GLOBAL BLACK FILM

BESSIE

Enigmatic from the beginning of the biopic, Bessie Smith is a wild character, emotively portrayed by Queen Latifah. As entertaining as the aggressive punches and playful snippets of sex scenes are, the most intriguing parts of the film are the intimate ones.

Bessie was a blues artist, who glittered and teased and could adapt to different audiences, whilst remaining true to her core. Her strong spirit attracted an array of personalities. The audience became attached to them just as Bessie did in the film. But over time, so much individuality can be strenuous on relationships - of which she indulged in many. Poignantly, this realisation dawns on the viewer and Queen Latifah's titular character almost simultaneously. Bessie's mental health deteriorates. Only an old mentor and love, played invigoratingly by Mo'nique as Ma Rainey, helps her restore it. There is a hopeful tone to the end of the film, as Queen Latifah sings it’s a long old road but I’m going to find the end.

The excellence of this Dee Rees film lies in the subtlety of its filmography. Bessie was a symbol of black entertainment, which acted as a form of escapism from the very sadness black people lived that she sang about. The film shows people on plantations recognising Bessie Smith's train, poor southern children singing her songs and a lonely maid to upper class white people loving her attitude. The producers provide all these contextual treasures, for the audience to gauge the era Bessie belonged to and how she impacted it. Bessie artistically transports you to the roaring twenties, and intellectually challenges you to evaluate present social conditions. This is the standard of black art that Dee Rees is bringing back to life.

IMAGES TAKEN FROM TUMBLR

AFRO FUTURES IN MOTION

Meanwhile here in England, the contemporary African Art Gallery 50Goldbourne in Notting Hill is about to host a great film festival. From September 5th-13th a mixture of films by people from Africa and her diaspora will be shown for free. The official programme is here online - from where I also took the poster on the left. Even if you can't make it to the screenings, you may find a film that you are interested in and can watch elsewhere. Short films, discussions and music videos are scheduled to raise people's awareness of what African filmmakers are up to these days. This is positive because I don't think many people are aware of this scene beyond Nollywood.

BLACK QUEER FILM

Next week there is also a film screening of work by the fabulous Campbell X in central London. Her films BD Women and Stud Life are important, as they talk about the stories and histories of Black and British queer people, who are rarely acknowledged let alone celebrated. Check out Campbell's Twitter as well - you'll probably learn something.