All this month, the early, overlooked work of Black, female directors is centre stage at the British Film Institute on London’s Southbank.
The Black Debutantes season celebrates one-hit wonders which have become cult classics.
We spoke to its curator, Rógan Graham, about why many of these women’s film careers petered out after their debuts.
Ayshah Tull: Let’s talk about this season, Black Debutantes. Where did the idea come from?
Rógan Graham: It occurred to me that many of the films I love by Black women directors, they’ve only actually made the one feature that becomes a cult classic, becomes beloved and rediscovered and rediscovered. It’s sort of a continual, never-ending emerging, unfortunately. And I really wanted to explore why that was.
A lot of the filmmakers have been very open about this and Bridgett M. Davis, who directed Naked Acts, she said that film production companies at the time, distributors, they said, ‘oh, I don’t know who this film is for’. Meanwhile, she was seeing sold out screens. She was having audience members, Black audience members, Black women come up to her and tell her how meaningful her work was. But when it came to white heads of companies, they didn’t see that audience.
Ayshah Tull: So those words, ‘I don’t know who that’s for’, what do you take away from those words? What’s the subtext behind that?
Rógan Graham: It’s not for me, therefore it probably isn’t for anyone. And this really kind of myopic way of looking at art, that if you don’t have a personal resonance, it has no value, and that’s not true. And a kind of inability for people to really look outside themselves and value work for what it is and who it might be for, even if not them.
“I wanted it to be a real celebration of these women.”
– Rógan Graham
Ayshah Tull: In this season, when you were putting it together, did you have any doubt in your mind? Did you think, ‘oh, this might be a bit too niche’?
Rógan Graham: That did occur to me. I didn’t want the season to be alienating. I’ve been so overwhelmed by all the Black women of all ages who’ve shown up for the films, as well as really regular, what you might call typical BFI audiences, who’ve engaged because these films are for everyone.
Ayshah Tull: We’ve got the US, at the moment, lots of people have been speaking about anti-diversity and inclusion cultural practises. And I wonder if that’s something that you’re seeing in UK film here, or if those conversations are swirling around at all?
Rógan Graham: It’s really distressing what’s going on in the US And I have many friends who work in various institutions as freelancers with festivals of all races who are just angry, angry that this is now something they have to fight against when they just want to do their job.
Ayshah Tull: I wanted to talk about Black male filmmakers. They found it difficult to break through in a significant way, but we’re also seeing almost a heyday. What do you make of how Black male filmmakers are doing at the moment?
Rógan Graham: I think it’s really, really wonderful. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, just seeing the numbers it’s done, none of that money’s going in my pocket, but I still feel myself cheering for him.
Ayshah Tull: What’s it like to have your name on this season and be in charge of it at this big London venue?
Rógan Graham: It’s scary, but I feel so privileged with the response. I wanted it to be a real celebration of these women because it’s not my place to say whether their lives or their output was tragic or not. They can say for themselves whether they felt shortchanged, and many of them have done. But I can point out how disserviced we’ve been as audiences by the kind of stymieing of their careers.
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