Absent Narratives: Black Queer Love

Queer films have come a long way since the inception of filmmaking. We have a growing number of films to choose from and more LGBTQ+ directors, writers, and actors are speaking up publicly about the importance of films created by us for us (since the dominant culture has historically controlled them). Despite the rise in queer cinema, authentic portrayals of Black queer couples remain rare, as films often default to pairing Black characters with non-Black partners. What are the broader societal implications of this erasure in cinema?

In this four-week class, we will explore how cinema has historically overlooked narratives of Black queer romance and honor the innovative contributions of Black queer filmmakers who are transforming the modern film industry.

Films:

2/7: PARIAH (2011, 86 min) 

2/14: NAZ & MAALIK (2015, 89 min)

2/21: MOONLIGHT (2016, 111 min)

2/28: RAFIKI (2018, 83 min)

This class will be taught by MMU Education Instructor Kristina Mucker, whose past classes include Black Southern Gothic, She’s Gotta Have It (1986) and The Blackening (2022).

Each class will begin with a short lecture, followed by a screening of the film, after which an instructor-led discussion will take place. 

Class size will be limited to 18.