“"In Our Mothers' Gardens" Celebrates the Legacy of Black Mothers - Ms. Magazine” plus 1 more

“"In Our Mothers' Gardens" Celebrates the Legacy of Black Mothers - Ms. Magazine” plus 1 more

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"In Our Mothers' Gardens" Celebrates the Legacy of Black Mothers - Ms. Magazine Posted: 05 May 2021 02:59 PM PDT Black Feminist in Public is a series of conversations between creative Black women and Janell Hobson, a Ms. scholar whose work focuses on the intersections of history, popular culture and representations of women of African descent. In Our Mothers' Gardens, the new documentary by debut filmmaker Shantrelle P. Lewis, from Ava DuVernay's ARRAY films, premieres Friday on the streaming giant Netflix. A deeply personal film exploring the relationships between Black mothers and daughters, Lewis and her close circle of friends, mentors and Black feminists—including women from different regions of the African Diaspora and public figures such as #MeToo founder Tarana Burke and public intellectual Brittney Cooper, among others—gather in the comfort of living rooms to wax poetic about Black motherhood, its joys, struggles and resistance against the forces of anti-Black racism and misogynoir since the era of the transatlantic slave trade. "Our mothers were always doing the best that they could," said filmmaker Shantrelle P. Lewis. "We need to look at their lives from a space of grace, compassion and understanding of what it means to be Black women in a hyper racist, white supremacist, patriarchal, anti-Black, anti-woman world." (Courtesy) Having authored the book, Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style, based on an international traveling exhibition that she curated about Black masculinity and fashion, and relying on her skills as a former museum curator, Lewis reframes old family photographs and her documentary talking heads through a colorful collage on par with a lush and richly layered botanica. As a New Orleans native, Howard University alum, artist, curator, scholar and Yoruba priest, Lewis shrewdly invokes Alice Walker's "mothers' gardens" ahead of the Mother's Day weekend to explore how Black motherhood has survived and thrived intergenerationally. Lewis spoke with Ms. magazine's Janell Hobson for the re-launch of her Black Feminist in Public series. Janell Hobson: First, I want to say, your film is so aesthetically engaging. I love the way all of your film subjects are interviewed in lovely parlor settings, so we get a very intimate sense as if we're having a private conversation. Shantrelle P. Lewis: I wanted the audience to feel like they were sitting in their mother's living room, or their grandmother's living room, where a lot of these conversations would take place. Hobson: It's fitting, as is the metaphor of "our mothers' gardens," as some of the film subjects also appear in garden settings. You also begin the film with a quote from Alice Walker. Lewis: I came of age when Alice Walker was in her prime. I remember reading The Color Purple when I was in the sixth grade. Now, mind you, everything went completely over my head. I didn't know anything that was going on, and it wasn't until I revisited the book in college, in Black women's lit classes, that I began having a different understanding as an 18-year-old college student, or even as a 42-year-old woman when I revisited the text again. So, it was important for me to give Alice Walker her powers as a storyteller, and the ways in which she talks about discovering, "In search of my mother's garden, I found my own." I wanted to enter into my own mother's garden, so this film begins where Alice Walker left off. I wanted to push the conversation further. One of the Black feminist scholars that I interview is a dear friend and fellow Howard University alum, Dr Brittney Cooper. She talks about how our mothers and our grandmothers didn't have access to therapy, so their tools were really Black feminist storytellers of their day: Alice Walker, bell hooks, Iyanla Vanzant, Gloria Naylor—all of these different women. Hobson: How did you come to choose film as the means to continue this conversation, this storytelling? Lewis: For most of my career, I was a visual arts curator. I worked primarily at Black cultural institutions, and my exhibitions traveled nationally and internationally. My book Dandy Lion was based on a curatorial project about global Black dandyism and how Black folks that dress themselves in a particular way have always asserted their agency through dressing up. But then I retired as a curator. I've always been interested in exploring other mediums of storytelling. Film was just a natural progression from visual arts curator and the ways in which I would use a museum space to contextualize the work that was on display on the walls and in the 3D work on the gallery floors. "Don't try to make a film to appease an audience, or because you want Ava DuVernay or Ryan Coogler to see it. Just tell a story that needs to be told, a story that you haven't heard, that you haven't seen, that's important to you," said Lewis, pictured here on location in the Algiers neighborhood in New Orleans. (Courtesy) Hobson: What is intriguing about your film is the way you bring in different modes of storytelling: the oral, the visual, and now the documentary experience. Do you believe we're experiencing a renaissance in Black filmmaking? Lewis: Yes, I think so. The stories were always there. All we waited for were the resources, so that's why this is an exciting time. I was thrilled that ARRAY invited me to distribute my film. It's a privilege working with Ava, who's been a champion of not only Black filmmakers, but filmmakers of color and women filmmakers more importantly. She was someone who started by distributing her own films. ARRAY came out of a need for Black stories to be told. So, we've always had Black stories, Black filmmakers and storytellers. We're rooted in cultures that are based in oral tradition and oral literature. Storytelling and filmmaking are just, I think, a natural expression of that. Here at Ms., our team is continuing to report through this global health crisis—doing what we can to keep you informed and up-to-date on some of the most underreported issues of this pandemic. We ask that you consider supporting our work to bring you substantive, unique reporting—we can't do it without you. Support our independent reporting and truth-telling for as little as $5 per month. Hobson: How did you come to work on this film? Lewis: The idea came to me from a spiritual reading actually. I'm a Yoruba priest, and I was told, "You need to be doing work with women, and you need to be doing some kind of story about women." I'm like, "Really?" I've been working on Black masculinity for so long, and I was just kind of obedient to that. Divination is a very central part of my practice as a priest, and it is also central to the work that I do. So, when being told during a reading that I needed to do this work, and then being told in another reading, "Yeah, and it's going to be on Netflix," I entered the film process with all of that. Now the end goal wasn't to get the film on Netflix, but it was to get the story told. "We've always had Black stories, Black filmmakers and storytellers. We're rooted in cultures that are based in oral tradition and oral literature. Storytelling and filmmaking are just, I think, a natural expression of that," Lewis told Ms. (Courtesy) Hobson: It's interesting you say that because more and more women of African descent are leaving behind their Christian faith and rediscovering traditional African religions. That also gets represented in popular culture if we think of Beyoncé's Lemonade. What are your thoughts on these developments? Lewis: Well, I'm from New Orleans, and Voodoo, Hoodoo, is embedded in the fabric of New Orleans culture and identity. I never knew a time I did not know about the existence of Voodoo or Hoodoo. I was raised above ground, but you can feel the dead spirits walking amongst you. You go down to the French Quarter, you go to other places. My paternal grandmother died when I was five, and I would see her as a child. One of my maternal grandfathers died when I was 16, and ever since then I've been going to the cemetery. I would take my journal and I would just sit on the grave and read and write in the cemetery. So, I've always felt comfortable amongst my ancestors. I grew up Catholic, but around the time I left the church, I went on a trip to Brazil, where I met these Afro-Brazilian matriarchs, who had been keepers of African sacred traditions since slavery when the first Africans were brought over by the Portuguese. A major goal of my work, even with this film, is to bring people closer to African traditional religion and to help debunk and demystify African spirituality. I actually embrace what Beyonce did with Lemonade. It was a gorgeous, visual work that felt very much like Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust. I was appreciative of the visual references too. I think there's a missing part of us reclaiming our heritage as a people. I think our ancestors' spirituality is part of that missing link that would help us dismantle a lot of these hyper-patriarchal racist structures that have been oppressing us for the past 400 years as a people. Hobson: In mentioning Lemonade and Daughters of the Dust, were either of these influential to your own filmmaking? Lewis: Definitely Daughters of the Dust. I loved the visuals of Lemonade, but Daughters of the Dust was more of a reference. I don't know any woman filmmaker who has not been influenced by Julie Dash's work, which was very important to the idea of what happened during the great migration when families traveled up north or to the west, what was left behind, what was lost, what we were able to save, and how we maintained those spiritual traditions that allowed us to survive. Hobson: What do you think your film is doing differently that we don't often see in films about Black mothers and daughters? Lewis: What I say in the film is that our mothers were always doing the best that they could. We need to look at their lives from a space of grace, compassion and understanding of what it means to be Black women in a hyper racist, white supremacist, patriarchal, anti-Black, anti-woman world. And I hope to bring our mothers' lives in that context. I don't think that everyone needs to go out and necessarily engage in conversations they're not prepared for, especially if they have an abusive relationship with their moms. But I think it's an invitation to dig deeper and find some much needed generational healing to break generational trauma and cyclical curses. "We have to call the names of the people who brought us to this point." Proud to distribute this gorgeous doc about the legacy of Black matriarchs entitled IN OUR MOTHERS' GARDENS. Directed by @APshantology, this gem debuts May 6 for Mother's Day on @Netflix from @ARRAYNow. 🌸🌺 pic.twitter.com/NFC6ENYbdn — Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 29, 2021 Hobson: What advice would you give to someone wanting to make a Black feminist film? Lewis: My suggestion is to be as authentic as possible. Don't try to make a film to appease an audience, or because you want Ava DuVernay or Ryan Coogler to see it. Just tell a story that needs to be told, a story that you haven't heard, that you haven't seen, that's important to you. Because when things get hard in the production process, when you're scrambling for money, or when you're having to deal with investors, or film subjects who don't want to cooperate, or if you're having problems with your crew, the only thing that's going to keep you going is that you know this is a story that needs to be told. And you know that people need to see and hear it. Up next: The coronavirus pandemic and the response by federal, state and local authorities is fast-moving. During this time, Ms. is keeping a focus on aspects of the crisis—especially as it impacts women and their families—often not reported by mainstream media. If you found this article helpful, please consider supporting our independent reporting and truth-telling for as little as $5 per month.

Five Films Made By Black Women To Stream Before Women’s History Month Ends - MadameNoire Posted: 29 Mar 2021 12:00 AM PDT MadameNoire Featured Video There is something to be said about a woman's eye. Our intuition, our sensibilities, our attention to detail and our nurturing ability to get to the heart of the matter all lend themselves as admirable and irreplaceable traits in the world of filmmaking. This is noted in the many projects from women creatives, directors and producers that have won us over and also earned a special place in the culture.  As Women's History Month prepares to close and we keep the celebration going past March, I wanted to take some time to honor the women who've been behind some very important films that are available for you to stream now. Here are just a few that left an indelible mark on me.  A Wrinkle In Time (Ava DuVernay) on Disney+ I'm beginning with this film in particular because I don't feel it was celebrated nearly as much as it deserved upon release. When it was announced that Black Panther and A Wrinkle In Time were debuting around the same time, it felt epic. Ava DuVernay's significant budget of $103 million was the first for a Black woman director, and she was adapting such a classic and essential piece of literature while casting the main character as a biracial Black girl. There were so many things to be proud of and much of that was overshadowed by critiques of the film's action sequences, script and various details. When I finally saw the movie for myself, I was blown away and highly disappointed that I even glimpsed at reviews. It was such a powerful story shown so beautifully. Seeing all of the special effects and fantasy elements that DuVernay got to play around with made me really proud and happy to see more action, adventure and fantasy films directed by women. I also enjoyed the sisterhood between DuVernay, Oprah and star Storm Reid when promoting the film. This one definitely goes down in history for women in film. Beyond the Lights (Gina Prince-Bythewood) on Amazon Prime Video Most people know Gina Prince-Bythewood as the director of Love & Basketball. She applied that same touch to Beyond The Lights, which is one of my favorite films by any director, man or woman. It has the same romantic awareness and tension from the former film. How far are you willing to go, how much are you willing to sacrifice, for true love? The story answers that question in a way that feels wholly and authentically genuine from a woman's point of view. The film reveals both the prowess and vulnerability that a woman in the limelight possesses, and entertains the idea of Prince Charming having to do more with a gentle soul and security than intimidatingly good looks and wealth. Gugu Mbatha-Raw's portrayal is raw and relatable and she shines gorgeously. Beyond a dope storyline is chic cinematography, meaningful scenery, and beautiful moments that make for a memorable film that to this day still feels like one of a kind. Eve's Bayou (Kasi Lemmons) on Amazon Prime Video When you watch this film in the present, there is so much more to see and learn from it. The dialogue, the esoteric storyline, the lush Louisiana setting and those unforgettable, complex, soulful characters all make for a classic. Jurnee Smollett's portrayal was filled with both innocence and power, even as a young girl. Her acting was electric, as was Meagan Good's, who reminded me of the delicate balance between adolescence and womanhood and how often that is rushed or even abused when it comes to young Black girls. It was a monumental movie for Black women and Kasi Lemmons depicted how our many relationships come into play in our personal histories and decision-making. The unseen elements of the divine are also felt, which is a nod to the director for knowing how to work with both the spoken and unspoken truths, within a script. Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. (Leslie Harris) on Amazon Prime Video and Google Play This is one of the definitive films of my teenage years. As an upstate girl, I lived vicariously through Ariyan A. Johnson's character Chantel, her Black and Brown friends, and their fly NYC adventures. There's a scene where they're hanging out all day and run up in the corner store that fills me with so much nostalgia every time I see it. From the outfits to the slang to the raw conversations, the teenage pregnancy storyline and her boldly using money meant for an abortion to take her friends shopping, it was the Flyy Girl or Coldest Winter Ever of films for me. The fact that it was directed by a woman, Leslie Harris, just makes so much sense. The storyline and the small intricacies of being a Black teen and emerging young woman in the '90s were captured perfectly. It's definitely a cult classic. Lemonade (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) on Tidal Beyoncé stopped the world with Lemonade. From its sudden announcement to its rollout, we were already intrigued and expecting something as fierce and wonderful as her eponymous surprise album. What we got was even more powerful and timeless. Beyoncé as director (among a few notable others) just makes sense, as shown through her various documentaries and music videos. Lemonade elevated her even higher as a filmmaker. Snubbed by numerous award shows, it's a film that is pure art and emotion and ancestry and poetry in all of its Black woman glory. The film, with it's ode to Black women in all shapes, sizes, shades and historical relevance, also paved the way for Black Is King, which debuted on Disney+ and evolved the storytelling of family, history and healing that began with Lemonade, taking us even deeper into the roots of Africa, love and what it really means to be a woman of color, essence and vibrancy. These are just a few films by women directors that I absolutely love. What are some of yours?

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