This film history course examines the Black American independent cinema of the 1960s-80s. We will screen landmark works by filmmakers such as Charles Burnett, Haile Gerima, Kathleen Collins and Julie Dash along with videos by contemporary artists. Screenings will be followed by discussions exploring the key thematic and formal preoccupations of black filmmakers of the era as well as their relevance to the experience of race today.

While there are no co-requisites, students are encouraged to take Pandian’s collaborative video production course Black Studies: Black Video Division (Thursdays 8:20am – 12:00pm) as well as Michael Wimberly’s Black Studies: Black Music Division (Second 7 Wednesdays 6:30pm – 9:30pm).

“Is it not also a fact that some can see the inclusion of Black music as a division as a possible precedent for a black art division, a black drama division, a black dance division, etc.?” – Bill Dixon, Bennington College Faculty Member in his 1974 Statement of Intent for the Black Music Division