Hard Light Cinema

When we think of the state of black cinema in America during the 1980s, the state of black people on screen is at an all-time low. Unlike the boom of blaxploitation in the 1970s and the yet to come gangster film boom of the 1990s, the 1980s served as a time in which black stories and characters took a backseat. If you weren’t Eddie Murphy or and you weren’t starring alongside a white co-star with top billing, then it was extremely difficult to get a film made or seen if you were a black filmmaker. That only makes Marlon Riggs’ 1989 film Tongues Untied even more of a revolutionary act.

Centering the experiences and ideas of black gay men at its core, Tongues Untied paints a picture of proud and deeply cultured people who are tired of their lives and humanity being stripped away from them. The film fluctuates between spoken word poetry and documentary footage that all helps to translate a culture that was blind to most, even within black communities.

We are immensely excited to bring this film to the community as part of our Pride Month programming. We will also be showcasing selections from the 2025 Queer Cinema for Palestine “No Pride in Genocide” short film program before the film that we hope you can join us for.