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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1995
Runtime1h 27m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresDocumentary
Votes13
DirectorMarlon Riggs
WritersMarlon Riggs
TypeFeature Film
Rating5.8 out of 10
Cast8 credited
Also Known AsBlack Is… Black Ain’t
About Black Is… Black Ain’t
African-American documentary filmmaker Marlon Riggs was working on this final film as he died from AIDS-related complications in 1994; he addresses the camera from his hospital bed in several scenes. The film directly addresses sexism and homophobia within the black community, with snippets of misogynistic and anti-gay slurs from popular hip-hop songs juxtaposed with interviews with African-American intellectuals and political theorists, including Cornel West, bell hooks and Angela Davis.
Directed by Marlon Riggs, Black Is… Black Ain’t leans on a strong ensemble — Marlon Riggs, Angela Davis, bell hooks — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1995.
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