ROD's Top 25 Black FilmsOf The Last Decade (2000-2009)

Hey Black Family,

I'm posting what I consider MY best top 25 Black films that I've seen in the last decade (2000-2009). It was initially agonizing to compile the list because it started out as a top 10 list. And my top 10 list was inspired by the posting that I read from the pro-Black film website that I regularly check out called Shadow&Act.com. Ultimately I decided that picking 10 Black films from the last decade is too narrow in quantity for a 10 year period, and so I decided to increase my list to 25 Black films.

The Shadow&Act.com posting was a re-post of two "Top 10 Black Film" lists from BlackVoices.com and TheGriot.com, two websites that target an African Diaspora audience. Of course, whenever something like these lists are compiled for FUN, educational, informational or other factored in reasons, there's always the question(s) which I asked myself: What does it mean to be Black? or what constitutes a Black film?

With that said, Shadwo&Act.com said: "BV (Black Voices.com) doesn’t specify what its criteria is to determine what constitutes a 'black film.' But I think we’d all agree that the films on their list can be defined as such. They also don’t say what the consider good, or the 'best,' other than describing them as 'witty, entertaining and inspiring.' So, I dunno… I can’t really say much about what they’ve got here."

One poster on Shadwo&Act blasted and criticized both top 10 lists for NOT having at least one 1 foreign film of African descent on there. I have to strongly agree with that.

So what I did was consult my friend Jair, The Literary Masturbator and asked his opinion of my list and to suggest his own films. In this way, I at least had someone I respected look at my list and give feedback. Both he and I agreed that one of the greatest agonizers is NOT forgetting a film which is hard when you're looking back 10 years!!

So in closing, my criteria for my own top 25 Black films is based upon:
(1) The majority of the characters (fiction) and/or real persons (documentaries) are of African descent

(2) The stories are the primary focus of the African experience
(a slice of life)

(3) Black films that I (ROD) have SEEN (NOT word of mouth)

(4) American and foreign (import) films

(5) The films were exhibitioned in movie theaters or via tv/cable viewing

(6) The Black films depict people of African descent in a affirming, cultural, uplifting and respectable way.

Yes, I know item 6 is subjective and means many things to many people and that African people aren't monolithic in a think tank kind of way, but I have my own views of what it means, and all I can do is critically use and share item 6 in correlation with the other 5 items and hope you find my list FUN and of interest. (SO NO, A FILM LIKE SOUL PLANE WHICH IS A STUPID ASS FILM THAT HOLLYWOOD GREEN LIGHTED DOES NOT QUALIFY AS UPLIFTING TO ME!!!!! )

I'm sure my list can be torn apart in some regards, but I can only go by what I've SEEN (and NOT heard) through regular mainstream theater outlets as well as independent movie theaters and the blessing of film festivals which is always needed to get that independent voice in the wilderness heard. So hey, just having FUN here!

I look forward to people posting comments here on the blog and giving their own top 10 list and a couple of films you think are worthy in your mind. Because quite frankly, I, too am always looking and starving for Black (same gender loving) films which I haven't seen or heard of which can cater to my LOVE of the African experience. And that is part of the reason I'm encouraging folks to post. There's always something that someone hasn't seen that one can be skooled on.

ROD's
Top 25 Black Films
of the Last Decade (2000-2009)

The list below is arranged in alphabetical order
and DOES NOT signify a particular order
of importance or ranking!!
It's simply my favorite 25 Black films.
Period.
No favorites!
(Well, I'm kind of lyin' about NOT having some favorites,
but I won't share it and be biased!Again, just havin' FUN!)

NOTE THE SYMBOLS NEXT TO CERTAIN FILMS
WHICH ARE DENOTED BY THE SYMBOL LEGEND AFTER THE LIST

1- 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002)

2- Akeelah And The Bee (2006)

3- Antwone Fisher (2002)

4- Bamboozled (2000)

5- Black Candle, The: A KWANZAA Celebration (2008)

6- Black List, The: Volume 1 (2008)

7- Blueprint (2007)+

8- Brother To Brother (2004)+

9- City Of God (2002)~

10- Drumline (2002)

11- Four Rent Boys and A Sangoma (2004)*+~

12- Great Debaters, The (2007)

13- Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats And Rhymes (2006)

14- Hotel Rwanda (2004)

15- Huey P. Newton Story, A (2001)

16- Kirikou and the Wild Beast (2005)#~

17– Masai: The Rain Warriors (2004)~

18- Mississippi Damned (2009)*+

19- Proud (2004)

20- Pursuit Of Happyness, The (2006)

21- Rag Tag (2006)*+~

22- Remember The Titans (2000)

23- Sometimes In April (2005)

24- Tsotsi (2005)~

25- Wooden Camera, The (2003)~


Noteworthy Honorable Mentions:
American Blackout (2006)

Dreamgirls (2006)

La Tropical (2002)

Love and Basketball (2000)

Rize (2005)

Seven Pounds (2008)



SYMBOL LEGEND:
*SAW THESE BLACK FILMS AT DIFFERENT NYC FILM FESTIVALS

+ BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING (SGL) FILM (5)

# ANIMATED FILM (1)

~FOREIGN FILM [PRODUCED & MADE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES] (7)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

HEARD WAS EXCELLENT BY WORD OF MOUTH
(DID NOT SEE THESE FILMS THOUGH):

1- Ballast (2008)

2-Medicine For Meancholy (2008)

3- Precious (2009)

4- When The Leeves Broke (2006)