Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
Celebrating Black Stories
•
1h 23m
Directed by Francesco Zippel • Documentary • 2021 • US, France • English
Featuring Chuck D, John Singleton, Morgan Freeman
Oscar Micheaux was the most influential African American filmmaker of the first half of the 20th century, a self-taught artist who funded, produced, and released more than 40 films, completely excluded from Hollywood. Micheaux’s provocative films served as a powerful rebuke to the ubiquitous racism of the times. A chorus of experts and fans weigh in on his incredible artistic journey and legacy.
Up Next in Celebrating Black Stories
-
Body and Soul
Directed by Oscar Micheaux • Drama • 1925 • US • Silent with English intertitles
Starring Paul Robeson, Marshall Rodgers, Lawrence ChenaultThis bold and controversial film by pioneer independent filmmaker Oscar Micheaux follows the path of an escaped convict who poses as a pastor in a small s...
-
Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts
Directed by Jeffrey Wolf • Documentary • 2018 • US • English
Featuring Russell G. Jones, Sharon Washington, Jason Samuels SmithThis illuminating documentary tells the incredible story of Bill Traylor, a former slave who turned to drawing at age 85, creating colorful, strikingly modernist work ...
-
Ganja & Hess
Directed by Bill Gunn • Horror • 1973 • US • English
Starring Duane Jones, Marlene Clark, Bill GunnFlirting with the conventions of blaxploitation and horror, Bill Gunn’s revolutionary independent film is a highly stylized and utterly original treatise on sex, religion, and African American ide...
