Black Skin, White Masks Film

Synopsis

Newly restored for the 20th anniversary of the film’s release, Black Skin, White Masks is a gem from black British filmmaker Isaac Julien and still feels as relevant and necessary today as it did twenty years ago. Based on Frantz Fanon’s 1952 book, the film is a deconstruction of Fanon’s hugely influential work of the same name. Originally made for the BBC, Black Skin, White Masks utilises re-enactments and talking head style interviews, and weaves the eponymous book with Fanon’s life to provide a contextualisation of postcolonial theory and the historical impact of Fanon’s work.

Plus short

Finding Fanon Part 1

Larry Achiampong and David Blandy | UK 2015 | 15m

Two artists negotiate Fanon’s ideas, examining the politics of race, racism and the postcolonial, and how these societal issues affect their relationship.

This screening will be followed by a post-screening discussion on the impact of both Fanon’s book and Julien’s film on contemporary postcolonial discourse.

This event is kindly sponsored by the Society for Francophone Postcolonial Studies.