Black Stories - Documentaries

For decades, African American comedian and filmmaker Robin Cloud had heard tales about the “Nebraska cousins,” a branch of her family that moved away from the East Coast to pass for white in the rural Midwest. In this six-part series, Cloud attempts to find and understand the motives of the relatives who left everything and everyone else behind, and documents how their progeny grapple with the revelation that they aren’t who they thought they were.

Lynch: A History is a kaleidoscopic look at NFL star Marshawn Lynch and his use of silence as a form of protest.

An intimate look at four rising musicians from Chicago and the common issues that young Black women artists have to overcome both in a male-dominated music industry and a marginalizing society, from racism to physical expectations to sexual trauma.

Set against a rural backdrop in one of Florida’s poorest towns, “Pahokee” paints an unlikely portrait of hope and aspiration through four seniors who happily defy the odds created by their environment to find a place in the world after high school.

Directed by Darius Clark Monroe and executive produced by Spike Lee, this documentary short tells the story of what happened when a group of college athletes decided to protest racial injustice.

Academy Award nominated filmmaker explores life in 1960s Mississippi and the momentous impact of "Booker" Wright, a black man who worked as a waiter in an all-white restaurant and voiced opinions on race relations on network TV. The subsequent ensuing fallout had a devastating impact and several unexpected consequences on his life.

For over thirty years, Brooklyn-born photographer Jamel Shabazz has documented New York street life, most famously in his legendary images of the early hip-hop scene, collected in his book "Back in the Days." Director Charlie Ahearn became enamored with the photographs in 2002, and set out to tell the story of Jamel Shabazz the artist, from his army service, work as a corrections officer and creator of a historic body of work, incomparable in it's scope of New York life.

From director Andrew Rossi comes an electrifying portrait of writer and performer Okwui Okpokwasili and her acclaimed one-woman show "Bronx Gothic." Rooted in memories of her childhood, Okwui fuses dance, song, drama and comedy to create a mesmerizing space in which audiences can engage with a story about two 12-year-old black girls coming of age in the 1980s. With vérité access to Okwui and her audiences off the stage, Bronx Gothic allows for unparalleled insight into her creative process.

From his youth in the East Coast housing projects, to the influence of his parents and family, comes the story behind Nas's groundbreaking 1994 debut album 'Illmatic.’ A look at the early life of one of the most talented rappers of all time featuring Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, and Busta Rhymes.

The 12 O'CLOCK BOYS are a notorious urban dirt bike pack in Baltimore - popping wheelies and weaving at excessive speeds through traffic, the group impressively evades the hamstrung police. In Lotfy Nathan's dynamic documentary, their antics are envisioned through the eyes of young adolescent Pug - a bright kid from the Westside obsessed with the riders and willing to do anything to join their ranks. A compelling and intimate personal story of a young boy and his dangerous, thrilling dream.