Films by season & age - Black History Month (Ages 15-18)

Seasons are a great way to explore different ideas through watching a group of films. Why not try watching all the films in a season and make some time for discussion. Topics and discussion points are included.

Black History Month (BHM) is all about remembering forgotten heroes, learning new histories and celebrating icons and leaders. From William Wilberforce to Muhammed Ali, BHM aims to recognise achievements in Black history and share that knowledge.

Black History Month takes place during the month of October and has done since 1987 when it was established in the UK by Akyaaba Addai Sebbo. Conceived by Carter G Woodson, the editor of the Journal of Negro History, it has been celebrated every February in America since 1926.

Film, more than any other medium, allows us an insight into different worlds, giving us a greater ability to not only reflect upon the one we live in, but also understand the lives and experiences of others so much better.

Brilliant to watch at any time of the year, we hope you will find these films not only enjoyable, but thought-provoking too. From the Spike Lee biopic Malcom X to the South African-set Boesman and Leona, and the American classics A Raisin In The Sun and To Kill A Mockingbird. The season also profiles sporting legend Muhammed Ali in When We Were Kings, and the true stories of boxer Ruben "The Hurricane" Carter, and ground-breaking artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Plus seminal drama staring Sidney Poitier - In The Heat Of The Night, and the now classic The Colour Purple, based on Alice Walker's novel and directed by Steven Spielberg.

Suggested pair:

As well as being powerful stories of about overcoming injustice, both Malcolm X and A Raisin In The Sun deal more specifically with race relations in the civil rights era. A Raisin In The Sun was made in the 1960's and based on a famous play by a young, black female playwright Lorraine Hansberry, and has a much different feel from the more recent Malclom X, although based in the same decade. How does Sidney Poiter's performance compare with Denzel Washington's? Does it matter that Malcom X was made much later than the era it was depicting?

Talking Points:

Did you feel that Celie's treatment at the hands of Mister in The Color Purple could be compared to that of a "real" slave in the years beforehand?

Do you think any of these films would have been as effective with white people as the lead characters?

When We Were Kings is the only documentary in the season. Did you find it as enjoyable as the other films?

How do you think black people are generally represented in the cinema?

Sidney Poitier leads in two films in this season and was the first black actor to win a leading role Oscar (in 1964 for Lilies of the Field). It was another 38 years before another Oscar was awarded to a leading black actor - in fact both Denzel Washington and Halle Berry were awarded Oscars in 2002 for Training Day and Monster's Ball respectively. What do you think of this? Did any of the performances here merit an Oscar?

For further information on Black History Month please check out www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/blackhistory or
http://www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk/