We have witnessed many engaging documentaries about visual artists: Martin Parr. Maybe the film medium particularly shines when presenting remarkably striking still images. Today we have one more remarkable case, directed by filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, documenting the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, performer and African American activist who embodied a unique politico-aesthetic perspective.
Alongside his sibling Elombe, he virtually invented the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the 1960s by capturing the Grandassa Models in the cultural epicenter: youthful African American women who transformed into the groundbreaking standard for beauty, rejecting typical cosmetic products and the established Caucasian ideal of female beauty.
The Influence of Three Words
The iconic phrase evolved into a powerful call to action, an visionary memorable prose poem for progress. Just to assert that African Americans radiated beauty became a liberating influence in culture, social movements and creative expression. The photographer became part of the social justice global Black movement by photographing Muhammad Ali before his legendary Rumble in the Jungle in the seventies.
He became the primary image creator for the Jackson 5's continental journey, and eventually was named the house photographer for the historic Harlem venue, creating an extraordinary collection of African American artists. Together with Elombe, he became the driving force behind securing the South African leader to address the public in New York.
Historical Recognition
The photographer's offspring the younger Brathwaite is interviewed the personal campaign to ensure proper recognition for his family heritage after he was hurtfully overlooked in the prestigious cultural museum, opened by Barack Obama in this century.
This documentary also recounts the deeply tragic genesis of the photographer's dedication to image making: the disturbing photographs of Emmett Till, the adolescent civil rights tragic figure whose mourning family member boldly requested an public viewing so the violent nature of bigoted brutality might not be concealed.
Amidst Sorrow to Hope
Through this vision of tragedy, the visionary encountered a kind of profound understanding that directed him toward visual representations of beauty. His photographs beautifully expressed community pride and frequently nuanced in approach: he developed a new visual language of pride upon which activist groups could mobilize.
It is an captivating chronicle of creative genius that persists in inspire across generations.
