''The Black Candle'' is a

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

about Kwanzaa directed by

M. K. Asante M. K. Asante (born November 3, 1982) is an American author, filmmaker, recording artist, and professor. He is the author of the 2013 best-selling memoir ''Buck''.

and narrated by

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

. The film premiered on cable television on

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

on November, 2012.

Synopsis

''The Black Candle'' uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. Narrated by the poet

and directed by author and filmmaker

M. K. Asante M. K. Asante (born November 3, 1982) is an American author, filmmaker, recording artist, and professor. He is the author of the 2013 best-selling memoir ''Buck''.

, ''The Black Candle'' is about the struggle and triumph of African-American family, community, and culture. The documentary traces the holiday's growth out of the Black Power Movement in the 1960s to its present-day reality.

Reception

''Time'' magazine wrote "The first film about Kwanzaa, The Black Candle, narrated by Maya Angelou is fit for a poet." ''The Daily Voice'' wrote, "I predict that viewing The Black Candle will become an annual family tradition in homes around the world." The film won Best Full Length Documentary at the 2009 Africa World Documentary Film Festival. In December 2020, the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

selected ''The Black Candle'' as a "holiday classic" and featured the film in ''AFI Movie Club Presents: Home for the Holidays'', "highlighting the very best of the holiday cinema".

References

External links

br>AFI Movie Club: THE BLACK CANDLE
* 2008 films Kwanzaa American documentary films American independent films Films set in Africa Documentary films about African Americans 2008 documentary films 2008 independent films Maya Angelou 2000s English-language films 2000s American films {{2000s-documentary-film-stub