Acting
Robin D.G. Kelley
Born March 14, 1962 · New York City, New York, USA (age 64)
Robin Davis Gibran Kelley is an American historian and academic. He is the Gary B. Nash Professor of American History at UCLA. His work explores the history of social movements in the U.S., the African diaspora, and Africa--extending into research on Black intellectuals, music and visual culture, and surrealism and Marxism. Kelley’s most recent books include Africa Speaks, America Answers: Modern …
Known For
The N Word · 2006The N Word
★ 7.22006
MovieDocumentary
An exploration of the history of the word throughout its inception to present day. Woven into the narrative are poetry, music, and commentary from celebrities about their personal experiences with the word and their viewpoints. Each perspective is unique, as is each experience... some are much more comfortable with the word than others.
Seven Songs for Malcolm X · 1993Seven Songs for Malcolm X
★ 10.01993
MovieDocumentary
The Black Audio Film Collective’s seventh film envisioned the death and life of the African American revolutionary as a seven part study in iconography as narrated by novelist Toni Cade Bambara and actor Giancarlo Espesito. The stylized tableaux vivants that memorialise Malcolm’s life referenced the early 20th century funeral photography of James Van der Zee’s The Harlem Book of the Dead and the elemental static cinematography of Sergei Paradjanov’s The Colour of Pomegranates.
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band · 2015Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
★ 8.02015
MovieDocumentary
Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams was a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.
Slaying the Dragon: Reloaded · 2011Slaying the Dragon: Reloaded
2011
MovieDocumentary
A sequel to the 1988 award winning documentary, "Slaying the Dragon," this film looks at the past 25 years of representation of Asian and Asian American women in U.S. visual media -- from blockbuster films and network television to Asian American cinema and YouTube -- to explore what's changed, what's been recycled, and what we can hope for in the future.
Every Cook Can Govern: The Life, Impact & Works of C.L.R James · 2016Every Cook Can Govern: The Life, Impact & Works of C.L.R James
2016
MovieDocumentary
Feature-length, crowd-funded documentary that interweaves never-before-seen footage of C.L.R. James, together with personal contributions from those who knew him, and historical and political analysis from leading scholars of his work. The film grapples with issues from colonialism to cricket, from slavery to Shakespeare, from Marxism to the movies and from reading to revolution.
Movies
The N Word · 2006The N Word
★ 7.22006
MovieDocumentary
An exploration of the history of the word throughout its inception to present day. Woven into the narrative are poetry, music, and commentary from celebrities about their personal experiences with the word and their viewpoints. Each perspective is unique, as is each experience... some are much more comfortable with the word than others.
Seven Songs for Malcolm X · 1993Seven Songs for Malcolm X
★ 10.01993
MovieDocumentary
The Black Audio Film Collective’s seventh film envisioned the death and life of the African American revolutionary as a seven part study in iconography as narrated by novelist Toni Cade Bambara and actor Giancarlo Espesito. The stylized tableaux vivants that memorialise Malcolm’s life referenced the early 20th century funeral photography of James Van der Zee’s The Harlem Book of the Dead and the elemental static cinematography of Sergei Paradjanov’s The Colour of Pomegranates.
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band · 2015Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
★ 8.02015
MovieDocumentary
Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams was a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.
Slaying the Dragon: Reloaded · 2011Slaying the Dragon: Reloaded
2011
MovieDocumentary
A sequel to the 1988 award winning documentary, "Slaying the Dragon," this film looks at the past 25 years of representation of Asian and Asian American women in U.S. visual media -- from blockbuster films and network television to Asian American cinema and YouTube -- to explore what's changed, what's been recycled, and what we can hope for in the future.
Every Cook Can Govern: The Life, Impact & Works of C.L.R James · 2016Every Cook Can Govern: The Life, Impact & Works of C.L.R James
2016
MovieDocumentary
Feature-length, crowd-funded documentary that interweaves never-before-seen footage of C.L.R. James, together with personal contributions from those who knew him, and historical and political analysis from leading scholars of his work. The film grapples with issues from colonialism to cricket, from slavery to Shakespeare, from Marxism to the movies and from reading to revolution.