Film Mon May 13 2013

L.A. Rebellion: Creating a New Black Cinema

By LaShawn Williams

Very often, when the history of black cinema is discussed, typically, images of a certain kind of film, specifically, "Blaxploitation," immediately come to mind. However, for a group of aspiring black filmmakers in the 70s at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, it would become necessary to showcase a more realistic portrayal of African-American life on screen. This group, referred to as the L.A. Rebellion, embarked on a mission to show a different side of black filmmaking, with content that featured "social and cultural dynamics" as well as "black activism and militancy, everyday life and spirituality," that reflected lives in black communities everywhere.

The touring film series, L.A. Rebellion: Creating a New Black Cinema, hit Chicago in late April; the 12-part series, presented by Block Cinema at Northwestern University, Conversations at the Edge at the School of the Art Institute and the Film Studies Center at University of Chicago, features film screenings and shorts, as well as post Q&As and appearances by acclaimed filmmakers. Here, co-curator and Northwestern University Associate Professor, Jacqueline Stewart, talks about the significance of this cinematic series and its cultural impact.

The L.A. Rebellion was born out of a group of film students in the 70s; what was the impetus for them to form this collective? Was it something they were seeing--or not seeing--on screen?

They were students who were recruited to UCLA, which was not very diverse during that time. There was one black professor, Elyseo Taylor, who was charged with bringing more students of color into UCLA's film program. You have to remember that this was a time where there was a lot of political activity happening on college campuses all around the country. There were undergraduate students who were agitating for more representation of themselves; they wanted to learn how to use and make film. So, it was born out of kind of an affirmative action initiative at UCLA, and what's remarkable is the number of students they ended up training in that program, who, as you suggested, were really interested in changing the way that black people were represented in film. They were certainly trying to respond to a lot of the negative imagery and stereotyping that you find in Hollywood film, and they were also trying to make films that were different from Blaxploitation films, which is a really an important part of what this movement was all about.

Blaxploitation films did indeed dominate that era...

Exactly. This is what the popular fare was: Shaft, Superfly, and films like that. This group of filmmakers really felt those films did not accurately represent black life. They were really interested in showing black family life and community life, and they were really making these really radical, amazing films.

Trailblazers like Gordon Parks and Melvin Van Peebles were actively making films during this period--were they involved with the L.A. Rebellion in any way?

I know that a lot of the filmmakers look at Melvin Van Peebles' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and saw some really interesting possibilities with that film because it was an independent film. It was very popular, but also, in terms of its style, it was really unique. And even though that film is seen as a film that really kicked off the Blaxploitation era, a lot of people just picked up on the sex and violence aspects of it--but the L.A. Rebellion filmmakers saw it as an interesting model for viewing independent black filmmaking. I don't know if he directly interacted with them but they did know about his work.

Were there any other already-established black filmmakers that they referenced?

There is a filmmaker they talk about named Ivan Dixon (The Spook Who Sat by the Door). He was someone who they thought was a real ally--a supporter--someone that they could call on inside the industry if they needed some support.

The L.A. Rebellion film series is already underway here in Chicago--what's the feedback been like from the Chicago audience so far?

The Chicago audiences have been amazing; they have really been coming out to these films. I'm hearing a lot of great things; on one hand, there are people who have known about these filmmakers for a while, but they haven't been able to see this work before. A lot of these films haven't been seen in decades--they weren't in archives--the filmmakers had them in their garages and storage spaces. A lot of folks who are kind of familiar with this movement are excited to see films by some of these filmmakers that they've never seen before. And then there are people who are brand new to all of this; they may have heard of Charles Burnett or Julie Dash, but they've never had the opportunity to really look at what it was that they were doing when they were students and then some of their more recent films. For people who are brand new to the L.A. Rebellion, as well as those who have admired these filmmakers for a long time, we're seeing a lot of excitement about being able to see this work and to talk about it.

Is the L.A. Rebellion screening series just for aspiring filmmakers? Will the average film fan enjoy it, too?

Oh my goodness--this is for everybody. These are films that really teach us a lot about the black experience. They talk about every issue in black history from slavery and lynching to the Great Migration. I would say that the overall project of the LA Rebellion was really trying to show black people as human beings which sadly, we're not accustomed to. This isn't just for film school people; these are films that across the board, people can really appreciate.

For audiences, what do you think the take away from the L.A. Rebellion will be?

I guess I would say that one of the major themes that come across in the films that we're showing is about black self-determination. You see black people in these films that were set in the 1970s going through a lot of social and political problems we're familiar with. And there's something really similar in some of the shorts that we're showing, which is films about young people who don't have very many options in life but they still figure out a way to determine their own destiny, to follow their own path, and to not just be victims. I think it's really powerful to see African-American characters presented that way.

L.A. Rebellion: Creating A New Black Cinema runs through June 7 at the Film Studies Center at the University of Chicago/Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.; film screenings, days, and times vary.

NOTE: On Tuesday, May 21 at 7pm, filmmaker Julie Dash will be in person for post-discussion of her 1991 film, Daughters of the Dust. All screenings are free; RSVP is required. For more information, call 773-702-8596. For more information on the L.A. Rebellion, including the filmmakers who appeared earlier this month, Charles Burnett (My Brother's Wedding) and Haile Gerima (Bush Mama), visit the website.