Kasi Lemmons: Interviews

Baker (Contemporary Black Women Filmmakers and the Art of Resistance), associate professor of critical race and ethnic studies at the University of California, Merced, offers an enlightening collection of 15 interviews with writer-director Kasi Lemmons. Baker describes the filmmaker’s work as a “mission to protest culturally and structurally imposed limitations and push the boundaries of the film industry,” or as Lemmons calls her own work, “protest art.” The interviews capture her move from actor to filmmaker—Lemmons says her frustration with only being offered limited roles inspired her to get behind the camera to make 1997’s Eve’s Bayou: “Black Girl Best Friend, Black Girl Next Door, Black Girl Cop. I was frustrated and I had this story inside me.” Elsewhere, Lemmons touches on her struggle to maintain artistic control while still appreciating feedback (“the best producers I’ve worked with look at filmmaking as a collaboration”), her writing process (some procrastination, then four to six hours of excited writing with breaks), and the importance of hearing women’s voices in storytelling: “We’re dealing with humanity,” she says. Complete with a chronology and filmography, this insightful collection captures the scope and ingenuity of Lemmons’s artistic vision. (Jan.)