Both titles will arrive in London in newly minted 4K form.
I wanted it to feel way more like a celebration, Graham says ofBlack Debutantes.
it’s possible for you to actually come and see it here.
Cauleen Smith’s ‘Drylongso’.BFI
DEADLINE: Rogan, I know you as a great critic and writer.
But youre also a programmer?
I dont come from a family of film people, so I didnt know that programming was a job.
It wasnt until I got to university that it all clicked, and Ive been working ever since.
But this is my first fully formed season.
DEADLINE: Did you grow up going to the BFI?
GRAHAM:No, I grew up going to Peckhamplex, which I still go to and love.
I always loved films, but again, I didnt come from a super film family.
I remember I had a good friend in school, and her father would show us films likeGoodfellas.
When I got back to London, I was constantly at the BFI.
DEADLINE: How did this Black Debutantes season at the BFI come about?
GRAHAM:So, it took me a while to find my areas of interest.
Ive always been interested in women filmmakers, not necessarily from a point of feeling represented by them.
Im just interested in other womens perspectives on the world, whether I agree with them or not.
So the work by women directors has always been a focus of mine.
That was great, because Im interested in Black filmmaking and the history of Black cinema.
But I always had a feeling that I was only being asked because Im Black.
DEADLINE: Yeah, I agree, places like Metrograph and BAM in New York.
Or the American Cinematheque in LA are miles ahead of anything weve got over here.
GRAHAM:MoMA is great, too.
And then doing more research and seeing that Bridgett M. Davis only made that one feature.
My initial approach was, why have all these women only made one feature?
GRAHAM:I dont think they have a formal pitching process.
But I had hosted an event a couple of years prior at the Barbican.
It was a screening of Mariah CareysGlitter; another area of interest of mine is divas on screen.
I invited a programmer from the BFI, and we stayed in touch.
I would run ideas by her over coffee.
I eventually pitched her this season.
We were in development for over a year.
The first list of films I had is maybe 80% different from what is currently on sale.
If you want to see things, youve got to do it yourself.
And then show it as a one-off screening in one venue in London.
Why did you include that film?
GRAHAM:Its interesting because Amma Asante is arguably our most successful Black British woman filmmaker.
I think its really interesting that she started with a working-class drama about racism set in Wales.
But then shes now known for her period dramas about biracial identity and interracial relationships.
After that, the time between her films got shorter, which is a good thing.
And A Way of Life is not a faultless film.
Im not trying to wave the flag that its a masterpiece.
And why didnt that go down well with people?.
Why have historical dramas been more appealing?
The fact that Ashley put in a good word means a lot.
The work hes done at Criterion is excellent and has certainly introduced me to so much cinema.
So if Black Debutantes isnt wildly popular, theyre able to offset their costs.
Speaking to Carmen from We Are Parable, they host incredibly successful events.
But what has their journey been like when releasing films?Earth Mamawon a BAFTA, which is incredible.
But how did they get there?
From working with venues, I know the challenges that cinemas face.
But I also know how short-changed black films are.
DEADLINE: Will you take this programme elsewhere?
But yes, Id happily take the programme wherever.
