Movies About African History

From Heather MacDonald, starring Marion Coles, Elaine Ellis, Cleo Hayes, Fay Ray
Rated Not Rated

Been Rich All My Life is a 2006 documentary film by director Heather MacDonald. The film follows elderly African-American women in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem, who have lived their lives as part of a unique social and economic system. These women, known as "rent parties," are the last surviving participants of a once-flourishing culture of wealth and security. The film chronicles their lives within this unique system, as well as their struggles to remain financially independent. Through interviews and archival footage, the film provides an intimate look at the lives of these women and their commitment to maintaining the traditions of their community. The film also examines the changing face of Harlem and how the rent parties were affected by the influx of new people and money.

From Jennie Livingston, starring Brooke Xtravaganza, André Christian, Dorian Corey, Paris Duprée
Rated R

Paris Is Burning is a 1990 documentary film directed by Jennie Livingston. The film focuses on the ballroom scene of New York City in the mid-1980s and explores the roots of drag performance, voguing, and drag ball culture. It features interviews and candid conversations with those who participated in the scene, including drag queens, trans women, and gay men. The film follows some of the most celebrated houses and their house mothers: Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and many more. Through their stories, the film examines issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality in a vibrant, energetic, and often humorous way. Paris Is Burning celebrates the self-expression and perseverance of a marginalized community as they struggle for acceptance and navigate the physical and emotional realities of life in the city.

From Leon Gast, starring Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown
Rated PG

When We Were Kings is a 1996 documentary film directed by Leon Gast. It follows the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. Through interviews and archival footage, the film shows the history leading up to the fight and the events surrounding the fight itself. It also highlights the political and social context of the fight, including the effects of the Cold War, the involvement of the United States, the African nations, and other countries, and the emergence of Zaire as a major African power. The film culminates in Ali’s epic victory over Foreman and the celebration of the African people. The film won the 1996 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

From Mel Stuart, starring The Dramatics, The Staple Singers, Kim Weston, Jimmy Jones
Rated R

Wattstax is a 1973 American documentary film directed by Mel Stuart chronicling the Wattstax music festival, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972. The event was put together by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles. It featured performances by a variety of popular R&B and soul performers including Richard Pryor, Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, and Rufus Thomas. The film intersperses performances with documentary footage of people living in the Watts area, including interviews with local residents about their lives, views on racial inequality, and hopes for the future. The film was well received, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature and a Peabody Award.

From Morgan Neville, starring Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill
Rated PG-13

From Godfrey Cheshire, starring Star: Bruce Chadwick
Rated Not Rated