I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (2016)

File Under: Documentary, Black Power, Civil Rights, Literary Cinema.

“I Am Not Your Negro" is a fitting meditation on MLK Day. Raoul Peck adapts the novel James Baldwin never completed, “Remember This House", into a film discourse, focusing the lens on the history of race in America via assassinations of key civil rights leaders (Medgar, Malcolm, and Martin), the impact of racist cinematic imagery, and the continuation of the black struggle in the 21st century. The exacting words of James Baldwin narrated by Samuel L. Jackson sit heavily, a vivid reminder that the work is far from over.

"I Am Not Your Negro", Raoul Peck. 2016, USA-France.
Running Time: 93 Minutes. English-French.
Available for rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube

BACURAU

Brazilian writers / directors Juliano Dornelles and Kleber Filho take on race and class in their 2019 bizarro sci-fi Western flick “Bacurau”. The film bends genres and realities whilst following a small town and eccentric set of characters in the Brazilian outback; the town’s inner quarrels are exploded by an insidious existential threat. For sure, a heavy dose of psychedelic storytelling layered with criticism of Brazilian politics and Western economic imperialism. Available on prime video premium and other platforms if you’re willing to pay a small fee. 🇧🇷