Sidney though directed by Reginald Hudlin, is in reality Oprah Winfrey’s tribute to her idol and friend. In addition to its’ focus on Sidney Poitier, the person, the documentary highlights Poitier’s influence on American cinema as he broke down the walls and his role together with Harry Belefonte in leading the way for new young black stars. I highly recommend viewing it (apple+) and doing so now before the release of Elvis Mitchell’s essay/documentary Is That Black Enough For You?!? premiering October 13th at the New York Film Festival and streaming on Netflix beginning November 11th. The documentary tells the story of Black films released during the 1960s to 1970s, a decade remembered for the proliferation of Blaxploitation flicks. But it is also the time when Black actors, Black stories and Black talent behind the camera finally got a slight chance.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Lovia Gyarkye urges all to view the film, saying “Mitchell’s doc functions best as an educational primer, a (long) tasting menu that will not only expand your palette but leave you hungry for more. For audiences quick to dismiss, or asleep to, the contributions of Black filmmakers, this is required viewing; for those who think they know about this decade of cinematic history, I suggest you run don’t walk to turn on Netflix when it drops.” Her full introduction to the documentary will be helpful to some.
See the Official Trailer
Variety’s Owen Glieberman teases us with “The beauty of the documentary is that Mitchell invites the audience to share in the transformational quality — the life force — that he experienced in Black cinema. “My grandmother,” recalls Mitchell, “told me that movies changed the way she dreamed.” That’s as perfect a summation of the power of movies as I’ve ever heard. Movies change our dreams; they change us. But who, in that formulation, gets to be the “us”?”
It is interesting to learn that despite his national recognition, Mitchell was turned down for this story by several book publishers. So he proceeded to make documentary. Is the white bias of denial still present in the publishing world? Reading the few available reviews of the film, for some reason led me to think about James Baldwin’s Letter From A Region in My Mind (New Yorker-November 1962) “Whatever white people do not know about Negroes reveals, precisely and inexorably, what they do not know about themselves.” I am not suggesting that Is That Black Enough For You ?!? shares that tone. However, Baldwin’s essay was written at the beginning of the time period that evolved into Mitchell’s stories, and lays out some of the prevalent attitudes of the time.
Was it a “Black Cinema Revolution”? I can’t wait to find out. From all that I read it appears that we will be treated to a visual encyclopedia of a particular cinematic period of time.So come back after the streaming premier and offer your comments and ideas.
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