''Bush Mama'' is an American

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

made by

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

n-American

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

Haile Gerima Haile Gerima (born March 4, 1946) is an Ethiopian filmmaker who lives and works in the United States. He is a leading member of the L.A. Rebellion film movement, also known as the Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers. His films have receive ...

, part of the

L.A. Rebellion The L.A. Rebellion film movement, sometimes referred to as the "Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers", or the UCLA Rebellion, refers to the new generation of young African and African-American filmmakers who studied at the UCLA Film School in ...

movement of political and experimental black cinema in the 1970s. It was released in 1979 though made earlier, in 1975. In 2022, it was selected for preservation in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

deeming it "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

Making

The film was made by Gerima as his thesis project at the

University of California at Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

, shot on a small budget. It was directed, produced and edited by Gerima with

cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...

by Roderick Young and Charles Burnett. The first half is filmed in a

cinema vérité Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking * ...

style, making heavy use of

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

, while the second half moves away from naturalism towards a Godardian agit prop approach.

Plot

''Bush Mama'' is the story of Dorothy and her husband T.C. He is a discharged

Vietnam veteran A Vietnam veteran is a person who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States Armed Forces, and oth ...

who thought he would return home to a "hero's welcome." Instead, he is falsely arrested and imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Her life revolves around the

welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

office and a community facing

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...

and

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...

. As a result of the film's events, both the main characters become

radicalized Radicalization (or radicalisation) is the process by which an individual or a group comes to adopt increasingly views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo. The ideas of society at large shape the outcomes of radicaliza ...

and Dorothy eventually turns to violence.

Cast

* Barbarao (as Barbara O. Jones) - Dorothy * Johnny Weathers - T.C. * Susan Williams - Luann * Cora Lee Day - Molly * Simmi Ella Nelson - Simmi * Bettie J. Wilson - Social Worker * Bob Ogburn Jr. -

Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...

man * Ben Collins - Ben * Renna Kraft - Angi * Darian Gibbs - Young Street Boy * Minnie Stewart - 1st Welfare Recipient * Malbertha Pickett - 2nd Welfare Recipient * Bertha Yates - Secretary * Chris Clay - Policeman * Charles David Brooks III - Preacher

Critical reception

The film received "wide critical acclaim" and was "showcased at many major international film festivals."Tony Safford and William Triplett, "Haile Gerima: Radical Departures to a New Black Cinema". ''Journal of the University Film and Video Association'', Vol. 35, No. 2, INDEPENDENT AMERICAN NARRATIVE FILMMAKING (Spring 1983), pp. 59-65 The ''New York Times'' called it "fiery, furious, overflowing with rhetoric and slightly out of breath", praising the main actors but saying the director's fierce polemic sometime overwhelms the dramatic aspects of the film.Film: 'Bush Mama' Tells Story of a Coast Ghetto:Hartford Ballet to Offer Chilean 'Carmina Burana' - The New York Times
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References

External links