Losing Ground (1982)

Starring:

• Seret Scott
• Bill Gunn
• Duane Jones
• Billie Allen
• Maritza Rivera

Storyline

One of the first feature films directed by an African American woman, Kathleen Collins’s LOSING GROUND tells the story of a marriage between two remarkable people, both at a crossroads in their lives. Sara Rogers (Seret Scott), a black professor of philosophy, is embarking on an intellectual quest to understand “ecstasy” just as her painter husband, Victor (Bill Gunn), sets off on a more earthy exploration of joy. Over the course of a summer idyll in upstate New York, the two each experience profound emotional and romantic awakenings. Applying a deft comic touch to a deeply personal exploration of love, race, and gender, Collins crafts a charming, complex tale of personal discovery that, after decades of neglect, has reemerged as a still-fresh landmark of independent cinema.

The Wood (1999)

Starring:

• Omar Epps
• Richard T. Jones
• Sean Nelson
• Duane Finley
• Trent Cameron
• Malinda Williams
• Taye Diggs
• Tamala Jones
• De'aundre Bonds
• Cynthia Martells
• Jascha Washington
• La'Myia Good
• LisaRaye McCoyaye
• Sanaa Lathan
• Patricia Belcher
• Elayn J. Taylor

Storyline

Three old friends -- Mike (Omar Epps), Roland (Taye Diggs) and Slim (Richard T. Jones) -- recount memories of their shared childhood in Inglewood, Calif., as they prepare for Roland's wedding to his fiancée, Lisa (LisaRaye). When the groom goes missing without a word, Mike and Slim struggle to find their nervous friend and return him to his impatient bride before the wedding begins. Along the way, they continue to swap stories about lessons learned during their awkward teenage years.