Tongues Untied
“Black Men Loving Black Men”
Synopsis
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
TONGUES UNTIED Trailer | TIFF 2021
Type: Trailer • Published 2021-05-26
Top Cast
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Release History & Theatrical Window
Wellington Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
June 1, 1990
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Marlon Riggs
- Screenplay & Story
- Joseph Beam, Chris Harris, Reginald Jackson, Steve Langley, Alan Miller, Donald Woods, Essex Hemphill, Marlon Riggs
- Original Score
- Alex Langford, Steve Langley, Marlon Riggs
- Original Title
- Tongues Untied
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 55m
- Production Studios
- Signifyin' Works
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Marlon Riggs
Joseph Beam, Chris Harris, Reginald Jackson, Steve Langley, Alan Miller, Donald Woods, Essex Hemphill, Marlon Riggs
Alex Langford, Steve Langley, Marlon Riggs
Vivian Kleiman, Marlon Riggs
Marlon Riggs
Marlon Riggs
Department Leadership Roster
Marlon Riggs
Director
Alex Langford
Original Music Composer
Steve Langley
Original Music Composer
Marlon Riggs
Original Music Composer
Vivian Kleiman
Director of Photography
Marlon Riggs
Director of Photography
Joseph Beam
Writer
Chris Harris
Writer
Reginald Jackson
Writer
Steve Langley
Writer
Alan Miller
Writer
Donald Woods
Writer
Marlon Riggs
Producer
Marlon Riggs
Editor
Essex Hemphill
Writer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Tongues Untied.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Tongues Untied.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *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：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 250 Documentary Films
Letterboxd's official Top 250 documentary feature films, ranked by average member rating. Letterboxd 官方 Top 250 最佳纪录长片榜单： 根据平台用户的平均评分进行排序的纪录长片精选榜单。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:36:46 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
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)*
LGBTQ+
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Frequently Asked Questions About Tongues Untied
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Tongues Untied about?
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.
Who directed Tongues Untied?
Tongues Untied was directed by Marlon Riggs.
Who stars in Tongues Untied?
The principal cast of Tongues Untied includes Marlon Riggs, Essex Hemphill, Brian Freeman, Michael Bell, Willi Ninja.
When was Tongues Untied released and how long is it?
Tongues Untied was released in 1990 with a total runtime of 55m.
Who composed the musical score for Tongues Untied?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Tongues Untied was composed by Alex Langford, Steve Langley, Marlon Riggs.