Acclaimed writer Valerie Smith spoke Friday to students and professors about identities in contemporary black film by comparing two black documentaries.
The speech, titled "Intersectionality and Black Experimental Documentary Film," discussed race, gender and class as inscribed in cultural narrative.
"The history of black film and documentaries has centered around this search for an authentic black subject," Smith said, citing recent films like "New Jack City," "Boyz in the Hood" and "Do the Right Thing," as examples.
Smith noted the commercial success of these contemporary black films and said the references to real life and the use of black vernacular culture assure the viewer of the authority of the directors' experiences.
Smith showed clippings from two documentaries: "She Don't Fade," and "Finding Krista."
"She Don't Fade" tells the story of Shae Clark, a 29-year-old lesbian who recently broke up with a long-time girlfriend and is re-entering the dating scene.
Smith said the documentary reveals the inside story of a black lesbian, two identities that Smith said are inseparable. Smith also said that the documentary "challenges viewer expectations."
"Finding Krista," combines a series of dramatic reenactments, archival footage and still photographs to illustrate the relationship between a mother who meets her daughter for the first time after giving her up for adoption at the age of four.
Smith, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, is the author of "Self Discovery and Authority in Afro-American Narrative" and will soon release her new book, "Black Feminist Theory."
