Three films by Marlon Riggs, who was not only an important and influential documentary filmmaker for both the black and queer communities in the US, but also a poet, and an AIDS activist. An early adopter of video technology, he employed a bold mix of documentary, performance, poetry, and music in order to confront the devastating legacy of racist stereotypes, the impact of AIDS on his community, and the very definition of what it means to be Black.

Affirmations (1990 - 11 min)
A humorous confessional of Black gay male desires and dreams, both affectionate and political.

Anthem (1991 - 9 min)
A sensual, sexual and defiant music video.

Tongues Untied (1989 - 55 min)
An essayistic video collage that combines different ways of speaking: spoken poetry, interviews, rap, performances by poet Essex Hemphill and sequences of dancing and voguing that unabashedly bear the influence of music videos. After receiving the Best Documentary prize at the Berlin Film Festival and a Los Angeles Film Critics Award, this seminal film remains as relevant as ever. As a documentary it reflects on the intersection of homophobia and racism that confronts Black gay men, as an artwork it celebrates Black gay identity and defies its silencing.