Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People.
By Kay Renz
Montage: A Film Series is a program designed to link communities and people through the art of filmmaking and culture. Montage returns for its 2020 season in celebration of Black History Month for a screening of Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People. Montage takes place Thursday, February 27 at 7 p.m., at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center. Tickets are FREE and are available at www.ccpompano.org or at the door.
“This documentary is a fitting selection for Black History Month,” said Phyllis Korab, Cultural Affairs Director. “As it provides a comprehensive look at American culture through historical archival images that are rarely seen in such totality.”
As 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 probe the recesses of American history through images that have been suppressed, forgotten, and lost. Bringing to light rarely seen photos shot by both professional and amateur African American photographers, the film opens a window into the lives of Black families, whose experiences and perspectives are often missing from the traditional historical canon.
These images show a much more complex and nuanced view of American culture and its founding ideals. Inspired by the book Reflections in Black by photo historian Deborah Willis, the film features the works of esteemed photographic artists Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Anthony Barboza, Hank Willis Thomas, Coco Fusco, Clarissa Sligh, James Van Der Zee, Gordon Parks, and many others.
The Pompano Beach Cultural Center is located at 50 West Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL 33445.
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