dexterous and sincere performances which make the story all the more compelling and convincing. Perhaps that explains why the film, initially slated for a week-long run at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theatre, is now showing in its third consecutive week due to overwhelmingly popular demand. With any luck, Losing Ground, one of the first feature films written and directed by a black woman, will take its rightful place in the New York independent canon (a testament one can only think is due, in part, to relentless advocating on behalf of Jake Perlin and Michelle Materre, who helped put this comprehensive survey together).
more (e.g. the 1968 documentary The Black Cop)
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