BIPOC RECOMMENDED VIEWING



BLACK:
The following are known and not as well known; iconic; feel-good; groundbreaking and heavy/dramatic - listed by country/region of origin, usually a Black writer and/or director


CANADIAN FICTION & DOCUMENTARY FILMS:
NURSE.FIGHTER.BOY
UNARMED VERSES (Documentary)
ON/BLACK/STAGE/WOMEN (Documentary)
BOOST (Quebecois but is in English; white writer/director but great Black storytelling)

JAMAICAN FICTION FILM:
THE HARDER THEY COME (1972, about Jamaicans of African descent, in English; legendary)
AFRICAN FICTION FILMS:
THE BURIAL OF KOJO 
KETEKE
SARAFINA!
BLACK GIRL / LA NOIRE DE...
THE AFRICAN DOCTOR 

EUROPEAN FILMS:
JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE (a UK/US/Ireland co-pro) 
HIS HOUSE (UK) 
AND BREATHE NORMALLY (Iceland/Sweden/Belgium co-pro; in Icelandic and English with subtitles, dubbing may be available)
ATLANTICS (France/Senegal/Belgium co-pro; in French, subtitles) 
THE AFRICAN DOCTOR (France; in French, subtitles & dubbing likely available)
THE SOUNDS OF MASKS (documentary; 2018; South Africa/Portugal co-pro; director and co-writer is a white Portuguese woman but it is great Black storytelling)
AMERICAN DOCUMENTARIES:
THE 13TH
THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON
GOOD HAIR (Chris Rock Documentary)
I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (James Baldwin Doc)
SIGHTED EYES/FEELING HEART (About groundbreaking playright Lorraine Hansberry)
WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE

 AMERICAN MINI SERIES:
ROOTS (1977) - Possibly the first Black-POV screen work about slavery
AMERICAN FICTION FILMS:
POETIC JUSTICE
DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST
THE WIZ (1978)
HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK
WAITING TO EXHALE
BROWN SUGAR
LOVE & BASKETBALL
THE LAST BLACK MAN OF SAN FRANCISCO
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
MOONLIGHT
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
MUDBOUND
SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU
PRINCESS OF THE ROW (Not written/directed by Black people, but great Black storytelling)
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE (The film not series)
A RAISIN IN THE SUN (Original: 1961)
THE COLOR PURPLE (Director is not Black but it's great and the book it's based on is legendary and by a Black woman, all Black cast)
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (written by a white woman but nonetheless a great telling of a Black story) 
FRUITVALE STATION
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME (both the original films that include “Dolemite” in the title and this new/tribute one) 
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
HIGH FLYING BIRD
GET ON UP
DA 5 BLOODS
CROOKLYN
DO THE RIGHT THING
JUNGLE FEVER
DEVIL WEARS A BLUE DRESS
EVE'S BAYOU
HUNTER GATHERER
THE BUTLER (Lee Daniels one) 


INDIGENOUS / FIRST NATIONS 

CANADIAN / AMERICAN FILMS:
THE ANGRY INUK
THE BODY REMEMBERS WHEN THE WORLD BROKE OPEN
RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD
THE MESSENGER
INDIAN HORSE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (SHORT FILM BY JON ELLIOT)
RHYMES FOR YOUNG GHOULS
FINDING DAWN

The following films are Australian & New Zealand fiction films about Aboriginal folks (who are considered and self-identify as Black, sort of in a different way than those who are recently African descended hence why I’ve separated): 

RADIANCE (1998)
HUNT FOR THE WILDER PEOPLE (2016, writer/director Taika Waititi) 
ONCE WERE WARRIORS (1994)
WHALE RIDER (2002)
IN MY BLOOD IT RUNS (2019) - Documentary
RABBIT PROOF FENCE (2002)


ASIAN:

The following films are East Asian films are all were released at some scale in North America or are very famous) in the language of the country with dubbed/subtitled options available:
AMERICAN FICTION FILMS
PARASITE
SHOPLIFTERS
CROUCHING TIGER
HIDDEN DRAGON
THE ROAD HOME
OLDBOY (2003)
CANADIAN TV SERIES
KIM'S CONVENIENCE (CBC/GEM)

 

LATINX

AMERICAN:
LATIN HISTORY FOR MORONS BY/WITH JOHN LEGUIZAMO 
PARIS IS BURNING (Documentary; African American & Latin X focus)
BLACK ORPHEUS (Brazil/France/Italy Co-Pro)


Sources/Special Thanks: ACTRA Toronto, SAG AFTRA, LB Acting Studio BIPOC Committee Members: Jajube Mandiela, Nadia George, Michelle Arvizu & Bunz Community