Black Bisexual Women’s Film Colllection
1. Black Girl In Paris
Based on the novel by Shay Youngblood, the film stars Tracey Heggins as a down-on-her-luck American writer who experiences personal and sexual awakening in Paris thanks to a savvy sex worker, played by Zaraah Abrahams.
First 7 minutes available (x)
2. Pay It No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson was a revolutionary trans activist, Stonewall instigator, Andy Warhol model, drag queen, sex worker, starving actress, and Saint, as well as a downtown NYC fixture from the 1960’s through her too-soon demise in 1992. Johnson persevered through a life embodied by her middle initial P, which stood for “Pay It No Mind.“
Full documentary available (x)
3. The Josephine Baker Story
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Josephine Baker was born poor, but achieved fame and fortune through her sizzlingly exotic and erotic performances. Starting life on the American Vaudeville circuit, success takes Josephine to Paris where her semi-nude dancing causes an international sensation. Through her marriages to an Italian pseudo-count and orchestra leader, to her bond with army officer Sydney Williams, Josephine’s life is a roller coaster ride of love and rejection from both her lovers and her country. But semi-nude, or head-to-toes in sequins; in battle fatigues or rags - her beauty and ambition ensured that Josephine Baker will always be remembered as the first, and possibly most loved, truly international star.
Full movie available (x)
4. Everything Will Be Fine (Alles Wird Gut)
Nabou, an Afro-German slacker, desperatly wants to win back her club kid ex-girlfriend Katja. Nabou becomes a housekeeper for Katjas neighbor, Kim, who is a workaholic that is striving to become a partner in an advertising agency.
Full movie available German with English subtitles (x)
5. The Color Purple
An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie’s abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing “Mister” Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.
Full movie available (x)
6. Bessie
Queen Latifah stars as legendary blues singer Bessie Smith in this HBO Films presentation, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Dee Rees from a screenplay by Dee Rees and Christopher Cleveland & Bettina Gilois. With a story by Dee Rees and Horton Foote, the film focuses on Smith’s transformation from a struggling young singer into “The Empress of the Blues,” who became one of the most successful recording artists of the 1920s and is an enduring icon today.
Full movie available (x)
7. T’aint Nobodies Bizness
The 1920s saw a revolution in technology, the advent of the recording industry, that created the first class of African-American women to sing their way to fame and fortune. Blues divas such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Alberta Hunter created and promoted a working-class vision of blues life that provided an alternative to the Victorian gentility of middle-class manners. In their lives and music, blues women presented themselves as strong, independent women who lived hard lives and were unapologetic about their unconventional choices in clothes, recreational activities and bed partners. Blues singers disseminated a Black feminism that celebrated emotional resilience and sexual pleasure, no matter the source.
Full documentary available (x)
8. Lady Sings The Blues
Pop star Diana Ross portrays legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in this biographical drama. Beginning with Holiday’s traumatic youth, the film depicts her early attempts at a singing career and her eventual rise to stardom, as well as her difficult relationship with Louis McKay, her boyfriend and manager. Casting a shadow over even Holiday’s brightest moments is the vocalist’s severe drug addiction, which threatens to end both her career and her life.
Full movie available (x)
9. Karmen Gei
Vivacious dissident Karmen Gei, stuck in a Senegalese prison, performs a dance so erotic and mesmerizing that she seduces the warden, Angelique, and is able to break out. Finally free and roaming the capital, Karmen crashes a military wedding and bewitches Col. Lamine Diop, whose ardor lands him in prison. After Karmen helps him escape, the two embark on a grand adventure across the West African coast.
Full movie available French with English subtitles (x)
10. The Godmother of Rock & Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Despite not being a household name today, Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Her flamboyance, skill, and showmanship on the newly electrified guitar played a vital role in the conception of Rock & Roll as a genre of music. Featuring archival performances and using new interviews with fellow musicians, producers, friends, and colleagues, this film tells the story of a talented and determined woman that introduces spiritual passion of her gospel music background into Rock & Roll.
Full movie available (x)
