Immediate Release

Inman E. Page Library Acquires One-Year Film Rights for the Critically Acclaimed Film, Through A Lens Darkly

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On Monday, February 23, 2015, Inman E. Page Library will have achieved a major feat – it is one of a handful of libraries selected in the United States to have film rights for a year regarding the critically acclaimed documentary, Through a Lens Darkly.  The library will begin hosting the film online on Monday, and will host a screening of the documentary film for the entire campus, Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 4 PM in room #100. The first documentary to explore the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations and social emergence of African Americans from slavery to the present, Through a Lens Darkly probes the recesses of American history by discovering images that have been suppressed, forgotten and lost.

“When you look at a Black person…When I look at a Black person… African… American…me…them…us…you…Who do I see?  Who do you see?  Do I see us now?  Do I see us then?  Do I see us in a time yet to come?  Am I looking through a lens darkly?” –Deborah Willis, Director

Bringing to light the hidden and unknown photos shot by both professional and vernacular African American photographers, the film opens a window into lives, experiences and perspectives of black families that is absent from the traditional historical canon. These images show a much more complex and nuanced view of American culture and society and its founding ideals.

Inspired by Deborah Willis’s book Reflections in Black and featuring the works of Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Anthony Barboza, Hank Willis Thomas, Coco Fusco, Clarissa Sligh and many others, Through a Lens Darkly introduces the viewer to a diverse yet focused community of storytellers who transform singular experiences into a communal journey of discovery – and a call to action. The documentary film, Through a Lens Darkly was awarded with the 2015 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary Film this past month.

*Faculty members are encouraged to show the film in their classes. The movie is available online via our film webpage for Lincoln University – Only.

Access the movie online here: http://lincolnu.kanopystreaming.com/node/133733