Black Is… Black Ain’t
“A personal journey through Black identity”
Synopsis
African-American documentary filmmaker Marlon Riggs was working on this final film as he died from AIDS-related complications in 1994; he addresses the camera from his hospital bed in several scenes. The film directly addresses sexism and homophobia within the black community, with snippets of misogynistic and anti-gay slurs from popular hip-hop songs juxtaposed with interviews with African-American intellectuals and political theorists, including Cornel West, bell hooks and Angela Davis.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
DOXA 2016 - Black Is... Black Ain't Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2016-04-07
Top Cast
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Release History & Theatrical Window
Source: IMDB (New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival)
Festival / Special Debut
October 11, 1995
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Marlon Riggs
- Original Score
- Mary Watkins
- Original Title
- Black Is… Black Ain’t
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 27m
- Production Studios
- Signifyin' Works
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Marlon Riggs
Mary Watkins
Robert Shepard, Michael Chin, Emiko Omori, Jasmine Dellal, Bob Paris
Christiane Badgley
Marlon Riggs
Department Leadership Roster
Marlon Riggs
Director
Christiane Badgley
Editor
Robert Shepard
Director of Photography
Marlon Riggs
Producer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Black Is… Black Ain’t.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Black Is… Black Ain’t.
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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The Criterion Collection
Every film released by The Criterion Collection on DVD, Blu-ray or 4K, including box sets and Eclipse. Enumerated from Wikidata and Wikipedia.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Black Is… Black Ain’t
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Black Is… Black Ain’t about?
African-American documentary filmmaker Marlon Riggs was working on this final film as he died from AIDS-related complications in 1994; he addresses the camera from his hospital bed in several scenes. The film directly addresses sexism and homophobia within the black community, with snippets of misogynistic and anti-gay slurs from popular hip-hop songs juxtaposed with interviews with African-American intellectuals and political theorists, including Cornel West, bell hooks and Angela Davis.
Who directed Black Is… Black Ain’t?
Black Is… Black Ain’t was directed by Marlon Riggs.
Who stars in Black Is… Black Ain’t?
The principal cast of Black Is… Black Ain’t includes Marlon Riggs, Angela Davis, bell hooks, Essex Hemphill, Cornel West.
When was Black Is… Black Ain’t released and how long is it?
Black Is… Black Ain’t was released in 1995 with a total runtime of 1h 27m.
Who composed the musical score for Black Is… Black Ain’t?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Black Is… Black Ain’t was composed by Mary Watkins.