EVENT DETAILS

Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People

Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People
followed by Talkback with Professor Bridget Cooks and Director Thomas Allen Harris

http://illuminations.uci.edu/events/2016_01__Through_A_Lens_Darkly.html

Documentary, Thomas Allen Harris, Bridget Cooks
The first documentary to explore the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations, and social emergence of African Americans from slavery to the present, Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People probes the recesses of American history through images that have been suppressed, forgotten, and lost.  Inspired by the groundbreaking book Reflections in Black Photographers: 1840 to the Present (W.W. Norton, 2002) by photo historian Deborah Willis, the film examines the history of Black photographers and Black photographic subjects through national and autobiographical lenses.

The audience is invited to remain for a question and answer session with the film director and co-producer, Thomas Allen Harris, after the screening.

Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People. (Dir: Harris, 2014) (92 mins) (2015 NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Documentary Film).

"An extraordinary new documentary by filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris, is at-once a deep, rich dive into the history of African American photography and -- transcending the subject at hand -- a master class in visual literacy." - Mia Tramz, Time Magazine

"This documentary offers a much-needed correction to the historical record, where images of African-Americans -- and Africans themselves -- often resorted to offensive tableaux that not only demeaned their subjects, but also denied them their basic humanity." - David Gonzalez, The New York Times

"One of the most important and necessary documentaries of the year." - Indiewire

Co-sponsored by Illuminations: The Chancellor's Arts and Culture Initiative, Campus Climate Council's African-American Student Experience Work Group, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Program in African American Studies, Department of Art History, Department of Film and Media Studies, and the Ph.D. Program in Visual Studies.