Unseen & Underrated: African-American Films

Check out these hidden gems in the African-American film collection, housed in the Music, Film & Audio Department of the Main Library.

Belle

The mixed-race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral faces obstacles while living in aristocratic eighteenth-century England.


Daughters of the Dust (1991)

The story of a large African-American Gullah family as they prepare to move North from the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia at the dawn of the 20th century. 

 


Killer of Sheep

A family man from the Watts area of Los Angeles struggles with family life while working a  challenging job as a slaughterhouse worker.


Losing Ground (1982)

A comedy-drama about a Black American philosophy professor and her insensitive, philandering, and flamboyant artist husband who are having a marital crisis. 

 


Medicine for Melancholy

The possible relationship between two young San Franciscans who are dealing with upheaval are documented over 24 hours.


Middle of Nowhere (2012)

Devoted wife Ruby drops out of medical school after her husband Derek receives an eight-year prison sentence, and struggles to find the courage to remain faithful and supportive as the demands of being a prison wife weigh heavily on her shoulders. 

 


Mother of George

This drama documents the struggles of a young Nigerian couple living in Brooklyn who are trying to have a baby, and the difficult decisions they must make along the way.


Night Catches Us

A young man returns to his old Philadelphia stomping grounds (and a past love) amidst political and racial turmoil.