Charles Burnett is an unsung master of American cinema who led the way for black independent filmmakers to tell their stories on-screen with poetic-realist revelations like KILLER OF SHEEP and TO SLEEP WITH ANGER. In this original documentary, Burnett joins another trailblazing African American director, Robert Townsend (HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE), for a stroll through the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles where Burnett grew up. As they visit key locations from his life and films, Burnett reflects on the impact the neighborhood has had on his art, the process of making his enormously influential films, and what it means for him to tell stories that center people of color.
Up Next in Charles Burnett
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Several Friends
Directed by Charles Burnett • 1969 • United States
Charles Burnett’s first film already displays the director’s neorealist, poetry-of-the-everyday style as it follows a group of friends over the course of an aimless day in Los Angeles.
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My Brother's Wedding
Directed by Charles Burnett • 1983 • United States
Starring Everett Silas, Jessie Holmes, Gaye Shannon-BurnettRecut and restored twenty-five years after its ill-fated premiere, Charles Burnett’s second feature is an eye-opening revelation—wise, funny, heartbreaking, and timeless. Pierce Mundy w...
