Ten Films You Should See If You Love Black People
2008-04-03
By Jacquie Jones
The first time I saw this movie, I was honestly not too impressed. The second time, however, it got me. And I think this says a lot about the subtle power of this first feature by one of our most talented contemporary black filmmakers. This is one of the rare films that tries to reach into mystical African retentions and our nostalgia for the swampy south and actually succeeds in telling a story that feels very real and complex. It is also one of the rare films that pulls off being black and being Hollywood, albeit low budget.
The thing that continues to amaze me about this film is how new it looks, no matter what year you see it. Produced shortly following a period of civil unrest by black citizens of England’s cities in the 80s, Handsworth Song weaves together visual and audio elements that testify on behalf of a community that is depressed and marginalized. The themes are not new – police brutality, poor public facilities and plain-old racism – but the story lays itself out in a style that can only be described as “new media,” even though the film is twenty years old. It will also connect you to the experience of black Europeans in ways most of us never think of.
