Nineties Black cinema returns to Minneapolis this summer
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This summer, the Walker Art Center is hosting a series of film screenings titled Black VHS Experience.
Some would argue the ‘90s holds the title of the golden age of Black cinema. Oftentimes Black filmmakers told relatable stories about the Black experience in America.
The Walker Art Center will be bringing some of the most famous films to Minneapolis this summer with help from Hanif Abdurraqib, a poet, music critic, New York Times bestseller and the curator of the screenings.
Abdurraqib says he loves the movie theater experience and this project gives him a chance to express that.
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“I don’t really write or talk about movies sometimes. You know, this is a really great opportunity because I kind of get to tap into a passion of mine that is not really talked about,” Abdurraqib said.
Abdurraqib was asked by the Walker to suggest something that would bring people together. He suggested creating a series inspired by VHS tapes he watched as a child.
“Thinking of the movies that my parents had and my older siblings had in the VHS collection. I grew up in a house that did not always have cable TV, and what that meant is we had access to many channels, and had access to no channels, and the days we didn't have access to channels really we would watch these VHS tapes,” Abdurraqib said.
Abdurraqib decided on five movies made in the ‘90s by Black filmmakers. They will be screening throughout the summer starting Friday with 1991’s “The Five Heartbeats,” about the highs and lows of a fictional R&B vocal group.
The focus of these films are the soundtracks. Abdurraqib says there are a lot of memories tied to these soundtracks. He says music in film makes it more fulfilling.
“These are like the soundtracks that my family would play. There are soundtracks that I would record off the radio when the sounds would come on — to think about this is not just as a visual project but an audio project.”
The screenings are open to the public with discounted prices for members, students and elders.
Abdurraqib says he wants people who have not seen these films to be able to experience them for the first time. And, maybe, if you have seen these films before, to have an experience watching them that feels new, unique and exciting — like a true cinephile.
The series continues through Aug. 11. Other films featured are “Mo’Better Blues,” “Sister Act,” “Dead Presidents” and “Set it Off.”
