Black Is… Black Ain’t
“A personal journey through Black identity”
African-American documentary filmmaker Marlon Riggs was working on this final film as he died from AIDS-related complications in 1994; he addresses the camera from his hospital bed in several scenes. The film directly addresses sexism and homophobia within the black community, with snippets of misogynistic and anti-gay slurs from popular hip-hop songs juxtaposed with interviews with African-American intellectuals and political theorists, including Cornel West, bell hooks and Angela Davis.
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Cast
9 people
Marlon Riggs
Self
Also in
Anthem
Bill T. Jones
Self
Also in
Untitled
Angela Davis
Self
Also in
MAJOR!
World in Action
bell hooks
Self
Essex Hemphill
Self
Also in
Anthem
Affirmations
Cornel West
Self
Known for
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Maulana Karenga
Self
Barbara Smith
Self
Also in
Malcolm X
Michele Wallace
Self
Marlon Riggs Director · Robert Shepard Cinematographer Christiane Badgley Editor
United States release October 11, 1995 · Produced in United States, United Arab Emirates
Production
Signifyin' Works
Production
United States · United Arab Emirates
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · June 1, 1994
Premiere · Source: IMDB (New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival)
United States · October 11, 1995
Theatrical · Source: IMDB (New York)
United States
February 25, 1996 · TV
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Some details come from TheTVDB.