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Exhibition on Black people in film - 31st August 2022

A new exhibition has just started at the Academy of Motion Pictures in the US. It shows the importance of African Americans in cinema, from the 1890s until 1971.

Film director Ava DuVernay opened the exhibition. She spoke about Black people’s work as actors and film producers. She knew the exhibition would surprise most people.

Ava DuVernay: "They illustrate in this exhibit a long hidden fact. Are you ready for the secret? That we, Black folks, have always been present in American film, right from the start. Present not as caricatures and stereotypes, but as creators and producers and innovators and eager audiences."

The exhibition, “Regeneration”, has found unknown pieces of film. In the past, Black actors usually had small parts like thieves or as silly characters. But in these films, Black actors have serious roles.

Raúl Guzmán: "Many of the conversations that we have about representation, really were happening at the beginning of cinema. I think many audiences saw the potential of cinema to really change how people and their communities were perceived."

One of the films shows actor Hattie McDaniel at the Oscar ceremony. She received the award for her role in the film “Gone with the Wind”. But McDaniel had to sit in an area for Black people at the ceremony. She wasn’t allowed to attend the film’s opening night either. It was held at a “Whites only” cinema.

This exhibition should help people understand the importance of African Americans in cinema.

Ava DuVernay: "For the first time, we can now see the grand sweep of Black American filmmaking in cinematic artistry, in all its richness and daring, in all its defiance and exuberance. We should have seen it long before now, but this is the day it begins."