Happy Birthday, Lorraine Touissaint: Fem Film Rogue Icon Spotlight

 

Lorraine Touissaint’s headshot, 1992.

You know a film or television series will be especially wonderful if among the cast includes brilliant Lorraine Touissaint, a Trinidadian-born, Juilliard School graduate. It’s been high time to give her flowers. 

Ten years ago, Joe Reid wrote this Atlantic article, Five Essential Performances By ‘Orange is the New Black’ Standout Lorraine Touissaint, highlighting Touissaint’s contributions to the silver and big screen. Touissaint spent ten years on the New York theater stages before obtaining her first television role as Vera Williams on the soap opera One Life To Live. Her warm presence calls to mind that of the late Mary Alice mixed with the regal elegance of Cicely Tyson. She has the power to brew beneath her characters and come out sharp and strong, delivering her words with esteemed clarity.

However, Touissaint has yet to lead a big grand picture and definitely deserves that. She should be in rooms, talked about and given cover opportunities showcasing her distinctive smile. 

Then again, history continues to repeat itself— Black women actresses remain relegated to supporting roles, as crutches to primary white counterparts. Fortunately, Touissaint will always eat up her screen time. Her presence is meaningful and memorable no matter how many minutes she’s allotted. She could be the most insensitive mother in Middle of Nowhere or the most gentle grandmother in Fast Color. Even her short moments in RZA’s Love Beats Rhymes as Azealia Banks’s character Coco’s restaurant running mama Nichelle are divine perfection. She lit up a whole murky screenplay. The unique sound of her voice is part of her craft, her signature, able to wield soft sincerity and wisdom while also forcing us to take two steps backward, fear her wrath and fury. 

Nancy Miller and Deborah Joy DeVine’s Lifetime drama series Any Day Now stars Lorraine Touissaint and Annie Potts. Touissaint and Potts grace the cover of Philadelphia Inquirer’s TV Week, August 23-29, 1998.

Inside contents: Lorraine Touissaint as adult Rene and Annie Potts as adult Elizabeth on the left, Shari Dyon Perry as young Rene and Mae Middleton as young Elizabeth on the right. 

Touissaint bloomed on the Lifetime series Any Day Now co-starring with Annie Potts. Her lucrative television résumé eventually stretched into various different dramas— Frasier, Crossing Jordan, Ugly Betty, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Forever, Friday Night Lights, Orange Is the New Black, Rosewood, and Young and the Restless. Her voice has been heard in animated series such as Static Shock, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and Summer Camp Island. She’s starred in two TV movie adaptations co-starring Oscar winner Halle Berry— Queen based on the 1993 novel by Alex Haley and David Stevens loosely based on Haley’s grandmother and Darnell Martin’s Their Eyes Were Watching God based on Zora Neale Hurston’s powerful 1937 novel.

Lorraine Touissaint and Allison Jones star in the 1996 film Nightjohn directed by Charles Burnett (To Sleep With Anger, Killer Sheep), DP: Elliot Davis (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Get On the Bus, and Out of Sight). The film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Over the years, on the film side of life, Touissaint has worked with prominent women directors such as Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere and Selma), Julia Hart (Fast Color), and Maggie Greenfield (Sophie and the Rising Sun), and Dianne Houston (Runaway Island), the first and only Black woman to be nominated for a filmmaker Oscar (Tuesday Morning Ride, short film). Another favorite Touissaint performance was Grandma Marley from Jenn Shaw’s 2023 short film Gaps, highlighted here in my essay at Carefree Mag. Hopefully it becomes a full-length feature. Touissaint has also received accolades from the Black Reel, Black Film Critics Circle, Critics Choice, the Chlotrudis, Screen Actors Guild, and Essence Black Women in Hollywood and nominations from the NAACP Image (six so far), Independent Spirit, and the EwWy (renamed Poppy) Awards. 

Touissaint in Oscar winning film Selma. DP: Bradford Young. 

Of Selma, Touissaint shared in Collider that her small role as the late civil rights activist Amelia Boynton was meant to be bigger:

“Pivotal scenes of mine were cut, that would have helped explain her in a better way. We don’t really know that she’s the character that invited Martin to Selma, and that she is the one that almost single-handedly had been prepping this community for years. She was relentlessly registering people to vote, and holding secret night classes to tutor the voters. She was prepping this community and building up the pressure in it, very quietly. By the time you meet her, she had been arrested countless times.”

Currently, Touissaint stars in the Equalizer TV series alongside Queen Latifah and will be in Todd Strauss-Schulson’s Silent Retreat co-starring with Dennis Haysbert and Larry Owens (Zach on Abbott Elementary). 

Touissaint plays Aunt Viola “Vi” Marsette to Queen Latifah’s Robyn McCall in the CBS series Equalizer. Maybe a future essay would compare Touissaint’s Aunt Vi with Tina Lifford’s Aunt “Vi” Violet Bordelon-Desonier on Queen Sugar, 2016-2022.

Other profound Lorraine Touissaint Quotes:

"Often times, the business is designed to make us feel powerless. I learned early on the power of [saying] 'no.' And as difficult as it has been, especially early on in your career, I knew that there was power in it. There are just some things that I just say no to." (BUILD Series, 2019)

“ I had an extraordinary mother who at 10, I said—I didn’t grow up with a TV—at 10, I said I want to be an actress. When everyone else in my family laughed, my mother did not. She’s the one who taught to live and ultimately taught me how to die.” (Essence, 2020)

“I don't take those kinds of compliments for granted, because there aren't a lot of roles being offered to African American women, especially age forty and above. I don't think there are enough roles in the media like Rene Jackson. But, I'm hopeful because the fact that our show exists is testament that things are changing, and I believe the networks are paying very close attention to our little show on cable.” (answer to a CNN.com transcript response regarding her “intelligent Black female portrayal” in Any Day Now, 2001)

Damn Davis! I Didn’t Know Your Restaurant Delivered!

 

The one ship in Girlfriends that didn’t get a chance to sail—(Joavis or Hamton) for Joan Clayton and Davis Hamilton. 

Picture this: a Girlfriends reunion film includes Joan Clayton and her three besties Maya Wilkes, Lynn Searcy, and Toni Childs alongside Toni’s twenty-year-old daughter Morgan Garrett and Maya’s son Jabari Wilkes indulging in the ultimate bachelorette weekend in Ghana. The lush, colorful scenery gives the audience an inviting glimpse into African glory, the hypnotic beats set the mood, and the golden ladies dance with each other, dewy skin glowing, fully in the cusp of embracing their fifties. Out of nowhere, the music stops and Davis enters, his eyes finding Joan’s immediately….

Sadly, it won’t happen, as any potential has been shut down— not to say that my idea was their intention anyway. Might be better in the fanfiction realm. 

Davis (Randy Goodwin) and Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross) shared conversation proves that their attraction remains mutual despite their opposing relationship goals. 

Davis doesn’t want to let go of Joan’s hand and who could blame him? 

Davis Hamilton, the handsome owner of the 847 restaurant was the best possible fit for Joan, lawyer turned eventual business owner. Who could ever forget their fire chemistry in season one’s second episode, One Night Stand? Joan almost risked her three-month rule, telling an elaborate exaggeration to her friends about an innocent moment between her and the engaged Davis. It’s where we get Toni’s infamous line, “damn Davis! I didn’t know your restaurant delivered!” 

By the end, a newly single Davis offers Joan the very thing she was obsessing over. 

“Yes! Oh God yes! The couch, the tables, wherever you want!” Joan’s mind screams. 

Bravely, Joan sticks to using her shower head for experimental purposes. Her declination of Davis also promised growth, that the next partner would be worth the drought. Whereas Davis represented playing the field— the kind of man putting no effort into a commitment so soon after a called off engagement. He was nursing no broken heart and desired an instantaneous “no strings attached” situation, a lackluster, anti-Joan incentive. 

Look at Joan’s (Tracee Ellis Ross) smitten face as Maya (Golden Brooks), Toni (Jill Marie Jones), and Lynn (Persia White) watch in season one, episode fourteen’s Bad Timing! 

Joan and Davis continue their light flirtations along the course of random episodes, a subtle cross between a friendly association and sweet customer / owner camaraderie. Joan enters relationships with Marcus, the hips who buys the special Joan-tone phone, Frank, the married guy, and Sean, the recovering sex addict— the latter notices a problem between Joan and Davis.

When Sean’s away to Toronto around Valentine’s Day, Davis brings lunch over to Joan’s office and steals a passionate kiss. 

Later, Davis (Randy Goodwin) comes to Joan’s (Tracee Ellis Ross) house and requests her company for the weekend— to explore what it is between them. Sean (Dondre T. Whitfield) returns early and doesn’t like what he sees. 

Joan is tempted by Davis’s enticing Palm Springs weekend, showcasing that the man still hasn’t learned from One Night Stand. If Joan and Davis were both available, their relationship foundation would have been stronger and mutually beneficial— the only scandal existing being their electric charisma. Unfortunately, Joan ultimately chooses Sean over Davis, settling. In the long run, perhaps Joan believes that Davis isn’t serious, that he would break her heart. She didn’t want to take that chance. Instead, she lets her boyfriend issue an ultimatum— stop going to Davis’s restaurant. 

Joan and Sean and Davis and Ava stay cordial, but the little longing looks Joan and Davis give each other over their loved one’s shoulders spoke volumes.  

Davis straight macks a blushing Joan as Sean uncomfortably looks on in season one, episode nineteen’s A Kiss Before Lying— a play on Ernest Gaines novel A Lesson Before Dying. 

Joan hosts an intimate dinner at her home with Sean, Davis, and Ava. It does not go well. 

Joan and Davis’s last encounter occurred in season four, episode thirteen’s The Comedy of Eros— and it involves an humbling intimacy differing from their previous interactions. In fact, the short and special interlude makes us still pine for what ifs between them. 

After a recent breakup, Joan spends February Fourteenth celebrating that other holiday— the disregarded Single Awareness Day. This down-to-earth side of Joan temporarily quiets her typical obsession about men, getting hitched, and having babies for a minute, to love on herself. However, it was quite adorable that Toni bought Joan a tennis bracelet. She knew where to find her best friend, having noticed that Joan’s “movie sweater” was missing. 

Toni believes that going to the cinema alone is pathetic and kindly wants to be there for Joan…

Except Joan doesn’t want her company. 

Joan evades her well-meaning bestie, moving to another part of the theater and bashes popcorn in front of none other than Davis Hamilton. They bask in the delight of each other’s presence, hugging and smiling, looking like radiant old friends. The chemistry remains undeniably palpable despite Joan’s determined independence. It’s hard to believe that their past merely included Davis giving Joan discounted meals at 847, stealing a sullen kiss, and asking her to go away with him. 

Joan enjoys her film and popcorn as a familiar face recognizes her.

Naturally, Joan and Davis sit together.

Joan and Davis later have dinner and wine at a restaurant, appearing every bit a couple surrounded by other couple. Davis has once again broken off his engagement to Ava and no longer runs 847. He reminisces on their three-year-old near rendezvous, also occurring near Valentine’s Day. Joan admits that she too is single. He asks the big question— “how come we never got together?” 

Bad timing. Always bad timing. 

True to life. 

Often, circumstances do not align at the moments we want them to. In the beginning, Joan and Davis both needed to mature in certain areas of their respective lives. The mutual attraction was always evident. They just were never ready to go there, to get real serious and vulnerable. Joan sabotaged almost all her relationships with her strict rules and bare minimum compromise. Davis, the cavalier flirt, kept bouncing back to Ava, obviously connected to her in a major way. Thus, there’s no telling if he eventually reunited with her. Or maybe the change in his character was genuine and honest, letting go of the unhealthy weights that no longer held value to him. 

Still, Joan friendzones Davis and views another film, taking pride in her choice to be alone. 

Joan and Davis toast to becoming friends (offscreen because we never see or hear him mentioned again). 

Overall, an indie-spirited Girlfriends film not happening seems so cruel, especially after eighteen years without receiving solid answers. Fans deserve a proper ending to eight seasons. We can invent stories in our heads about Joan, Lynn, Toni, and Maya having backyard barbecues, continuing old traditions such as Joan’s wild Halloween parties. Toni and Joan would reset their relationship as Issa and Molly had done in Insecure. The four ladies would chat about shopping, staying fabulously beautiful, and keeping their relationships exciting among menopause, adult children, dying parents, and health scares. The multiple story arcs potential is strong. 

The ladies were together again in a 2019 episode of black•ish. 

So while Joan Clayton and Davis Hamilton are the key couple in my romanticized imagination, Joan alongside Maya, Lynn, and Toni stays the central heart of the vision— the true love story that Mara Akil Brock wanted audiences to root for. 

Another ‘Abbott Elementary’ Couple Bites The Dust In An Unexpected Way

 

Jacob and Zach during happier times in season one’s Zoo Balloon.

Abbott Elementary’s Zach and Jacob delivered another heartbreak on our beloved comedy. The season three premiere previously showed Melissa dumping her boyfriend Gary, the vending machine guy while Gregory put an abrupt period on whatever could have been between him and Janine. Plus, Janine has temporarily left her treasured second grade classroom for a fellowship office at the school district. Since January, it seemed the audience emerged straight into a Philadelphia cold front.

Everyone shifted. Nothing was the same.

Offhandedly, Janine did reveal that she spent her summer with Jacob and Erika. So, where did that leave Zach if not hanging out with his boyfriend and his crust eating queen?

In Break Up, the fifth episode written by Brittani Nichols (Student Transfer, Ava Vs. Superintendent, Fundraiser, Principal’s Office, and Franklin Institute), Zach and Jacob hit a major snag. Instead of expressing his thoughts out loud ala that memorable “outgrowing a person” advice that he gave to Janine in season one’s Work Family, Jacob sets up passive aggressive tactics that would make anyone go insane. So yes, Zach was righteously angry. An intentional Jacob pushed Zach’s buttons— and those overdramatic gasps.... just amazingly conveyed. 

A teary Zach (Larry Owens) agrees that a breakup may be the right thing to do for him and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) in Break Up. DP: Michael J. Pepin.

When Zach realizes that Jacob has been manipulating the situation, a furious Zach snatches off any edges Jacob may have had. In that passionate, insult-filled spiel, Jacob probably realized he shouldn’t have bragged about his successful schemes. Zach releases “the kraken” and spills so much tea that you wonder how Jacob withstood the heat— and this is before teaching his class too. Damn.  

“And you held our team BACK at trivia night!” Zach snarls, emphasizing back with intentional zing.

If you remember in Desking, season one’s eleventh episode, Zach discloses that they came in third place, Jacob adding that it was due to a technicality. 

Zach looks back at Jacob one last time and departs on a singsong “oh my god.” Laughter comes gushing out uncontrollably. That was, hands down, the most funniest breakup ever witnessed. Not a dry eye in the house. While Melissa and Gary were sad yet amicable and Gregory and Janine crushed shipper spirits, Zach made history by going another route altogether. He was in pain, but wanted to make Jacob feel it too, and you had to respect it. 

Still, queer breakups are as tragic as the BYG trope, especially considering that there is so little evidence on network television at present. Streaming services showcase LGBTQIA+ relationships more— and in braver ways. Zach and Jacob appeared more buddy roommates than lovers. Several episodes showcased their major differences— Jacob being anti-holidays and carols while Zach loved singing and preferred people on-key. They always hugged. Never kissed. At least Zach and Jacob had sneakers in common— the thing that brought them together— and Jacob gushed about Zach in that cutesy, fanboy way whenever possible. Also, they loved mythology, Zach referencing the kraken sea monster and Jacob always bringing up Icarus, who flew close to the sun. These two are still in their twenties, the age of constant learning and growing, entering and leaving relationships, building themselves up and maturing in all facets of life. Maybe they can come back someday. Who knows? It’s fascinating to watch Jacob and Zach navigate the contemporary dating scene— even if we don’t get to see Zach’s journey onscreen. Jacob has Gregory and Janine. Together they’re a trio of singles becoming closer than ever. 

Overall, Abbott Elementary’s impressive ensemble kills it every week— guest stars of LGBTQIA+ community included. Sabrina Wu, the eccentric K-pop loving scene stealer of Adele Lim’s raunchy feature-length debut Joy Ride was Janine’s sub teacher of the week, Cassidy Geoffrey. The incredible Larry Owens, Zach’s portrayer who’s won major theater awards galore, must return. He could be a temporary choir teacher pretending not to harbor jealousy over Jacob’s dating “success” stories or just a raucous uncle chaperoning his nephew to eighth grade. Regular Chris Perfetti, our resident Mr. C, remains a wonderful gifted performer, nailing every beat of Jacob’s trials and tribulations.

Now with another couple’s recent demise, is Barbara and Gerald or Ava and Iggie [snorts] safe?

That Grown Black Love in ‘Cherish The Day’ Season Two

 

Cherish the Day promo poster. 

While the first Cherish the Day anthology focused on Gently James and Evan Fisher’s five-year relationship span, the second season focuses on a few months of a couple’s blossoming reunion. The moment former high school sweethearts locked eyes in a New Orleans hardware store, sparks flew between vegetarian chef Sunday St. James and plumber Ellis Moran. It was the first time they had seen each other in some twenty odd years. Apparently, Ellis messed up a good thing. 

Long ago, Ellis cheated on Sunday. Many years later, Ellis’s wife Anastasia cheated on him with Danny, her tour manager. Karma ate Ellis hard, but he’s ready to make amends. He’s an older, much matured man no longer wanting to play little boy games. Ellis and Sunday are both too grown. 

With that, time has to be intentional. 

Ellis must prove himself worthy of Sunday’s heart.

Joy Bryant (who should be in a million features) glows as vegan chef Sunday St. James. DP: Michael Dallatorre.

The divine (and criminally underused) Henry Simmons is a solid choice for independent plumber Ellis Moran. DP: Michael Dallatorre.

Although on the brink of divorcing Anastasia (played by the amazing Terri J. Vaughan) and raising two young daughters Everly and Bree, tall, brown, and handsome Ellis makes it real clear that there is room aplenty for Sunday, a gorgeous, statuesque beauty sporting sleek box braids and tailored chef jackets. Ellis stares at Sunday as though trapped in a hot desert and only she has the power to replenish his thirst. Even without physical touching, their alluring chemistry melts the screen— all in the twinkling eyes and luminous smiles. He believes they can start off as friends again. Yet, with chemistry that fire, a camaraderie would be difficult to sustain. There is so much history in the way their body language conveys longing and desire, especially after an intimate dance at the club. 

And history always repeats. 

Ellis watches his woman depart the airport, entranced. DP: Michael Dallatorre.

Sunday glides to her man in slow motion, captivated. DP: Michael Dallatorre.

Sunday does have a full plate. She’s a big deal chef, coming up with incredible recipes and managing the busiest vegan spot in Atlanta. In addition to that, her father, former judge Mandeville St. James constantly forgets minor to major things and has violent outbursts that may be hinting dementia or Alzheimer’s. This puts stress on Sunday who balances between two cities, focusing on her restaurant, tending to her father’s care, and maintaining a healthy, reignited romance with Ellis. Plus Sunday can impress sweet Bree, but stubborn Everly isn’t too receptive with her father’s girlfriend.

Brown skin love is becoming a rarity onscreen these days so it’s a blessing to see an honest depiction with Sunday and Ellis. DP: Michael Dallatorre.

Yet, Sunday and Ellis authentically come together, as lovers, as friends, as partners. Their scenes exhibit warm tenderness, pure joy, and all-consuming passion— often more smoldering than any contemporary romance novel in the bookstores and libraries. They exude timeless romance and sex appeal. Frequently, whether Sunday stepped out in a gorgeous number or Ellis entered a room dressed to impress, they rarely wandered to anyone else. That’s the epitome of grown up commitment— a sophisticated looking pair who do struggle to put themselves first. Anastasia and Hosea (Sunday’s ex special friend) may interfere for different reasons. At the end of the day, Ellis and Sunday want only each other. Their best moments include lunch on the grass, introductions to each other’s family and friends, cooking together, and shooting hoops outside ala Gina Prince-Blythewood’s Criterion Collection hit Love & Basketball.

The most important part, however, is that Ellis is supportive of Sunday, not forcing her to sacrifice her restauranteur dreams and be the makeshift mother to his daughters. 

Sunday and Ellis at Anastasia and Danny’s wedding. DP: Michael Dallatorre.

Their multifaceted, soul-stirring love story was better than the movies— the lighting, the acting, the music, all excellent. DP: Michael Dallatorre.

The up and downs of their relationship are understandable too. Anastasia needed lessons in boundaries, Everly seemed more angry at Sunday than Anastasia who cheated on her father, and Sunday’s obvious shame of Ellis’s profession made a number on his pride. Let’s face it— a woman on the brink of triumphant success is not going to be proudly boasting that her man is a plumber. People are conditioned to think that means toilets are his main priority as opposed to not considering that includes pipes, sinks, and etc. He’s adept at reconstruction, turning homes into goldmines. The ending superbly highlights his underrated handyman strengths, something that would have even impressed Overton Wakefield Jones. 

When Everly extended an olive branch to Sunday at Danny and Anastasia’s wedding, it showed a new, profound step in their relationship, that Everly could be open and vulnerable to a woman who shares several commonalities with her. Their conversation explores the heartbreak most girls and women go through and the strength in numbers philosophy in order to overcome it. Everly becomes what Sunday was at her age, crying over a boy. Sunday doesn’t spill the fact that Ellis did the same, instead consoling her future stepdaughter with delicacy and grace, promising her that she would not mirror Anastasia or Ellis’s behaviors. 

Yet, the painful cycle of cheating closes on Sunday and Ellis who ultimately decide to forgive the past and look forward to their life together. 

Mrs. Luma Lee Langston (Cicely Tyson) at top, DP: Eduardo Enrique Mayen and former Judge Mandeville James (Richard Roundtree) on the bottom, DP: Michael Dallatorre. Rest in power to both of these great heavyweights.

Cherish the Day performs double duty activism, utilizing an all-female directing crew as in Queen Sugar including Angel Kristi Williams (Really Love) and Tchaiko Omawale (Solace). Casting classic, nostalgic actors gives them flowers, that though in prime they still have good work to accomplish for new audiences. The first season featured the late Oscar honored Cicely Tyson in fine form as the sassy Mrs. Luma Lee Langston. In the second season, Shaft’s Richard Roundtree plays former judge Mandeville, a widowed father to Sunday who happens to be suffering from the ailments of old age. If there happens to be more anthologies, might we suggest Margaret Avery, Garrett Morris, Jo Marie Payton, Charlayne Woodard, Carl Lumbly, or Danny Glover. 

Furthermore, Michael Dallatorre’s cinematography aligns with the thoughtful music selection, another key example hailing off Queen Sugar’s independent vibes. Sade’s brilliant song sets the theme as each episode focuses on a single day. 

Illustration by Jasper Yu.

Illustration by Jasper Yu.

Overall, Sunday and Ellis’s incredible coupledom wouldn’t be complete without the charisma Joy Bryant and Henry Simmons brought to the table. They were beautiful and authentic, just believably present in a Black contemporary love story sans the typical struggle. 

So, Cherish the Day season two comes highly recommended and well worth the two dollars per episode. 

Emmys, Oscars, & Other Wins/Snubs

Quinta Brunson made Emmy history, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy series for playing Janine Teagues— a character she created. This is her second Emmy after winning for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, 2022. 

Eight years ago, I penned Sixty-Seven Years of White Women in the Lead. This essay reflected on the Emmys historical preference of rewarding the same actresses over and over again in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category, leaving Black and other women of color nominees as their presenters. At the time, Isabel Sanford and America Ferrera were the only nonwhite winners. 

Legendary actress Marla Gibbs and Quinta Brunson present Niecy Nash with her first Emmy win. 

Yet, the seventy-fifth Primetime Emmy awards (held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and helmed by Black producers) promoted real change. Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson finally won the coveted prize— forty-two years after Sanford, seventeen years after Ferrera. Other feats included Ayo Edebiri, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for The Bear (who will be competing as lead next ceremony) and Niecy Nash, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Although former favorite actor Steven Yeun (and Ali Wong) also made history as the first Asians to win in their respective categories for the Beef miniseries, their terrible joint statement on the David Choe controversy has left little favor. 

Three women of color acting nominees— America Ferrera, Danielle Brooks, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

Unfortunately, it might take the Oscars another hundred years to catch up to what the Emmys did. There were only two Black women nominated for the ninety-sixth annual ceremony, both in the same category for Best Supporting Actress. Black/biracial women filmmakers were not supported despite wins at Sundance Film Festival and the Gotham Awards (the best awards voters after the Independent Spirit Awards).

“It can be very disheartening and draining because it’s like we’re not even given a shot,” A. V. Rockwell said of the film (via Vanity Fair), which has failed to generate buzz in recent months despite winning Sundance’s prestigious Grand Jury Prize. “Even with all the love that’s out there, I think people are kind of set in only certain movies, or only certain filmmakers, getting a chance to be a part of certain conversations.”

Yet, instead of solidarity for the true snubs: unrecognized filmmakers A. V. Rockwell, Ava DuVernay, Savannah Leaf or actors Fantasia Barrino, Teyana Taylor, Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, Will Catlett, or even Vivian Oparah (who scored a surprising BAFTA nomination for a romantic comedy when we know how they feel about the genre)— white women are collectively whining about Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie. As Barbie producers Gerwig and Robbie are nominated, Gerwig receiving an additional one for Best Screenplay with her husband Noah Baumbach. The only women of color filmmaker Oscar nominee writer/director Celine Song has one nomination for Past Lives. 

Whereas 2022 gave us strong performances in Danielle Deadwyler, Janelle Monae, Michelle Yeoh, Viola Davis, Tang Wei, Lashana Lynch, Angela Bassett, Stephanie Hsu— only three made it to the Oscars, one won. The Andrea Riseborough backlash (and nominating other mediocre actresses) as well as the problematic criticism from anonymous voters ruined its integrity. Meanwhile, the whole 2023 awards season has become tainted by the Barbie versus Oppenheimer film rivalry, poisoning the eighty percent of white voters who more than likely are going to give Ken— Best Original Song. This kind of media frenzy ensured that people of color films would become lost in the vacuum. They do not even support women of color to direct their characters, that’s how apparent these sexist nominations are. 

Ava DuVernay expressed sentiments that mirrored Gina Prince-Blythewood’s remarks: 

“[It’s] unfortunate because we (Black people) watch films from all over the world that have nothing to do with me, and we watch it because we don’t have to be centered, we are used to that because we are so often not centered. I don’t want this to be misconstrued—I’m just saying certain people need a certain kind of invitation, and those of us who are perhaps used to not being centered don’t need that invitation or else we wouldn’t be watching anything.”

To the foolish protesters centering two white women who actually have Oscar nominations for their white feminism film (just not in ALL the categories)— y’all are, once again, banding together for the wrong thing. Until we see certain actresses on the streets handing out “for your consideration” fliers like Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor did, Hollywood remains disrespecting Black women. 

Thus, 2024 promises an ongoing continuation of #OscarsSoWhite. 

Best Feature Length & Short Films of 2023

Best Films of 2023 Letterboxd.

Although some of my favorite films were out before 2023, their accessibility wasn’t available at the time. Several, I saw in New York City (Saint Omer and Cette Maison), London (Return To Seoul and Pretty Red Dress), or even on a flight (The Unknown Country which Lily Gladstone received a much deserved Gotham Award for). Often, I believe there are sad reasons for that— mainly money, distribution, and lack of genuine support. Still, I was happy to see eight of my twenty chosen on the big screen and the rest on streaming platforms. Women and people of color filmmakers truly crafted heart moving gems, most lingering in my mind long after the credits rolled. That’s such a profound responsibility— making a cinematic art intended to emotionally rattle or stir the individual. 

Year after year, we witness their intense labor behind the scenes (last summer’s writers and actors strike revealed a shockingly appalling perspective on just how bad it was), then shifting release dates whether in a theater or not, and lists/awards/honors that continues celebrating the same over-celebrated individuals. Yet, the most important thing to a creator is having their work SEEN— the hardest task in Hollywood, which cruelly enough continues to either delete films/series off streaming service, limit distribution, or keep works forever vaulted. 

Thus, with these twenty— an intriguing mix of 2023 narrative, short film, and documentary releases— you see an engaging collective expressing effective honesty, jarring intimacy, and beautiful storytelling. 

Best Films of 2023

1.) “Saint Omer” directed by Alice Diop and written by Diop, Marie N’diaye, and Amrita David

2.) “A Thousand And One” directed and written by A. V. Rockwell

3.) “Earth Mama” directed and written by Savanah Leaf

4.) “Cette Maison” directed and written by Miriam Charles 

5.) “Rye Lane” directed by Raine Allen-Miller and written by Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia 

6.) “Our Father, The Devil” directed and written by Ellie Foumbi 

7.) “Aloners” directed, written, and edited by Hong Sung-eun

8.) “Past Lives” directed and written by Celine Song 

9.)  “Return To Seoul” directed and written by Davy Chou

10.) “The Boy and the Heron” directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki

11.)  “Conversations With Ruth de Souza” directed by Juliana Vicente

12.) “Space Race” directed by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés and written by Mark Monroe

13.) “Gaps” directed and written by Jenn Shaw

14.) “The Blue Caftan” directed by Maryam Touzani and written by Touzani and Nabil Ayouch

15.) “Pretty Red Dress” directed and written by Dionne Edwards

16.) “Polite Society” directed and written by Nida Manzoor

17.) “Hawa” directed by Maïmouna Doucouré and written by Doucouré, Alain-Michel Blanc, Zangro, and David Elkaim

18.) “Mirasol” directed and written by Annalise Lockhart

19.) “ Sèt Lam” directed and written by Vincent Fontano

20.) “The Unknown Country” directed and written by Morissa Maltz

December 2023 Film Watches

Maggie Cheung in Olivier Assayas’s 1996 French-American film Irma Vep. 

During this final month of 2023, I was fully committed to watching films by voices unfamiliar to me in addition to holiday classics, reserving the usual Harry Potter and Home Alone marathons for January. Yet, surprisingly a few new Christmas films weren’t half bad.
Again, Issa Rae’s Hoorae YouTube channel was an ample resource and starting point to my journey, the discovery of Bethiael Alemayoh aka B. B. Araya being a favorite. Definitely plan to write a story on her work. Currently, she debuted a new short film, Dressed at SXSW. The premise is a “former bride-to-be attempts to sell her wedding dress.”
I fell in love with great world cinema such as Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s This Is Not A Burial, This Is A Resurrection, Olivier Assayas’s Irma Vep, Maryam Touzani‘s The Blue Caftan and Adam respectively, and Leyla Bouvid’s A Tale of Love and Desire. Plus, I revisited old Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, weeks after seeing his newest beautiful work, The Boy and The Heron, a must see.
Coincidentally, I ended my film list with Adamma Ebo’s Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul— a short version of the film I watched back in January.

December Film Watches

1.) “The Golden Chain” (2016) Adebukola Bodunrin and Ezra Claytan Daniels #*+ 9/10

2.) “Sweet Ruin” (2008) Elisabeth Subrin #* 7/10

3.) “T” (2019) Keisha Rae Witherspoon #*+ 8.5/10

4.) “The Blackening” (2023) Tim Story #^ 7/10

5.) “Christmas With A Kiss” (2023) Roger M. Bobb #^ 6.5/10

6.) “Secret Sunshine” (2010) Lee Chang-dong #^ 6.8/10

7.) “Tony Takitani” (2000) Jun Ichikawa #^ 6.8/10

8.) “Vertigo” (1958) Alfred Hitchcock # 7/10

9.) “An Unknown Country” (2022) Morrisa Maltz #* 9/10

10.) “Real Women Have Curves” (2002) Patricia Cardoso *^ 10/10

11.) “Earth Mama” (2022) Savannah Leaf #*^ 9.5/10

12.) “Broadcast Signal Intrusion” (2021) Jacob Gentry # 4/10

13.) “The Blue Caftan” (2022) Maryam Touzani #*^ 9/10

14.) “Dress For Success” (2023) Erskine Forde #^ 8/10

15.) “Adam” (2019) Maryam Touzani #*^ 9.5/10

16.) ”A Tale of Love and Desire” (2021) Leyla Bouzid #*^ 9.5/10

17.) “The Boy and the Heron” (2023) Hayao Miyazaki #^ 9.5/10

18.) ”Christmas Belles” (2019) Terri J. Vaughan #*+ 4.7/10

19.) “Christmas Deja Vu” (2021) Christel Gibson #*+ 5.5/10

20.) ”You Hurt My Feelings” (2023) Nicole Holofcener #* 5/10

21.) “This is not a Burial, it’s a Resurrection” (2019) Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese #^ 10/10

22.) ”Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997) Roger Spottiswoode # 5.4/10

23.) “Hot Girl Winter” (2023) Patricia Cuffie-Jones #*+ 6.8/10

24.) “The Chef’s Wife” (2014) Anne Le Ny #* 6/10

25.) “Boxing Day” (2021) Aml Ameen ^ 7.7/10

26.) ”A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965) Bill Melendez 8/10

27.) “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” (1964) Larry Roemer and Kizo Nagashima 7/10

28.) “Garfield Christmas Special” (1987) Phil Roman and George Singer 7.7/10

29.) “Entre Nous” (1983) Diane Furys #* 8.5/10

30.) “Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001) Sharon Maguire * 6.5/10

31.) “My One Christmas Wish” (2019) James Head # 7.5/10

32.) “Clockwatchers” (1997) Jill Sprecher #* 6.7/10

33.) “The Baker’s Wife” (1938) Marcel Pagnol # 0/10

34.) “Down in the Delta” (1998) Maya Angelou *+ 9.5/10

35.) “Irma Vep” (1996) Olivier Assayas # 9/10

36.) “Ovals: I Don’t Want To Love Myself” (2016) Daquan Saxton #^ 7.8/10

37.) “Gentle Boy” (2023) Caleb Grandoit #^ 9/10

38.) “Solely” (2013) Anna Nersesyan #* 9.5/10

39.) “Dating App” (2019) Maya Table #*+ 9/10

40.) “Beta” (2016) B. B. Araya #*+ 10/10

41.) “Detour” (2018) Daniel Norris Webb # 4/10

42.) “bad news” (2020) Bethiael Alemoyah #*+ 10/10

43.) “yirga” (2019) Bethiael Alemoyah #*+ 10/10

44.) “Spirited Away” (2009) Hayao Miyazaki ^ 10/10

45.) “Good Morning” Yasujirō Ozu #^ 10/10

46.) “Poetry” (2010) Lee Chang-dong #^ 8.9/10

47.) “Happy New Year’s Eve, Charlie Brown” (1986) Bill Melendez 5.6/10

48.) “Hair Love” (2019) Matthew Cherry and Bruce W. Smith #^ 8/10

49.) “Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul” (2019) Adamma Ebo #*+ 7.7/10


# first time watch

*woman filmmaker

*+Black woman filmmaker

^nonwhite filmmaker

Other notes: list of 49 films, 40 first time watches, 30 films directed/written by nonwhite filmmakers, and 24 films made by women.

Yearly total: 358 films, seven short of my goal of watching 365; 304 first time watches, 260 films directed/written by nonwhite filmmakers, and 172 films made and/or co-made by women.