Exhibit reveals role of Black Americans in shaping film industry: ‘This history has never been shown’

Seven decades of a complex history are on display in Los Angeles, revealing the counter narratives to racism created by Black actors and film-makers

The passionate embrace and kiss between vaudeville actors Gertie Brown and Saint Suttle lasts just under 30 seconds, but it’s believed to be the first instance of Black intimacy recorded on film dating back to 1898. That’s where the exhibit Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles begins, displaying some of the earliest work by Black actors and cinematographers throughout American history.

Whether through neglect or discrimination, the historical contributions of Black cinema to the tradition of American cinematography has often been sidelined. But the exhibit is the first of its kind that seeks to highlight how Black artists have always played an integral role in the history of film-making. The exhibit got its name from Richard Norman’s 1923 film, Regeneration, a romantic thriller shot in Jacksonville, Florida.