The Black List: Intimate Portraits of Black America (Volume 1) - Powerful Stories of African American Culture & History | Perfect for Book Clubs, History Enthusiasts & Diversity Education

[...]Maynard - Through snow flurries last Wednesday, Hollywood-like beams guided late-arrivals Maura Flynn and me to the renovated Strand Theater in Dorchester for the East Coast Premiere of "Black List Volume Two."To me, this film revolutionizes the documentary in form as well as content. I am intrigued with (and relieved by) the elegant simplicity of both, a powerful simplicity that precludes making points by hitting the audience over the head.On Feb. 26th, "The Black List Volume Two," will debut nationally on HBO. "The Black List Volume One," a 2008 Sundance Film festival selection, debuted on HBO last August. Both are the collaboration of world-renowned portrait-photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and renowned writer, journalist and interviewer, Elvis Mitchell.Together, the conversations of the film's guests as well as the razor-sharp craftsmanship and artistry of the film articulate the speed of social progress in just one generation. Think about it -- more than 50 percent of what comprises the U.S. population today could not vote until the last century.In their own words, all the guests told stories, stories about their choices and beliefs, stories that most of us have not yet heard. A strong current common to all their stories is the current of contribution to an idea greater than the individual.Some of the guests in "BlackList Volume Two" are: Kaya Walker, Maya Rudolph, Gov. Deval Patrick, Dr. Valerie Montgomery-Rice, Angela Davis, Lawrence Fishburne, Patrick Robinson, Bishop Barbara Harris, and Charlie Pride. Guests in "Volume One" include: Chris Rock, Toni Morrison, Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, Susan Rice, Serena Williams, Faye Wattleton, and Sean Combs.Both filmsfeature a montage of several minutes of footage distilled from the hour-long interview with each guest. During the interviews, the guests, dressed in solid colors, stand or sit in front of a gray background. They look straight into the camera and their focus never strays from that point on. The simplicity of the framing magnifies every twitch of the eye, crinkle at the mouth, flash of a smile, and gesture with the hands.Each question is based on intensive research and because the voice of the interviewer is never heard in the film, each guest's direct gaze and fresh responses to the interviewer creates a powerful intimacy. I felt as if I was in a room with Toni, Colin, RZV, and Kaya.Outside-of-the-box editing creates incredibly animated visuals of the portraitures. The editor achieves this dynamic by splicing together ten or so takes, varied for different distances. For example, there are close ups as well as more distant shots of framing that ranges from head shots to three-quarter portrait shots to half torso portrait shots.One of my favorite techniques was the inconsistent lapse in synchronization between the audio track and the visual track in the transitions from one take to another. It created an edginess that reminds me of skips on vinyl spinning on a record player and of the scalloped white borders of old photographs.After the screening, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (director), who, with his mane of white hair reminded me of a Christopher Lloyd from "Back to the Future," Tommy Walker (executive producer), and Gov. Patrick (an interviewee) took seats on the stage and questions from the audience. Timothy spoke about the evolution of the project, Tommy Walker, about the funding, and Patrick, about how expertly the guests were put at ease and encouraged to talk."The Black List Volumes," are to the documentary what adrenaline is to the human body. They take this important media form, turn it upside down and shake it. These films will drive the very essence of the documentary in this millennium.[...]Elizabeth Milligan is a Maynard resident and frequent contributor to The Beacon-Villager.