shikeith

#Blackmendream ,2014, 44 min, is an experimental documentary that mines the psycho-emotional landscape at the intersection of blackness and masculinity.

 

The film, shot in black and white, features nine men from diverse backgrounds with their backs turned away from the camera. They openly discuss the obstacles they have faced as young black men, such as depression, parental neglect, and racial discrimination.

 

Not limited to the men featured on screen, #Blackmendream, calls to action the viewer to use the film's social media hashtag to respond to questions posed throughout the film. A social-practice method to encourage other black men to see and experience themselves in states of togetherness, tenderness, transformation , and self-reflection.

 

#Blackmendream is a film that gives a glimpse into the emotional lives of black men, a subject that is virtually taboo in many black communities and woefully neglected by society at large. Considering the current social upheaval surrounding black lives in the U.S., #Blackmendream is a much-needed document of black life that defies the stereotypes about black manhood.