Join us to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the UK release of Bamboozled, Spike Lee’s furious, satirical polemic attacking the inherent racism in American society and the cultural hypocrisy that sustains it. Earning a much-deserved cult status after bombing at the box office, Lee’s uncompromising and incendiary film has, sadly, only grown in relevance in the quarter-century since its release.
To introduce the film, we welcome Julian Alexander, Co-Programme Leader for the BA Filmmaking programme at the University of East London, and the writer/director of the short film Whiteface, which will screen before the feature.
Bamboozled (dir. Spike Lee)
Angered by the constant cultural appropriation and ignorance of his colleagues, Pierre Delacroix (Damon Wayans), the only Black writer at a television network, creates a show so offensive it is sure to get him fired. The show features Black performers in full blackface, presenting a variety show that portrays and reinforces the most racist stereotypes ever conceived. Unfortunately for Delacroix, the show is a massive hit.
Angered by the constant cultural appropriation and ignorance of his colleagues, Pierre Delacroix (Damon Wayans), the only Black writer at a television network, creates a show so offensive it is sure to get him fired. The show features Black performers in full blackface, presenting a variety show that portrays and reinforces the most racist stereotypes ever conceived. Unfortunately for Delacroix, the show is a massive hit.
“…a vital work that’s equal parts crystal ball and cannonball: glittering and prophetic, heavy and dangerous” – Ashley Clark, The Guardian.
Whiteface (dir. Julian Alexander)
Vince (Joshua Caleb Horton), a Black man wearing white face makeup, has convinced his white girlfriend Melanie (Alexandra Renzo) and her parents at their Fourth of July barbecue that he is white. His deception seems to hold until two of his Black friends unexpectedly arrive, also in whiteface, but dressed as 19th-century Southern dandies. Under mounting pressure, Vince’s fabricated identity begins to unravel, ultimately forcing him to confront the very revelation he was trying to avoid.
Vince (Joshua Caleb Horton), a Black man wearing white face makeup, has convinced his white girlfriend Melanie (Alexandra Renzo) and her parents at their Fourth of July barbecue that he is white. His deception seems to hold until two of his Black friends unexpectedly arrive, also in whiteface, but dressed as 19th-century Southern dandies. Under mounting pressure, Vince’s fabricated identity begins to unravel, ultimately forcing him to confront the very revelation he was trying to avoid.
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