Should Our Fantasies Be Diverse?

 

Like most of Generation X and our younger counterparts, I grew up on "Star Wars" and am as excited about the new "The Force Awakens" movie as the entire world - make that galaxy - seems to be. 

It's encouraging that the cast is diverse, with African actors Lupita Nyong'o and John Boyega and Latino actor Oscar Isaac. However, there have been many fantasy films released over the past few years that have virtually no diversity at all: "The Lord of the Rings" series and modern spins on fairy tales such as "Pan" and "Into the Woods."

Does it matter if our culture's fantasy stories are diverse? 

I would argue that it does matter. Why? Because fantasies, by definition, reflect the way the world should be. And shouldn't an idealized version of the world include a fair representation of the world's people?

 

There has been progress in big-screen diversity in recent years, but I'm hard-pressed to think of many fantasy films with an all-black cast. In fact, I can only think of one: 1978's "The Wiz." 

This black take on "The Wizard of Oz" was considered a commercial and critical failure at the time. But the success of the newest version of "The Wiz," which was broadcast live on NBC on Dec. 3, shows that all-black productions of fantasy tales can, indeed, attract a sizeable audience. "The Wiz Live!" was such a hit that it's scheduled to be re-broadcast Dec. 19 at 8 p.m.

Beyond "The Wiz," could a fantasy film with a cast that was all black, Latino, Asian or another minority group be successful? Could such a film even get financed and made?

Diversity advocates have long said that in order for minorities to be cast as central characters in mainstream movies and television shows, more people of color need to be behind the camera in decision-making positions. In order for a big-budget fantasy film to be made with an all-black cast, it would probably take a black producer or director with the clout of J.J. Abrams, the creative force (pardon the pun) behind the new "Star Wars" franchise. 

The lack of diversity in the fantasy genre came up during one of the coolest events I attended in 2015: Sol-Con: The Black and Brown Comic Book Expo. The first-ever event was held Oct. 3-4 on the campus of my alma mater, The Ohio State University. 

Sol-Con: The Black and Brown Comic Book Expo featured artists
of color from all over the country.

The event featured dozens of African-American and Latino writers, artists and filmmakers from all over the country showcasing their independently produced comic books, graphic novels and movies.  As one African-American comic book artist pointed out during a panel discussion, why couldn't one of the main characters in a fantasy film like "The Hunger Games" be a person of color? For example, one of the guys in the love triangle with main character Katniss Everdeen could have been played by a black, Latino or Asian actor. 

Furthermore, why couldn't one of the kids in a sci-fi movie like "Super 8" (written and directed by J.J. Abrams) have been black or a member of some other under-represented group? 

It's discouraging that when fantasy films do include diverse casting, fans sometimes react negatively. The fact that a black actor (Boyega) plays a Stormtrooper in "The Force Awakens" has generated racist comments on social media. The same thing happened when Michael B. Jordan was cast as The Human Torch in last summer's "The Fantastic Four." 

Why do some fantasy/sci-fi fans find "colorblind" casting so threatening?

I don't remember there being any controversy over Billy Dee Williams being cast as Lando Calrissian in 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back." I was just a kid back then, but I don't remember it being a big deal at all.

The prevailing sentiment over Williams' casting among "Star Wars" fans seemed to be, "A handsome, suave black man is playing a character in a 'Star Wars' movie? Cool." I also don't remember any outcry from fans over James Earl Jones being revealed as the voice of Darth Vader.

Have we regressed as a society in terms of race relations since the original "Star Wars" trilogy was first released in the '70s and '80s? Hopefully not. Hopefully we'll keep moving forward.

 

May The Force be with us. 

Wexner's 'Picture Lock': World-Class Networking Opportunity For Film Lovers

I was honored recently to participate in "Picture Lock," the Wexner Center for the Art's 25th anniversary of its film/video residency program. Filmmakers from around the world who have participated in the program over the years - myself included - converged on my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 29-Nov. 1 for the celebration.

The Wexner Center's film residency program enables independent filmmakers to use the organization's world-class facility on the campus of The Ohio State University. Filmmakers are able to use Wexner's production and editing equipment and receive assistance from the experienced staff to complete their projects.

Many of the projects that have received support from Wexner in the past two and a half decades are non-commercial movies that wouldn't receive backing from major studios, from experimental art films to documentaries on little-known subjects.

My project falls into the latter category. I was fortunate to participate in Wexner's film residency program for two weeks in the summer of 2013 (click this link to access several blog posts I made about the experience). The project I worked on during my residency is a documentary titled Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring.

A still from my documentary, Lady Wrestler.

The documentary chronicles the experiences of women such as Babs Wingo, Ethel Johnson, Marva Scott and Ramona Isbell. These courageous women braved racism and sexism in the '50s, '60s and '70s to compete around the world in the male-dominated professional wrestling industry.

I've made some additional tweaks to the project since my Wexner residency and plan to begin entering the documentary in film festivals in 2016. Stay tuned to this blog and my website (www.chrisbournea.com) for details.

Participating in "Picture Lock" offered a valuable opportunity to network with like-minded individuals who grew up loving the movies and share a passion for everything related to film. Getting a chance to compare notes and share best practices is vitally important for those of us who live and work outside of the major entertainment hubs of New York and L.A. (I still live in Columbus).

And I must admit, seeing my photo among dozens of other filmmakers displayed on a wall in the Wexner Center gallery was pretty cool.

Like the closing credits in a movie, I must give a big shout-out to everyone in the Wexner's Film/Video staff: David Filipi, director; Jennifer Lange, curator; Chris Stults, associate curator; and Mike Olenick, studio editor. And last but not least, Paul Hill, studio editor and my longtime close friend whose hard work, generosity, patience and unwavering support has been invaluable over the years.