History has seen countless engaging films focusing on photographers: Martin Parr. Maybe cinematic storytelling naturally comes alive when displaying particularly vivid photographs. Here arrives another remarkable example, directed by creator Yemi Bamiro, exploring the extraordinary life's work of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, performer and African American activist who embodied a unique artistic-political perspective.
In partnership with his sibling Elombe, he effectively created the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” during the 1960s by documenting the Grandassa Models in the cultural epicenter: emerging African American women who emerged as the sensational archetype for visual appeal, abandoning typical beauty standards and the predominant white model of female beauty.
The Impact of Three Words
Black Is Beautiful became a radical rallying cry, an brilliant three-word prose poem for change. Simply stating that black people were beautiful became a liberating influence in culture, activism and the arts. Brathwaite grew into a key figure in the civil rights African diaspora struggle by photographing the legendary boxer before his legendary Zaire bout in 1974.
He served as the exclusive image creator for the Jackson 5's continental journey, and eventually became the house photographer for the legendary cultural institution, building an incredible collection of black musicians. Alongside his sibling, he emerged as the key organizer behind arranging for Nelson Mandela to appear in Harlem.
Personal Journey
Brathwaite's son Kwame Jr recounts the personal campaign to achieve due acknowledgment for his father's legacy after he was hurtfully ignored in the nation's capital's Smithsonian institution, established by the political leader in 2016.
The film also recounts the profoundly sorrowful inspiration of Brathwaite's dedication to photography: the shocking photographs of the young victim, the teenage African American tragic figure whose bereaved parent defiantly demanded an open coffin so the brutal truth of racial hatred would not be concealed.
Amidst Sorrow to Beauty
In this image of horror, the artist discovered a type of anti-epiphany that directed him toward photographs of community. His photographs powerfully conveyed celebratory strength and often subtle in messaging: he established a new iconography of pride upon which activist groups could unite.
It is an captivating chronicle of cultural impact that persists in inspire across generations.
