rebellion in the valley - William Roland Gallery, California Lutheran University
format: digital/archival, single-channel video installation
length: 6 minutes 6 seconds
Rebellion in the Valley is a piece I created in my final semester of undergrad for my Black Film Theory course. I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, but my father and grandfather hail from Los Angeles, so my roots run west. In my development as a filmmaker, I began to discover that much of my influence came from Black filmmakers out of Los Angeles. I sat with my grandfather, a painter who was heavily involved in the Black LA art scene in the ’70s, in an effort to educate myself more. Slowly, I began to construct a visual timeline that chronicled the evolution of Black film in the city, starting from the Watts Riots of 1965 to the present day. Rebellion in the Valley is this timeline brought to life with the intention of displaying and honoring the full legacy of the Black film movement in LA, and how these filmmakers continue to rebel against expectations and push the boundaries of what defines film