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Arts Engine Remembers St.Clair

Published on December 20, 2007

Arts Engine is saddened to announce the passing of St.Clair Bourne. The prolific and award-winning filmmaker stated in his July 17 Shortlist "Everyone should have the right and opportunity to see themselves reflected in the cultural expressions of the land in which they live and examine the issues that affect their lives. The documentary is one of the best methods to do that."

St.Clair successfully leveraged the "best method" of documentary to effectively explore the cultural and political trends that affect the lives of African-Americans. His subjects included the iconic Black Arts spokesperson Amiri Baraka, Spike Lee's groundbreaking film Do the Right Thing and the life of Paul Robeson.

Reflecting on his generous spirit and power, Katy Chevigny, Arts Engine's founder and Executive Director says, "St.Clair was more than a member of our community, he led the way for our work to be possible. When we started making our first film [Innocent Until Proven Guilty] ten years ago, St.Clair was a mentor in the truest sense of the word."

"St. agreed to vouch for us by acting as Executive Producer,"adds Kirsten Johnson, Director of Innocent Until Proven Guilty. "Putting his credentials and reputation on the line, helping make the film possible. St. accompanied us every step of the way — challenging us to live up to a standard for which he himself never stopped striving.

"He was generous in opening doors for us and we relied heavily on his courage and guidance,"continues Katy Chevigny. "His contributions were a critical factor in getting Innocent Until Proven Guilty made, and he also provided me with a framework for how to approach being a filmmaker, in terms of integrity, tenacity and a commitment to searching for a deeper, more provocative truth."

Angela Tucker, Director of Production at Arts Engine remembers St.Clair as an early adopter of the power of new media tools to extend his reach and ability to build an informed community of black filmmakers. "His participation and generous sharing of knowledge at the recent NMI [The National Black Programming Consortium’s (NBPC) New Media Institute] conference was empowering. A filmmaker from the older generation not afraid of the Internet, St.Clair was one of the new media pioneers; he used his blog to keep us all connected. I will really miss him."

Kirsten Johnson concludes, "St.Clair recognized and honored the struggles of those who had come before him, he reveled in his chance to make films, and he mightily encouraged all of us coming up."

For more on St.Claire Bourne:

St. Claire Bourne's obituary (The New York Times)

CHAMBA Mediaworks Inc.

The St.Clair Bourne Collection at the Black Film Center/Archive