St. Clair Bourne - 1943-2007

From Agnes Varnum, news of the death of veteran documentary filmmaker and blogger St. Clair Bourne:

"I’d venture to say that St. Clair hadn’t received quite as much recognition in his lifetime as he deserved. His passing is untimely and I predict more delving into his work and significance to the documentary and black communities he served so intently."

Scott Macauley at Filmmaker Magazine has more:

"In a short piece by Chester Higgins in The New York Times, Bourne said about his work, "What I do is explain people's lifestyles and choices, and I show the consequences of those choices." Discussing his film on Paul Robeson, he says, "You get a portrait of an individual, but at the end of the two hours you end up knowing why Paul Robeson does all the things he does, even some of the things that are negative, and you can understand why he does them." The New York Times also produced a short video featuring Bourne discussing his work; it can be seen here."

From Chuck Tyron:

"I knew Bourne originally from his outstanding documentary on the making of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.  While most making-of docs are often treated as supplements to the original film, Bourne’s treatment of DTRT also serves as a larger meditation on the process of making independent movies, as well as reflecting on the evolution of Brooklyn and the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood where Lee filmed."

Earlier this year, Bourne was part of "The Power of Ten" at the Full Frame Film Festival, where 10 individuals were asked to screen a film that "influenced their understanding of the decade."  Bourne screened his own film, MAKING "DO THE RIGHT THING".   But in a posting for Mediarights.org, Bourne came up with a shortlist of films that had an impact on him as a filmmaker and an activist.  Here they are, with Bourne's commentary:

STILL A BROTHER: INSIDE THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS
This documentary, with its politics, intriguing narrative structure and its "inside" cultural authenticity through the subjects' voices, was the first documentary to recognize that a Black middle class existed and to treat it with complexity and respect. In his examination of the black middle class in 1966, William Greaves cautions against the wholesale acceptance of "white middle class values." Three decades later, the film's message still reverberates today as white citizens are questioning these "values" as well, given corporate fraud, the outsourcing of jobs and the disappearance of worker pensions.

A TIME FOR BURNING
An early (1966) cinema verite masterpiece about a white minister who feels that to make a contribution to the civil rights movement, he has to integrate his all-white congregation with a black congregation. Jersey follows the minister until he's fired by his own congregation for his efforts. What really amazed me about the film was that a documentary could tell a story based on reality in a narrative form--an innovative approach for the time.

THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND
Co-directors Sam Green and Bill Siegel show in gripping fashion how anti-Vietnam War activists confront their own personal position of privilege within the class structure in the U.S. even as they struggle to bring that government down. Through much of the 1970s, The Weather Underground bombed government buildings, banks and institutions across the country while attempting to evade one of the largest manhunts in FBI history. The film also examines the U.S. government's suppression of dissent in the 1960s and 1970s.

STRANGER WITH A CAMERA
In 1967 during the government's "War On Poverty," a visiting filmmaker documenting that campaign was shot and killed by a local Kentucky resident. The search for the reasons behind this shooting provides an opportunity to explore the judgment of filmmakers who promote social change. This film is a mystery that explores class issues, media representation, culture and community.

FLAG WARS
This cinema verite-style documentary is a fascinating look inside the conflicts that surface when African American working class homeowners are confronted by an influx of white gay home buyers. Capturing the blunt honesty of unguarded moments, Flag Wars shows in human terms the consequences of capitalism and the pursuit of the "American Dream."

RECALLING ORANGE COUNTY
Part memoir and part political story, this film deals with class within the context of immigration. A clash between working class Mexican immigrants and wealthy white suburbanites over the educational policies of school board member Nativo Lopez also sparks a conflict between recent latino immigrants and their more assimilated second and third generation Latino brethren.

MAID IN AMERICA
This film underscores the vital role domestic workers play in many American households and showcases how the new maids are redefining their place in society through the Workers Rights movement. One of the employers featured in these three mini-portraits is a middle class African American family. The history of domestic workers, the film argues, illustrates the changing relationship of minorities to the middle class. Latina immigrants become the new face of household labor, once primarily the work of black Americans.

THE NEW AMERICANS
A totally engaging twelve-hour documentary series following the lives of a multicultural group of new arrivals to the U.S. Yes, twelve hours is a long time to sit through a doc, but I was fascinated by The New Americans's sensitive and accurate depiction of the trials and triumphs of America's newest citizens-to-be.

A LITANY FOR SURVIVAL: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF AUDRE LORDE
A portrait of the award-winning black, lesbian, poet and activist, Audre Lorde, whose writings--spanning five decades--articulated some of the most important social and political issues of the 20th century. This moving film explores her life and a body of work that connects the Civil Rights movement, the Women's movement and the struggle for lesbian and gay rights.

IN SEARCH OF OUR FATHERS
This very personal film documents filmmaker Marco William's seven-year search for the father he never knew and his coming to terms with the truth of his origins. As Williams peels away the layers of mystery that surround his father's absence, his single-minded determination strikes a universal chord. This portrayal of a son's search for identity shows that even in a "fatherless" household, there can be strong family ties that support the younger generation. I especially like that it's one of the few first-person black documentaries.

BASTARDS OF THE PARTY
This insider doc chronicles the history of Los Angeles street gangs from the 1950s to 1990s and shows how members of the notorious Blood and Crip gangs became members of the Black Panther Party and then, after the fall of the Black Liberation Movement, became the "bastard" offspring of the political parties of the 60s. Director Cle "Bone" Sloan is a veteran member of the Athens Park Bloods.

WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE
A straight-ahead contemporary landmark classic that will stand the test of time. Told by those that experienced the natural and human effects of Hurricane Katrina, this documentary says more about the state of America than any other of this period.

Comments

[Danny Mitchell]

Saint, you will be missed by all those yet to come, not to mention those of us who knew you. From Syracuse to Mississippi you represented that unique combination of artist and warrior. Farewell my brother.

[Danny Mitchell]

Saint, you will be missed by all those yet to come, not to mention those of us who knew you. From Syracuse to Mississippi you represented that unique combination of artist and warrior. Farewell my brother.

[Danny Mitchell]

Saint, you will be missed by all those yet to come, not to mention those of us who knew you. From Syracuse to Mississippi you represented that unique combination of artist and warrior. Farewell my brother.