The impact of black storytelling

In the article below, it goes into detail the impact of taking the power to tell the stories by the same people experiencing these stories. It is important for those who feel isolated that they are not alone, and that their story is worth telling, especially on the big screen.


https://qz.com/919985/oscars-2017-moonlight-wins-best-picture-and-sends-a-powerful-message-about-black-cinema/

Director Barry Jenkins on Creating Empathy Through His Film 'Moonlight'

In this video, Barry Jenkins, the director of "Moonlight", speaks on the ability of creating empathy for a story and a character that he might not necessarily relate with. Telling this story even though he doesn't identify with being part of the LGBTQ community is powerful because it shows that there are active ways to show support for a group, rather than just verbally support it through words.

Performativity of masculinity

Below is an article about masculinity and social expectations of what a man is supposed to be, especially an African American man. Being "hard, aggressive and emotionally ambiguous" is the expectation of what is the be a man, hiding who you truly are under this facade that society expects you to be.




https://oneroomwithaview.com/2017/02/17/moonlight-performativity-masculinity/

Being vulnerable is OK

Andre Holland, the actor who plays the adult version of Kevin, who is Chiron's childhood friend in the film talks about the idea of having to be tough and "masculine" and how religion has played a part in the idea of masculinity in the black community. He also talks about the importance of being vulnerable and that it is OK to be who you truly are.

The complexities of a film and real life

Moonlight is the first LGBTQ centered film with an all-black cast to win an academy award but it's story of a black man in America goes much deeper. The culmination of Chiron, the main character of the film translates to reality relating to the story of Bayna El-Amin or how a Yale study found pre-school teachers tend to look at black boys first when asked to look for signs of trouble. This article connects many of the issues the film portrays into real life situations.










https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/29/moonlight-movie-barry-jenkins-black-gay