Is it a Black Film, or is it just a Film With Black People in it?

What is a Black film according to my non-expertise in filmmaking? It’s not something that can be studied using the scientific method like objective, scientific facts that can be proven, such as the importance of oxygen for human breathing or the scientific fact that soul food is the best cuisine known on Earth. Therefore, what defines a Black film is wide open to interpretation. To be clear, this interpretation should only be done by people of African descent. We already let outsiders weasel their way into things like rap, cornrows, and fried chicken; just let us have this one damn thing. A Black film has to intentionally portray an experience unique to people, not necessarily all, of the darker ethnic groups of Africa, including the Diaspora.

 The problem with that is how varied the Black experience is. Unfortunately, this film may not satisfy all, some, or even a majority of the Black audience members, and that’s okay, too. Not only is Black film hard to define, but in many ways, Blackness is difficult to define because Blackness is so diverse. The term “Black” was only created so White Europeans could messily group all darker-skinned Africans together and do what they’ve done well for hundreds of years: colonize, destroy, and ask for managers when being slightly inconvenienced in public spaces.

 The Black experience of a wealthy, heterosexual, Christian, MBA from an elite university businessman who comes from generational wealth from a family in Los Angeles is going to be different from the Black experience of a poor, agnostic, high school educated, fast food working trans woman who parents kicked her out the house in East Atlanta when she was 14 years old. There are people within the Black community who would be disappointed to see a film about either one of these people’s lives because they feel like it’s not a Black film because it’s not an accurate portrayal of Black life. But you’re reading this article because you’re smart and realize that the Black experience is a kaleidoscope. I agree that these films wouldn’t be Black films if you take them for face value, but they would be Black films if the creators successfully portrayed how a country largely built on Black oppression is relevant to their respective stories.

 So, let’s focus on what is objectively true about Blackness in society. I argue that at least one experience connects all Black people. All Black people have been impacted socially and materially by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and/or White supremacy. I think any film that makes some sort of commentary on any aspect of Black social welfare that can be linked to being subjected to survival under White supremacy is a Black film. Black film is much more about Black creatives and Black casts.

 By my explanation, this means that non-Black people could make a Black film too. Does that mean the Black film will be necessarily more or less accurate than what Black filmmakers and creatives do? No. Does that make them a Black filmmaker? No, they would just be people who made a Black film. Do I want non-Black people making Black films? No. Is my little raggedy article going to stop them from trying? Absolutely not. I just told you that they wear cornrows!

 I could create a film with an all-Black creative team and cast about the adventures of a subcategory of Black people who don’t know anything about Earth who live on Saturn and worship vanilla cupcakes that are dripping with frosting. Does that mean it’s a Black film? Hell no.