news

bell hooks' Shortlist

Published on April 17, 2007

The Shortlist article series is your opportunity to learn about the films that inspire intellectual, artistic and activist leaders--leaders like writer bell hooks. We asked bell to share her favorite films and her thoughts on the power of documentary to change the world. So what films make bell hooks' Shortlist? Keep reading to find out.

bell hooks, photo by Barbara Ries

Who is bell hooks?

bell describes herself as a "seeker on the path of love, spiritual advisor, cultural critic, feminist theorist and writer (non-fiction and children's books)." She lives in the Kentucky hills and has spent time in New York City and Florida. She is an obsessive reader, especially of mystery novels. bell hooks is a distinguished professor at Berea College.

bell hooks on the Power of Film

In a world where censorship and the silencing of dissent is common practice we cannot rely on the media to give us movies that are "real," informative or transformative. Documentary films remain one of the essential expressions of free speech. Two Spike Lee documentaries, Four Little Girls and When the Levees Broke, inspire me because they poignantly document the impact of post-traumatic stress caused by racist exploitation and oppression in the lives of black folks.

bell's Film Picks

Stranger With a Camera: This film raises crucial ethical and political issues about the power of the camera and the relationship between artists and subjects. It is also about class, homophobia and the dangers of a closed community.

Four Little Girls: Every American should see this film. It is a true to life portrait of imperialist white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy. One of the most powerful visual accounts of the traumatic impact of racial terrorism in the lives of black folks. An amazing story of a white woman who loves Justice enough to take a stand.

Saving Jackie: Talk about the power of the documentary. This young black female filmmaker turns the camera on her family to explore the impact of drug addiction on children. She examines both her mother's addiction to cocaine and her recovery.

Her: A blend of futuristic filmmaking using several forms including animation and straight-forward documentary. Some might call it sci-fi--it's visionary. Challenging patriarchy, it gives everyone the opportunity to understand injustices--the pain of sexist domination and oppression.

Blue: Derek Jarman's Blue invites audiences to see and feel with him, losing his sight as a consequence of AIDS. He shows us that beauty can emerge from even the most tragic circumstances.

Happy to Be Nappy and Other Tales of Me: A film for children and grown-ups who want to look at the impact of difference in the lives of young folk. It's beautiful, funny, sad and uplifting.

When the Levees Broke: Significantly, this film offers a voice to diverse groups of people who were not given media coverage during the Katrina crisis. It exposes the racial terrorism that is the continued political practice in our water [system] and offers amazing humanizing portraits of black people, especially black men.

Crumb: A powerful portrait of dissident creativity.

Shut Up and Sing: An interesting look at the radical politicization of white women who initially lacked critical consciousness.

Black Is...Black Ain't: Marlon Riggs' provocative look at the formation of black identities and homophobia in black life.

MediaRights: News: Article

news

Article

The Fire of a New Generation
Railing against expectations, young people voted in record numbers--and it's just the beginning. By Tim Fernholz, CampusProgress.org In the months leading up ...
Posted on November 17

Outreach Journal: Made in L.A.
By Kathryn Robertson Lupe Hernandez moved from Mexico City to L.A. at a young age and worked for meager wages in garment factories ...
Posted on November 17

Gordon Quinn's Shortlist
The Shortlist article series is your opportunity to learn about the films that inspire intellectual, artistic and activist leaders -- leaders like ...
Posted on November 17

The Global Community: Take Action Pack
Twelve Months, Twelve Films, Twelve Issues. Here at MediaRights.org and the Media That Matters Film Festival, we decided to crew up ...
Posted on November 14

Connecting with Your Audience
By Kidane John Yohannes For an artist, dialogue with the audience is a unique resource. Feedback can not only influence future work but ...
Posted on October 15

Reframing the Fight: Why Prevention is the Cure for Breast Cancer
By Sabrina McCormick, PhD The pink ribbon and the "need for a cure" are now widely ...
Posted on October 14

Interview with Ilana Trachtman, Director of Praying with Lior
By Jim Browne I spoke with director Ilana Trachtman about Praying with Lior, her film about a young boy with Down ...
Posted on October 14

Michele Serros' Shortlist
The Shortlist article series is your opportunity to learn about the films that inspire intellectual, artistic and activist leaders -- leaders like ...
Posted on October 9

American Indian Heritage: Take Action Pack
Twelve Months, Twelve Films, Twelve Issues. Here at MediaRights.org and the Media That Matters Film Festival, we decided to crew up ...
Posted on October 8

Interactively Addressing Immigration
By Kidane John Yohannes Of the many things video games are accused of promoting these days, information about immigration issues is not a ...
Posted on October 2

Health Literacy: TAKE ACTION PACK
Twelve Months, Twelve Films, Twelve Issues. Here at MediaRights.org and the Media That Matters Film Festival, we decided to crew up ...
Posted on September 15

Barbara Kopple's Shortlist
The Shortlist article series is your opportunity to learn about the films that inspire intellectual, artistic and activist leaders -- leaders like ...
Posted on September 12

Some Rights Reserved
By Fred Benenson, Culture Program Associate for Creative Commons On August 13th, 2008 the United States Court of Federal Appeals handed down an ...
Posted on September 11

Doc, Doc, Who's There: A Conversation with Thom Powers at TIFF08
By Zach Dubinsky Movies have been around for more than a hundred years, but documentaries of the hard-hitting, eye-opening and intimate type are ...
Posted on September 3

Youth Activism: TAKE ACTION PACK
Twelve Months, Twelve Films, Twelve Issues. Here at MediaRights.org and the Media That Matters Film Festival, we decided to crew ...
Posted on August 20

Interview with Rev. Melissa Mummert, Director of Perversion of Justice
By Amanda Coggin In Perversion of Justice, director Rev. Melissa Mummert introduces us to Hamedah Hasan, a mother of three serving a mandatory ...
Posted on August 12

Managing Perspective: Wrestling Heavy Issues Without Getting Weighed Down
By Kathryn Robertson We are now in the midst of POV's 21st season, which means four months of daring, moving, illuminating ...
Posted on August 12

Wendy Cohen's Shortlist
The Shortlist article series is your opportunity to learn about the films that inspire intellectual, artistic and activist leaders -- leaders ...
Posted on August 1

Every Third Bite: TAKE ACTION PACK
Welcome to our first monthly Take Action Pack! Twelve Months, Twelve Films, Twelve Issues. Here at MediaRights.org and the Media That Matters ...
Posted on July 15

Resistance is Fertile: It's Time to Start Guerrilla Gardening
By Shira Golding "Our greatness, our talent has never been the question. It's been a matter of grappling for control over what ...
Posted on July 15

Paul D. Miller AKA DJ Spooky's Shortlist
The Shortlist article series is your opportunity to learn about the films that inspire intellectual, artistic and activist leaders -- leaders like ...
Posted on July 15

Copyleft, Copyright and Everything in Between
By Kathryn Robertson As the Internet and file-sharing have mushroomed rapidly over the past few years, copyright law has been questioned by a ...
Posted on July 15

34x25x36: Body Image from Various Perspectives
By Kathryn Robertson Jesse Epstein Jesse Epstein's film-making budget back in 2007 was as slim as the ...
Posted on June 17

On the Road: Travel Tips for the Independent Filmmaker
By Brittany Mayne It is finally summer, the season of travel, and it's the perfect time for a road trip to shoot footage ...
Posted on June 17

The Evolving World of Ballroom
By Clay Cane June is lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride month. There is much to celebrate in the past ...
Posted on June 17

Browse More