--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To me, not every black filmmaker who is…" description: "\"To me, not every black filmmaker who is making black films is trying to make black cinema.\" — Arthur Jafa" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e2/arthur-jafa-41148_black_to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-m_2018628.jpg" --- # To me, not every black filmmaker who is making black films… ![“To me, not every black filmmaker who is making black films is trying to make black cinema.” quote by Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e2/arthur-jafa-41148_black_to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-m_2018628.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e2/arthur-jafa-41148_black_to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-m_2018628.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e2/arthur-jafa-41148_black_to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-m_2018628.jpg) > “To me, not every black filmmaker who is making black films is trying to make black cinema.” [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Not all black filmmakers aim to define a distinct black cinema; many simply tell stories within their cultural context. **In simple terms:** Black filmmakers may not always pursue a separate black cinema. Key Takeaway Recognize diverse artistic intentions. Themes film culture identity representation artistry Mood thoughtful analytical Type observational critical When to use this quote - film festivals - community discussions - media analysis - educational curricula Key Concepts Cinema studies cultural critique authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate cultural storytelling from a movement? - What defines “black cinema”? A Different Perspective Some may argue any work by black creators inherently contributes to black cinema. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) ## Related quotes > [Some black filmmakers will say, "I don't want to be considered a black filmmaker, I'm a filmmaker." I don't think that. I'm a black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-duvernay/some-black-filmmakers-will-say-i-don-t-want-to-be-considered-a-black/) [Ava DuVernay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-duvernay/) > [I'm a small filmmaker, making my small, low-budget movies, but I'm super lucky to know that everybody reacts differently to my movies. That's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-dupieux/i-m-a-small-filmmaker-making-my-small-low-budget-movies-but-i-m-super/) [Quentin Dupieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-dupieux/) > [I have a very simple mantra and it's this: I want to make black cinema with the power, beauty, and alienation of black music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/i-have-a-very-simple-mantra-and-it-s-this-i-want-to-make-black-cinema/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [The problem with black cinema in its current form is on the one hand it is the only game in town; it's a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/the-problem-with-black-cinema-in-its-current-form-is-on-the-one-hand/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [Being a black filmmaker, one of the things I wanted to do with the movie is make sure I told it from a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/being-a-black-filmmaker-one-of-the-things-i-wanted-to-do-with-the/) Deon Taylor > [I think that, as a filmmaker, you're always making the same film, regardless of how many different stories you tell. This is the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithy-panh/i-think-that-as-a-filmmaker-you-re-always-making-the-same-film/) [Rithy Panh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithy-panh/) > [I think we're used to the black filmmaker coming in and making the all-black subject matter. Especially at Sundance, they're looking for that. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-caple-jr/i-think-we-re-used-to-the-black-filmmaker-coming-in-and-making-the/) [Steven Caple Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-caple-jr/) > [Is there deeply embedded change within our industry? 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Whether placed as queer black cinema or urban male cinema, the lack of coming-of-age films featuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-jenkins/moonlight-is-a-story-that-hasn-t-been-told-whether-placed-as-queer/) [Barry Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-jenkins/) > [I think subjectivity plays into everything. It's unavoidable; you couldn't avoid it if you tried. I think, potentially, a lot more commercial movies, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-cole/i-think-subjectivity-plays-into-everything-it-s-unavoidable-you/) [Lily Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-cole/) ## More by Arthur Jafa > [I have a very simple mantra and it's this: I want to make black cinema with the power, beauty, and alienation of black music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/i-have-a-very-simple-mantra-and-it-s-this-i-want-to-make-black-cinema/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [It's a muscle that everybody needs to develop: the ability to see themselves in someone else's circumstances without having to paint that person white,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/it-s-a-muscle-that-everybody-needs-to-develop-the-ability-to-see/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [I'm always making things, and I have this ongoing practice of compelling stuff that strikes me. Over the course of my life doing this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/i-m-always-making-things-and-i-have-this-ongoing-practice-of/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [The problem with black cinema in its current form is on the one hand it is the only game in town; it's a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/the-problem-with-black-cinema-in-its-current-form-is-on-the-one-hand/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [I've pushed myself to push toward things that disturb me. 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I don't see color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/i-don-t-see-race-i-don-t-see-color/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [I'll try to record the spiritual quality of the things that strike me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/i-ll-try-to-record-the-spiritual-quality-of-the-things-that-strike-me/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) > [I remember when someone told me phones were going to have cameras on them, and I thought that was the dumbest idea I'd ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/i-remember-when-someone-told-me-phones-were-going-to-have-cameras-on/) [Arthur Jafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) [Explore all 10 Arthur Jafa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. 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I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To me, not every black filmmaker who is making black films is trying to make black cinema.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Jafa" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-making-black-films-is-trying/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-making-black-films-is-trying/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e2/arthur-jafa-41148_black_to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-m_2018628.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e2/arthur-jafa-41148_black_to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-m_2018628.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e2/arthur-jafa-41148_black_to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-m_2018628.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To me, not every black filmmaker who is making black films is trying to make black cinema.” — Arthur Jafa", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur Jafa", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jafa/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To me, not every black filmmaker...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-making-black-films-is-trying/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jafa/to-me-not-every-black-filmmaker-who-is-making-black-films-is-trying/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```