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Section D
October 29, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
In remembrance of our beloved friend and mentor Pearl Bowser, we will offer a special dedication and screening of Midnight Ramble and chat about her impact on our professional and personal lives. Film historian, curator, author and archivist, Pearl’s love for preserving the history of independent Black filmmaking and uncovering Oscar Micheaux’s legacy is unparalleled. Pearl’s Archives are at the Smithsonian National Museum of History and Culture.
Our dedication to Pearl will wrap up Reel Sisters season on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 6 pm. The screening and chat will be held at Maysles Documentary Center, 343 Lenox Ave. Please RSVP as space is limited.
Midnight Ramble
Directors: Pearl Bowser and Bestor Cram
Writer: Clyde Taylor
Documentary, 60 min.
A documentary about the history of African American race films during the Golden age of Hollywood. Featured artists include Toni Cade Bambara, Robert Hall and Elton Fax.
About Pearl
Filmmaker, scholar, preservationist, and collector Pearl Bowser was among the earliest proponents of reviving critical interest in the “race movies” of Oscar Micheaux and other early African American filmmakers, linking them to more contemporary work. This unique compilation inspired by Bowser’s collection (donated to the Smithsonian in 2012) includes short films by Julie Dash (Illusions), John W. Fletcher Jr. & Hortense “Tee” Beveridge (The Hands of Inge), Cheryl Dunye (She Don’t Fade, Untitled Portrait), Harry Gant (By Right of Birth (fragments), American Negro Theater (A People’s Playhouse), Charles Hobson (Soul Food for Christmas from Like It Is (outtakes)), and Bowser herself (The Guest).
Information courtesy of Film Forum and National Museum of African American History and Culture.