February is Black history month, and--surprise, surprise--we'll be celebrating by watching some of our favorite movies! We love supporting diversity in film, as it's truly what drives the art form and takes us to new places. Keep reading for our top three favorite movies directed by Black directors.
1) Within Our Gates (1920)
As we are so wont, we're starting our list by diving into classic film history. Credited as being the first Black film director, Oscar Micheaux made over 40 films and founded the Micheaux Film and Book Company of Sioux City, one of the first Black-owned movie organizations. Micheaux first began exploring the budding film industry after being approached about a potential movie adaptation of one of his novels. Unhappy with the studio's plans for his work, he decided to create the film himself. It was met with general success, and the director got to work on his second motion picture, Within our Gates. Like Micheaux's entire body of work, this film addresses the social climate of the time. As you can imagine, it was especially bold (and dangerous!) to be having these conversations in the 1920s, especially as a Black man. In fact, Within Our Gates has been influential enough to both film and politics that it's been preserved by the US Library of Congress. Click here to watch the full movie on YouTube.
2) BlacKkKlansman (2018)
This is another can't-miss film for Black history month. From iconic filmmaker Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman is a loose adaptation of Ron Stallworth's 2014 memoir Black Klansman. The story takes us to 1970s Colorado Springs and follows Stallworth's journey as the first Black police detective in the city. Over the phone, he poses as a white man looking to join the Ku Klux Klan. Through his extensive conversations with high-ranking Klan members, Stallworth is able to compile invaluable intelligence for the undercover operation. The glaring issue, however, is that he needs to meet Klan members in person. Stallworth recruits a friend to pose as him, and, naturally, chaos unfolds. BlacKkKansman almost explicitly addresses the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally that had taken place a year prior to the film's release. Lee masterfully uses Stallworth's decades-old experiences to reflect and commentate on today's political climate.
3) American Fiction (2023)
Cord Jefferson's American Fiction is another film that pushes the boundaries of racial social commentary. Like the other movies on our list, it's an adaptation of a highly provocative book. The film is based on Percival Everett's 2001 novel Erasure and portrays a Black professor's struggle to get his novels published. After his highly satirical manuscript is mistaken as sincere philosophy, the protagonist finally catches a break. He is approached by a producer to adapt his book into a movie, and his attempts to tank the deal only propels his novel into higher notoriety. And, like in the above films, the ensuing comedy of errors provides deeply topical commentary on race relations in the US. The movie was largely applauded upon release, and the American Film Institute included American Fiction in its top 10 movies of 2023.
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