The mission of The Department of Afro-American Research Arts and Culture to identify the global significance of the creative contributions pioneered by an international diaspora of Blackness
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Showing posts with label Louisiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louisiana. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Sistemo l'America e torno [a.k.a. Black Is Beautiful] (1974)

























Starring:



The film is primarily in Italian with English in various parts of the film. I done my best to translate the storyline of the film. The film offers an interesting perspective on Blaxploitation as this film was not made for American release, but filmed in urban areas across the United States while showing the political fight for African-American rights and justice. 

Storyline
John Bonfiglio (Paolo Villaggio) was sent to attend to some business in the United States by his employer, a wealthy industrialist from Busto Arsizio. Already located there, John is also in charge of hiring a promising American basketball player of color, Ben Ferguson (Sterling St. Jacques, the son of famed blaxploitation actor Raymond St. Jacques) for the Corporate basketball team, which is in need of a player that makes them invincible. Ferguson is immediately available, but before leaving for Italy, he forces Bonfiglio to accompany him on a tour across the United States to settle some personal matters. During the journey, John discovers that the basketball champion actually has not only the interest of the sport, but also politics...

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Slaves (1969)
















































Starring:
Ossie Davis and his family have long been the trusted slaves of kind master Sheppard Strudwick. Although he hates the system and has vowed never to sell a slave, Strudwick is forced to sell Davis to pay a debt. On the auction block in New Orleans, Davis is bought by crafty plantation owner Stephen Boyd who lives in splendor with his alcoholic slave mistress, Dionne Warwick. Warwick is attracted to Davis’ fire and pride, but he rejects her in the cotton fields. Boyd is being courted by a married neighbor (Eva Jessye) who shocks her female friends with her outspoken opinions about slavery and southern womanhood. Davis steals liberation papers from Boyd and plans to escape, as does Miss Warwick. The elaborate plot fails, and Davis is flogged to death by an angry Boyd. A faithful servant in the plantation house then sets fire to the cotton sheds, allowing Miss Warwick to make good her escape with the aid of Miss Jessye.