A program for a film series sponsored by Princeton University:

The Fall 1999 Film Series
Sponsored by the Program in African-American Studies, Princeton University and Co-Sponsored by the Black Graduate Caucus

Begins Wednesday, November 10th.

November 10—8:15 pm * The Superwoman in Black Action Films...

Foxy Brown

Directed by Jack Hill (1974, 92 minutes)

Foxy Brown is a 1970s black action—"blaxploitation"—film which stars Pam Grier. According to one critic, Grier's performance is "endowed with a violent sensuality." "Foxy Brown" is the film's heroine who personalizes her vengeance against drug dealers, murderers, and anyone who seeks the oppression of her brothers and sisters.

Discussion led by Donna Jones (Assistant Professor, English and African-American Studies)

November 17—8:15 pm * Racism & Homophobia

Tongues Untied

Directed by Marlon Riggs (1989, 55 minutes)

This highly acclaimed film by Emmy Award-winning director Marlon Riggs combines poetry, personal testimony, rap and performance to describe the racism and homophobia that confront black gay men.

Discussion led by Fred Wherry (Graduate Student, Woodrow Wilson School)

December 1—8:15 pm * Beauty and the Black Female Body

The Life and Times of Sara Baartman—"The Hottentot Venus"

**Best Documentary, 1999, Milan Festival of African Cinema

**Best Documentary, 1999, FESPACO, Pan-African Film Festival

Directed by Zola Maseko (1998, 52 minutes)

Using historical drawings, cartoons, legal documents, and interviews with noted cultural historians and anthropologists, this documentary deconstructs the social, political, scientific and philosophical assumptions which transformed one young African woman into a representation of savage sexuality and racial inferiority.

Discussion led by Noliwe Rooks (Visiting Professor, African-American Studies) & Stephanie Smith (Graduate Student, English)

December 8—8:15 pm * Black Manhood in Rap & Reggae Cultures

The Darker Side of Black

Directed by Isaac Julien (1995, 59 minutes)

This investigation of the "darker" side of contemporary black music takes a close look at Rap and Reggae—particularly the complex issues raised by both genres, such as ritualized machismo, misogyny, homophobia, and gun glorification. With scenes from dance halls and hip hop clubs in London, Jamaica, and the USA, this film uses music video clips and interviews with Cornel West and other cultural critics to challenge assumptions about black manhood/masculinity/sexuality.

Discussion led by Lyndon Dominique (Graduate Student, English) and Keith Mayes (Graduate Student, History)

December 15—8:15 pm * Interracial Romance

The Politics of Love: In Black and White

Directed by Ed Burley and Chris Weck (1993, 33 minutes)

The first documentary to explore the personal and political implications of [black-white] interracial romance in America. The film's two directors—one black, one white—uncover unspoken community norms and submerged issues of identity.

The Potluck and the Passion

Directed by Cheryl Dunye (1992, 30 minutes)

A commentary on [black-white] interracial lesbian relationships and the historical relationships of African-American women to issues of race, sexuality, and gender.

Seoul II Soul

Directed by Hak J. Chung (1998, 25 minutes)

This film by a Korean American filmmaker takes a close look at interracial romance and biracial identity by focusing on a very engaging family—the Yates household, which consists of the father, a black Korean War veteran, the mother, a Korean war bride, and their three Afro-Amerasian children.

Discussion led by Anastasia Curwood (Graduate Student, History) and Scott Lucious (Dissertation Fellow, African-American Studies)

Screening Location & Time:

Rocky Mathey Theater
Wednesdays @ 8:15 pm

All screenings followed by an open discussion
Juice and cookies served

Admission: Free

For more information e-mail Scott Lucious: _______@_______.edu

"Black sexuality," according to Cornel West, "is a taboo subject in America primarily because it is a form of black power over which white America has had little control..." In Race Matters he argues that "Americans are obsessed with sex and fearful of black sexuality. The obsession has to do with a search for stimulation and meaning in a fast-paced, market-driven culture; the fear is rooted in visceral feelings about black bodies and fueled by sexual myths of black women and men. The dominant myths draw black women and men either as threatening creatures who have the potential for sexual power over whites, or as harmless, desexed underlings of a white culture."

The screenings and open discussions throughout this film series call attention to the need to demythologize and rethink black sexuality.

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