1 Year of FilmSwaggin

My oh my how the time flies.

I started this blog a year ago today because I felt it was finally time to express some of the thoughts that had travelling around in my head for months, or in some cases, years. FilmSwag is more than just a blog I feel. It gives me a platform to reach people and speak on topics that I might otherwise only discuss with certain audiences or in particular settings.

Looking at Nina Through A Different Hue

So I heard about this casting snafu a few weeks back, but it wasn't until a friend enlightened me about it that I began to take notice.

Apparently there is a biopic being done of the late great Nina Simone. Simone was more than just a singer. She was an activist, intellect, and a woman whose words and music influenced millions of people. Her round nose, dark hue, and potent afro, only helped to accentuate the struggle for Civil Rights during the turbulent 1960s.

If You Went Missing...Would Anyone Come Looking? A Review of Dreams of a Life

How close are we really to the people in our lives?

I first heard about this film more than a year ago courtesy of the indiewire site ShadowandAct. Ever since then, I've been curious about it's development and finally its release.

Diversifying The American TV Family

A few weeks ago on the African-American themed cable station Centric, I came across a show by the name of "227" that piqued my interest.

"227" revolved around the daily lives and experiences of a middle class black family residing in 1980s Washington D.C. The show starred actress Marla Gibbs, who had achieved fame as the maid in "The Jeffersons." Also featured was a young Regina King in what would be her first substantive role in a long career. Then there was Jackee Harry, who is probably better known to my generation as the television mother to this famous set of twins.

Some South African Kwaito

I first saw this music video 4 years ago while in college among a group of African friends. It has a catchy beat and I definitely dig the boxing theme.

Though it is only one video, it does show how media -specifically hip-hop in this case- can travel to other corners of the world and be infused with cultural residue of that particular region. 4 years later, I still don't understand a single word these guys are saying, but I can appreciate the music and its accompanying video nonetheless.

Seeing people and images around the world can not only entertain us, but gives us a greater appreciation of an art form in its varying depictions.