The World of Black Film

Who doesn’t love a really good list of great movies? The World of Black Film is a deep dive into over 100 years of black film and filmmakers via 100 chronologically listed films, and constitutes a brilliant introduction to its story to date. It also serves as a very necessary corrective to many other such histories, and famous lists such as Sight & Sound magazine’s, which have sadly tended to neglect what author Ashley Clark calls ‘cinematic blackness’ in the subtitle of his book. Each of the 100 films chosen gets a spread on which the promotional poster, or stills from the movie, are featured alongside the essential info – title, date, director, country, one-sentence summary – as well as a longer but very accessible description of the film and its impact. The added bonus: Clark’s introduction, which is a witty, engaging and politically savvy piece that both persuades and informs. An essential reference for anyone interested in the history of black filmmaking, and dedicated movie lovers in general.