Many of you masculine men may already be very familiar with heterosexual Documentary Filmmaker Byron Hurt. His previous two thought-provoking films have fastidiously examined the subject of Black American male masculinity.
Now, with his new film “Soul Food Junkies”, he attempts to address the urgent health crisis in communities of color.
Hurt aims to take a nuanced look at the complex history of soul food, how it has shaped our cultural identity, Black Americans’ current eating habits and how our food choices are making us a sick and unhealthy people.
His second film, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, bravely examined masculinity, machismo, sexism, violence and homophobia in hip-hop culture. This film brings back Michael Eric Dyson and Kevin Powell to the discussion as well as many hip-hop artists including Talib Kweli, Chuck D, Doug E. Fresh, Fat Joe, Clipse, Jadakiss, Mos Def, and (notorious homophobe) Busta Rhymes.
The new film, Soul Food Junkies, will premiere at the American Black Film Festival this summer and will air on PBS during its 2012-13 season. The trailer definitely makes us want to see the film. The most telling soundbite we heard was, “More people are hurting themselves from fried chicken than marijuana, more people are hurting themselves from high cholesterol than alcohol.” Truth.
There is a time and a place for MOST things. Anyone w taste buds will enjoy some of Grandma’s home cooking, but its a personal responsibility to not make it ur everyday diet. It’s a true story that eating this way all the damn time has fukd blk ppl over for generations, and it’s great that sum1 is trying to talk about it on film.