Afrofuturism in Film
Black Panther has been credited as the most recent film to revitalize the aesthetic of Afrofuturism and bring Afrofuturism back into the dimensions of the mainstream. When speaking on the impact that Black Panther has had on the aesthetic of Afrofuturism, author and editor Sheree Renée Thomas had this to say: “Now, I don’t have to do a lot of explaining when I’m discussing Afrofuturism. I can just ‘Wakanda’, and people pretty much get it” (qtd. Fitzpatrick, It’s Not Just 'Black Panther'). Afrofuturist thought finds itself in the very fabric of the narrative as the film centers around a black leader who reigns over a fictitious African country that has not been affected by white colonialization. Black Panther does exactly what Afrofuturism asserts in its themes: reimagining the past for the African diaspora and creates a counter-future that creates a future in which Black people are liberated from the practices of racism that oppress them in the contemporary world. Yet, Black Panther is not the first film to explore these Afrofuturistic themes. In fact, it is just an addition to the Afrofuturist canon of films, a canon which found its start in the 1970s. In film, Afrofuturism has been displayed in works such as Space is the Place (1974, dir. John Coney), Marvel’s Blade (1998, dir. Stephen Norrington), Blade (1998, dir. Stephen Norrington), and Afro Samurai (2007, dir. Takashi Okazaki).
The Wiz
dir. Sidney Lumet
A bold reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the 1978 film The Wiz is an unapologetically Black film. The film joins the ranks of classic Black movies that tended to center around music that specifically reflected Black culture- that music for The Wiz being soul and funk.
At the time, the film was the most expensive musical that had ever been made thanks to the psychedelic vibrancy that Tony Walton’s production design demanded, Charlie Smalls’ iconic lyrics and musical compositions that colored the film’s soulful tone, and the intricate choreography that was performed by 300 dancers throughout the film. And to carry the weight of all the extravagance, the cast was star-studded with Michael Jackson giving his first theatrical performance as the scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man, Richard Pryor as the Wizard, Lena Horne as Glinda, and the iconic role of Dorothy being played by Diana Ross.
The Wiz is a work of Afrofuturism because it allowed many Black people see the world that they were familiar with be reflected in a fantastical tale. Not only that, but the embedded in the story is a cultural consciousness of Black post-Civil Rights Movement communities as it is a story racial liberation. It combines elements of magical realism, science fiction, and fantasy that the film uses to foresee a Black future.
Clocking in at with a 14-minute run-time, the short film Afronauts (2014) made visible the forgotten narrative of Zambia’s space program in the 1960s. During the time of the Cold War when world superpowers like the USA and Russia were engaged in a tense Space Race against one another, other remote and often forgotten countries sought to join in on the Race for Space.
In 1964, Zambia had just gained its independence from Britain and, in the midst of celebrating that independence from colonialism, a college professor embarked on an ambitious journey to develop a space program for his country and send the first African astronaut to the moon. The professor, Edward Makuka Nkoloso, chose a 17-year-old girl named Matha to be his program’s sole astronaut. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, government resistance, and Matha becoming pregnant during her training, the program did not succeed.
The film retells the events of Zambia’s short-lived space pursuit, but it highlights the surreality of it all. The film’s cinematography creates a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere while continuing to ground the audience in a landscape that is somewhat familiar. Afronauts challenges perceptions as it seems to be both otherworldly and out of this time because the actual tale itself is a reimagining of Black people being able to have a prosperous future beyond the realm of an earthly reality.
Afronauts (2014)
dir. Frances Bodomo
Black Panther (2018)
dir. Ryan Coogler
Marvel’s 2018 film Black Panther was helmed as a cultural phenomenon as it shattered records across the globe, bountifully received critical acclaim, and made history at award shows such at the Academy Awards all while being a celebration of Black excellence. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the film, though, was the prominent female presence throughout the film. In fact, the women of the film were portrayed as being just as strong, capable, and intelligent as their male-counterparts. Women are at such an equal social standing with men that King T’Challa, the film’s protagonist, has a team of bodyguards that are all women. The Dora Milaje, the fiercest and most-respected warriors of Wakanda, protect King T’Challa at all costs, and the Dora Milaje’s leader even becomes T’Challa’s “left-hand” as she travels with him nearly everywhere he goes and, from time to time, imparts advice.
Yet, female warriors like the Dora Milaje are not just fiction. Dating back to the late 17th century, a group of African female warriors named the Dahomey Amazons, were tasked with protecting the king at all times. The Dahomey resided in what is now the Republic of Benin. These women were fierce and unrelenting, made known for their decapitation. Between the 18th and 19th century, the Dahomey’s army grew from about 600 women to about 6,000. Black Panther’s Afrofuturism not only imagines a technologically, independent future for Black people, but also harkens back to Black peoples’ rich history across the diaspora.