We have witnessed many engaging films about photographers: Tish Murtha. Maybe the film medium particularly shines when showcasing exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Here we have a new remarkable example, from filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, exploring the remarkable professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, musician and civil rights advocate who exemplified a special cultural-activist approach.
In partnership with his brother Elombe, he pioneered the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the sixties by capturing the Harlem models in the cultural epicenter: young women of color who became the sensational archetype for aesthetics, moving beyond typical beauty standards and the usual Eurocentric ideal of womanhood.
The Power of a Simple Phrase
This powerful statement transformed into a radical rallying cry, an visionary concise prose poem for change. Just to assert that people of color possessed beauty proved to be a empowering power in society, social movements and creative expression. Brathwaite became a key figure in the social justice African diaspora struggle by capturing images of the legendary boxer prior to his historic Zaire bout in 1974.
He became the primary visual documentarian for the band's international performances, and eventually assumed the role of the house photographer for the legendary Apollo theatre, building an extraordinary collection of black musicians. In collaboration with Elombe, he became the key organizer behind bringing Nelson Mandela to appear in Harlem.
Family Legacy
His son Kwame Jr is interviewed the their mission to ensure appropriate credit for his parent's achievements after he was hurtfully overlooked in Washington DC's Smithsonian institution, established by Barack Obama in this century.
The feature additionally explores the inexpressibly painful genesis of the photographer's passion for image making: the horrendous pictures of the young victim, the teenage civil rights lynching victim whose grieving mother courageously demanded an uncovered casket so the brutal truth of bigoted brutality would not be hidden.
Through Darkness to Empowerment
From this vision of horror, Brathwaite discovered a form of transformative realization that led him toward visual representations of aspiration. His images beautifully expressed celebratory strength and often subtle in messaging: he curated a innovative visual language of pride around which political movements could mobilize.
The documentary stands as an captivating record of artistic vision that continues to inspire decades later.
