Oscar Micheaux, the Superhero of Black Filmmaking

The most successful African American director of the first half of the 20th century, Oscar Micheaux wrote, directed, and produced more than 44 films and six novels before his death in 1951. Charting his incredible artistic journey, Zippel’s revealing documentary pays tribute to the extraordinary accomplishments of a resolute storyteller (and Illinois native) whose work served as a powerful rebuke to the ubiquitous racism of the times. A chorus of experts and fans—from Chuck D to Melvin van Peebles—weighs in on the incredible legacy of a man that cinema scholar Jacqueline Stewart describes as “the most important Black filmmaker who ever lived. Period.