Black films that changed the game

It’s a big week in Black cinema as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hit theaters Friday. But on the same day, another film dropped that may be just as powerful in its message about Black moviemaking. Is This Black Enough For You? pays homage to the decades of creativity that made the celebrated Marvel movie possible – and deeply influenced cinema as we know it.

Host Brittany Luse sits down with Elvis Mitchell, the longtime film critic who directed the documentary. They dig into the ingenuity of Black filmmakers through the 1960s and ’70s, the overlooked contributions of Blaxploitation films and the one Black classic that led to the demise of an era.

Then, Brittany talks about a different kind of homage with Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle – the brains behind the sitcom South Side and the variety show send-up Sherman’s Showcase. The comedy duo reveal why writing jokes around specific references can appeal to all kinds of audiences, and how parody can be a form of love.

You can follow us on Twitter @npritsbeenamin and email us at ibam@npr.org.