Aging and emerging activists are flocking to Black Power Mixtape, and
the very title of this documentary about the halcyon days of struggle
with commentary from contemporary rappers and musicians encapsulates the
appeal. There are many astonishing things about this one hour and forty minutes
of American history from 1967 to 1975, not the least of which that it
comes from archival footage shot by Swedish filmmakers hoping to provide
a portrait of the country during this dramatic period.
Opening night of the 6th Annual African Diaspora International Summer
Film Series at The Riverside Theater in NYC kicked off with a screening
of Scheherazade, Tell Me A Story, the sad and sometimes hilarious story
of six oppressed women in Egypt who triumph in the face of adversity,
gender-based stereotypes and politics. It was the perfect eye-opening
lead-in for what can only be described as cinematic bliss for the foreign film lover.
African-Americans in the comics industry may be a rare concept, but they
are making more than a little noise. In fact, while their contributions
may go unnoticed by the general public, they have helped changed the
face of the field.
