WITHIN OUR GATES

 

Check out the latest episode of Within Our Gates to listen to myself and Mtume Gant chat about Sinners, American Fiction and the "Get Out-ification" of modern Black American cinema.

Enjoy...

ARTIST TO ARTIST TALK #4

 

I recently joined my good friend Mtume Gant on his Patreon podcast to chat about the current state of modern Black film, twitter, film festivals and so much more. 

This is essentially an extension of the conversations we've have over the last two decades.

Click here or the image above to listen to Part One and make sure to subscribe to his Patreon (click here to join) to listen to the second part of the talk.

Enjoy...

ZEBRAS IN AMERICA EPISODE 131 W/ SPECIAL GUEST MTUME GANT

Frequent guest & friend Mtume Gant joined us to talk about Spike Lee's latest.

Enjoy...

Zebras In America · Episode 131

THE SCHOOL OF PERSONA PART 2: MOVING IMAGERY

A few years ago we looked at the (possible) influence of one of my personal favorite shots in all of cinema in the form of the young boy touching the screen in Ingmar Bergman's Persona.

But that's just one shot. The entire film is influential. So we're gonna give Tarkovsky a rest and take a look at some more forced comparisons & reaches between Bergman's masterpiece alongside a collection of more recent films.

Enjoy...


I wanted to start this piece off with the one & only piece of definitive validation...

Persona / White Face

and here we have a co-sign from the star & director of White Face...

Persona / Get Out

Persona / Get Out

Persona / Freeze Frame

Persona / Dillinger Is Dead

Persona / Safe

Persona / Poltergeist

Persona / Blue Velvet

Persona / Carol

Pinnland / 
Inland Empire

Persona / Don't Look Back

Persona / 
Closer

Persona / The Blackout

Persona / A Zed & 2 Noughts

Persona / Solaris

ZEBRAS IN AMERICA EPISODE 50 W/ SPECIAL GUESTS: MTUME GANT & SHAKA KING

50 episodes is a milestone as far as we're concerned. To celebrate, we decided to hang & record with our (talented) personal friends; Shaka King (Mulignans & Newlyweeds) & Mtume Gant (White Face & S.P.I.T.)

Listen as we talk about everything from influence in cinema to deep cut hip-hop.

Enjoy...

ZEBRAS IN AMERICA EPISODE 25!

This week we were joined by recurring guest/friend of the show Mtume Gant to to talk Hal Hartley, Purchase University, Ingmar Bergman and so much more.

Enjoy...

ZEBRAS IN AMERICA: EPISODE 17

On this week's somewhat timely episode we're joined by returning guest/friend of the show/renaissance man Mtume Gant to talk Baby Driver, influences in film & avant-garde Black cinema.


Enjoy...

ZEBRAS IN AMERICA EPISODE 10 W/ SPECIAL GUEST MTUME GANT

Mtume Gant is a filmmaker, actor, musician & mutual friend of both Scotty & I so it was an honor to have him on the show (for those that don't know - he was kind of part of the genesis of this whole podcast).

Listen as we discuss everything from obscure cinema & deep-cut hip-hop, to his latest film; White Face (also scored by Scotty)

Enjoy
(don't forget to subscribe & follow on iTunes)

WHITE FACE (A NEW SHORT FILM FROM MTUME GANT)

Between Moonlight, I Am Not Your Negro, Get Out & Atlanta, there is a lane/audience for White Face – the latest short film by director Mtume Gant about racial identity (which is an understatement to say the least). I don’t mean to be that guy to compare one “Black movie” to another “Black movie” but all the aforementioned films deal with racial identity on some level so it only makes sense to mention White Face in the same breath. The only difference is that White Face is much more transgressive and (intentionally) uncomfortable. So in a sense, you could say White Face created its own lane outside of the aforementioned movies & TV shows.
While many young/new/up & coming filmmakers model a lot of what they do after the obvious sources like Spike Lee & Ava Duvernay (which is fine I guess), White Face is a more progressive (dare I say dangerous?) film that draws more (possible subconscious) inspiration from the likes of Charles Lane, Wendall B Harris & Melvin Van Peebles.
The story of a Black character in white face is going to get an immediate comparison to True Identity (Charles Lane) and/or Watermelon Man (Van Peebles), but White Face is specific to 2000-now. Back in the 1960’s when Watermelon Man was made you were hard-pressed to find a Black American who would vote for an openly bigoted racist presidential candidate (like the main character in White face). But today we really do have Black people (and other people of color) openly supporting an openly bigoted racist president like Donald Trump (he’s also sexist and just an all around terrible human being but we’re just focusing on race right now).

If you think certain elements of White Face are too far-fetched - like a Trump supporting Black person - look no further than someone like Steve Harvey...

The problem with all this is that there is an office in this country called the ‘president,’ and you have to respect the office. You really do. Whether you want to or not. You have to respect the office. They got laws... -Steve Harvey

The basic plot of White Face – the story of a trump supporting Black man ("Charles") who walks around in actual White Face - reminded me of the lyrics in the second verse of the Ras Kass song; “The Evil That Men Do”

In eighty-one I remember the night

I covered myself with baby powder, so my black ass could be light

Cause God is white, and Bo Derek is a ten

I hate my black skin, it's just a sin to be a nigga - Rass Kas

This song was released in 1996 and there haven’t been many (or any?) verses before or after to address issues like this in such an unapologetic way. There are plenty of Hip-Hop lyrics calling out other Black folks who have the illusion of inclusion but very few to take on the first person perspective of questioning their own identity as a Black person. This is similar to White Face. Throughout the film we see Charles study white people (most notably his next door neighbor that he spies on through a peep hole) in an effort to perfect his self-adopted white identity.
With all the recent success of predominantly Black films right now, there are very few non-sympathetic Black characters. Even Denzel Washington’s portrayal as Troy in Fences has some sympathetic moments. Right off the bat White Face gives us a hateable/dislikeable main (BLACK) character to counter Chris (Get Out) and all the Chirons (Moonlight) of the present cinematic universe. Contrary to what a lot of modern-day cinema would have us believe, some black characters can be antagonists, villains & “bad guys” (it should be noted that the main character in White Face is certainly dislikeable but, given his mental state, some viewers who are more forgiving than me might feel sorry and maybe a little sympathetic for him).

This is a racially & politically charged film but it’s also very much about the moving image itself (a lot of films that set out to deliver a “message” sometimes fall short in the visual department but that isn’t the case here). When you put aside the very heavy plot and just look at some of the standalone images you’ll see that Gant has a unique eye and an appreciation for visually stimulating imagery…

While I cringe at words like "better", White Face is definitely a maturation & progression from Gant's previous short film S.P.I.T., which is always a good thing (I imagine filmmakers want to grow with each project).

Neon lighting (in conjunction with Scott Thorough’s Hal Hartley-esque score) also plays a huge part in the film’s comically unsettling ambiance…

To say that you enjoy stuff like Get Out or Atlanta but find issues with White Face would be a little strange to me. It’s almost like loving the music of A Tribe Called Quest but hating De La Soul. Sure you’re free to like and dislike anything you want but at the same time, examples like the ones I just gave kind of make me a little perplexed. Do you like Quentin Tarantino but dislike the work of Takeshi Kitano, Martin Scorsese, Jean Luc Godard & Jim Jarmusch (just some of the many filmmakers that helped birth Tarantino’s style)? No. The same should apply to White Face. The exploration of the complexities concerning racial identity shouldn’t stop at stuff like Get Out & Moonlight. No one should be satisfied. There needs to polar opposites to all the popular films concerning race right now and White Face is very much that. It isn’t safe and everyone wont like it but I’m almost certain that is one of the goals behind this project. Race isn’t easy & simple so why should films on the same subject be?

WHITE FACE: A SHORT FILM ABOUT OUR TIMES (A FILM BY MTUME GANT)

Hey all, S.P.I.T. director Mtume Gant is back with his latest project; White Face: A Short Film About Our Times. Gant's latest short film is the story of New York actor Charles Rodgers - a man who hates his Black skin and all the hardship that comes with it. Feeling trapped by his race, Charles believes he has found the solution to his problems - change his appearance to embody "Whiteness" - erase all that he has ever been and join the group he's believes he should be a part of. But is this ever possible?

Check out the trailer below...

Mtume is currently trying to secure funding for post production costs in order to finalize this project.

With shades of subconcsious inspiration from what appears to be Wendall B Harris & Robert Townsend's Hollywood Shuffle (along with a lot of very real issues plaguing us today that many folks don't want to talk about), how could you not support this?

Click here to go to the kickstarter page in order to donate and get more info on the film.

INSIDE THE PHOENIX EPISODE 86 (MTUME GANT, SHAKA KING, SCOTT THOROUGH)

Late last year I had the pleasure of sitting in on another episode of the wonderful Inside The Phoenix podcast. This one is an another all-star lineup made up of Mtume Gant (S.P.I.T.), Shaka King (Newlyweeds & Mulignans), Scotty Thorough (Manos Sucias), myself & ITP host Warren Wade Anderson.

Listen as we discuss everything from cinema & the (sometimes) hilarity of racism to underrated hip-hop music.

Enjoy...

ITP 86 THOROUGH KING GANT PINN from Inside The Phoenix on Vimeo.

INSIDE THE PHOENIX PODCAST EPISODE 81: MTUME GANT

Here's my latest appearance on the inside the phoenix podcast where I sit in on an interview with my good friend Mtume Gant to talk about his latest short film S.P.I.T.

Enjoy...

S.P.I.T. (A short film by Mtume Gant)

Here's some more press on Mtume Gant's recent short film Spit over at CutPrintFilm.com

enjoy

TRAILER FOR SPIT (A SHORT FILM BY MTUME GANT)

Here it is! The trailer for Mtume Gant's short film Spit.

Enjoy...

A SPECIAL READING OF DO THE RIGHT THING AT THE LINCOLN CENTER

This past Monday I was at a screening of Andrei Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music with my friend Mtume Gant when he got a text from Newlyweeds director Shaka King about reading for the role of "Buggin' Out" in some kind of special intimate reading of Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing at The Lincoln Center. As it turned out, Shaka & Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler, in conjunction with the activist organization; Blackout For Human Rights, were organizing/curating a free screenplay reading of Lee's original script as a way to raise awareness towards some recent high profile humans rights violations caused by public servants/police officers (the choking death of Eric Garner, the shooting of both Oscar Grant & Mike Brown, etc) and to counter the madness of "Black Friday".

On a side note - this Black Friday nonsense is not a good look for Americans. I'll be the first to admit that I can't stand when other countries criticize America/Americans (unless your Canadian or Icelandic, you really have no right to criticize what any country does even if your current track record is OK at the moment. Just sayin'...)

But no other country acts as ridiculous as we do when it comes to consumerism. It's gotten to the point where all the craziness associated with Black Friday (riots, fights, deaths, lining up outside a store in the cold weather at 12am to get a good price on a TV or a blender) has reached the news in other countries, and they're laughing at us. I was in Paris a few years ago and some of my Parisian friends were inquiring about Black Friday with these smirks on their faces almost as if they were saying; "you dummies".
...strangely enough, everyone who attended this reading of Do The Right Thing (myself included) did have to wait outside in the cold for a while in order to get in. But the event was free and more than worth it. Not to sound dramatic but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for both cinephiles & socially conscious folk that are fed up with what's going on in the world today (especially in the U.S.)

And in my opinion, it's much better to wait 90 minutes out in the cold for something like this instead of waiting for a flat screen TV that'll break in a few years...

The intimate reading of DTRT last night was many things. It was yet another deserved (and possibly the most unique) celebration of the 25th anniversary of Spike Lee's film (I'm privileged to have personally attended two of three 25th anniversary events for DTRT here in NYC); it was a mini reunion in that some of the original cast members (John Turturro, Frankie Faizon & Joie Lee) were able to come together again, and, as I already noted, it was an appropriately timed event with all that's been going on concerning police brutality & gun violence in America these days.

Throughout this special raw, lively, rehearsal-like reading of Spike Lee's original script, there were photos & images of recent protests concerning everyone from Oscar Grant up to Mike Brown projected on a large screen behind the actors.

Last night was also a bit of a torch passing on Lee's part as the reading was co-curated/directed by two of the few young/up & coming American filmmakers of color working today (Coogler & King). In fact, many of the actors they've worked with were featured in the reading playing various roles (Michael B. Jordan, Trae Harris, Tone Tank, Melanie Diaz, etc). 

Although Spike Lee couldn't be in attendance, he sent along a personal message/dedication for Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis & Danny Aiello Jr.

At this point, I'm sure most people reading this have seen Spike Lee's groundbreaking film. And even if you haven't seen it, I'm sure you've seen it referenced everywhere in mainstream pop culture in the last 25 years from outlets ranging from The Simpsons & SNL to the films of Kevin Smith. But this scripted version of Do The Right Thing had a few slight differences from the movie version - certain lines were changed and/or removed, some scenes were added, and the famous climactic riot at the end had a slightly different outcome. 

The roles of Mookie (Spike Lee) & Tina (Rosie Perez) were played by Michael B. Jordan & Melanie Diaz, respectfully. Turturro & Joie Lee portrayed the roles of Sal (Danny Aiello Sr.) & Mother-Sister (Ruby Dee). Mtume Gant & comedian Godfrey read for the roles of Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) & Mister Señior Love Daddy (Samuel L. Jackson), while a slew of other actors (Gbenga Akinnagbe, Trae Harris, Tone Tank, etc) wore multiple hats portraying various roles throughout the screening (original cast member Frankie Faizon was the only actor to reprise his original role).

For a cold reading (some of the actors who participated in this event never even met prior to it), this thing went off incredibly smooth and the (privileged) audience fully enjoyed themselves. It was almost like getting an inside look at the pre-production/rehearsal/workshopping process that goes in to filmmaking & acting.

As a person of color/cinephile/film critic/somewhat socially conscious person I couldn't think of a better way to spend a post-thanksgiving evening (I'm not even sure if the reading was even filmed which makes this even more special in this viral/instant world we live in)

SPIT (A SHORT FILM BY MTUME GANT)

Hey all,

my good friend/sometimes music collaborator/fellow cinephile/all around good guy: Mtume Gant (also an actor whose appeared in films like Hurricane Streets, Bringing Out The Dead & Carlito's Way 2: Rise To Power) is making a short film called Spit!

In the filmmakers own words - 

Spit is an attempt to unpack the experience that so many artists fall victim to. It follows Jeremiah “Monk-One” Sinclair, an underground NY Hip Hop artist, as he reaches the conclusion to let his vocation go simply because he feels it causes him more pain to practice and “starve” for his art than to persevere. But unlike normal films where we watch the lead character go through their trial like a silent intruder, Spit will take a different perspective. It will be a point-of-view film, totally from the eyes of Monk-One. Inspired by the works of Andrei Tarkovsky, his masterpiece The Mirror in particular, the film will focus less on narrative and will instead aim to be an experience of life through heartbeat and breath. Using the camera as his eyes and brain, we shall witness his viewpoint as he navigates faithlessness, race, gender roles, manhood, and American capitalism’s stranglehold over artistic expression, all within the beast that is New York. It is an homage to all the artists who struggle in silence and all those who disappear in the struggle, leaving us to wonder where they’ve gone.

With the release of recent films like Beats, Rhymes & Life, Life Is Illmatic, Russian Winter & Jamel Shabazz: Street Photographer, hip-hop is slowly falling into a mini-renaissance within independent film and breaking away from the stigma & negative stereotypes that many people have towards the culture (especially when it comes to film). It's also time to explore hip-hop on the big screen beyond the typical subjects like The Notorious B.I.G. & Tupac Shakur.

Right now he has an indiegogo campaign going on and he's already reached 92% of his goal. 

Below is a link to the indiegogo site for you to contribute whatever you can (if you donate $75 dollars you get to hang with myself & Mtume for a screening of two rare/underrated films and nerd out in movie talk afterwards)