Trailblazers in Black history are being celebrated all month long as part of Black History Month.
In honor of pioneers in the film world, here are five ground-breaking Black filmmakers to pay tribute to this month.
- Oscar Micheaux: Known as the first well-known Black filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux revolutionized the film world in the early 20th century. With his film “Homesteader,” the director became the first Black American to write, produce and direct a feature film. Eventually releasing 44 films by the end of his career, Micheaux became known for his portrayal of Black life, depicting the racial violence and injustices of the time. Since his death in 1951, the filmmaker has been awarded with a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star and inductions into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and the Director’s Guild of America.
- Charles Burnett: Active during the late 1970s Hollywood scene, Charles Burnett created his most popular work as a thesis project for his university’s graduate film program. Born from his time at UCLA, “Killer of Sheep” follows the life of Stan, a worker at the local slaughterhouse, who resigns himself to the life he’s forced to live; under the subtext of Stan’s life, Burnett creates commentary about Black Americans and capitalism by comparing the death of the sheep in the slaughterhouse to the “death” of Black communities under capitalism. Released to critical acclaim and praise, the movie was certified as part of the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry in 1990, making it one of the first movies to receive recognition.
- Kathleen Collins: Also a playwright and civil rights activist, Kathleen Collins certified her place in film history with her sophomore film, “Losing Ground.” Released in 1982, the semiautobiographical film written and directed by Collins became the first feature drama directed by a Black American woman since 1920. The film follows the life of philosophy professor Sara Rogers and her relationship with her husband Victor. Despite earning Collins a prestigious title, the film was largely lost to the public because of its lack of support from the film industry. The title resurfaced again in 2015 when Collins’ daughter restored the movie and had it screened at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. In 2020, “Losing Ground” was officially chosen for preservation as part of the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.
- Bill Gunn: Also an actor whose resume included a part in Collins’ “Losing Ground” as Victor, Bill Gunn has been cited by legendary filmmakers such as Spike Lee as an inspiration in the world of filmmaking. Although he only directed three movies in the span of his career before his death at the age of 59, he became known for his unique combination of horror and art films. As part of the Blaxploitation genre, Gunn deviated from the 1970s action film with his 1973 movie about an anthropologist who becomes a vampire.
- Julie Dash: Known as the first Black American woman to have a wide theatrical release of her project, Julie Dash first broke barriers with his award-winning movie “Daughters of the Dust.” Released in 1991, the film follows the lives of three generations of Gullah women living on the South Carolina Sea Islands at the beginning of the 20th century. Praised for its writing, composition and visuals, the movie has since established its place in film history as it was chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2004.
