American culture has stereotyped black Americans for centuries. Equally devastating, the late Marlon Riggs argued, have been the definitions of "blackness" African Americans impose upon one another which contain and reduce the black experience. In this film, Riggs meets a cross-section of African Americans grappling with the paradox of numerous, often contradictory definitions of blackness.

Last project of American filmmaker Marlon Riggs, completed posthumously. At once an exploration of Black identity and the story of Riggs' struggle with AIDS.


Riggs, Marlon T, Producer. Director.
Atkinson, Nicole, Producer.
Badgley, Christiane, Director. Editor.
Co-editor, Bob Paris;
Director of photography, Robert Shepard;
Original music, Mary Watkins.

Performers:
Essex Hemphill, Larry Duckette, Wayson R. Jones, Linda Tillery, Wayne T. Corbitt, Djola Bernard Branner, Eric Gupton, Angela Davis, Yvette Flunder, Marlon T. Riggs.

sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 4 3/4 in.

Production
Independent Television Service.
California Newsreel (Firm)
Signifyin' Works (Firm)




DVD available
California Newsreel (USA)
Note : Adult.


Subject
Riggs, Marlon T.
African Americans - Race identity.
African Americans - Attitudes.
African Americans - Color - Social aspects.
African American gays.
Documentary films.


o 1995 theatrical release
- An ITVS co-production.




- 1995 Sundance Film Festival, Filmmakers' Trophy o 1995 Berlin Film Festival
- 1995 San Francisco Int'l. Film Festival, Golden Gate Award
- 1995 Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, Best of Festival
- 1995 Festival dei Popoli