F I L M G H O U L

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (Göran Hugo Olsson, 2011)

Upon first viewing, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer visual power of The Black Power Mixtape but underneath its beautiful surface (which, in addition, is aurally complemented by an incredible soundtrack by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots and Om’Mas Keith of Sa-Ra) lies a stunning wealth of knowledge and information. Covering the Black Power Movement, as perceived by a handful of Swedish journalists and cinematographers from, as the title indicates, 1967 to 1975, The Black Power Mixtape is edited entirely of repurposed and jaw-droppingly beautiful 16mm footage from the period. Olsson, keen editor, gives voice to Black Power leaders and thinkers in unprecedented ways - merely offering an objective compilation that doesn’t pretend to show all sides of the Movement, but rather what the footage allowed — which remains impressive, Stokely Carmichael, Angela Davis (above, in the film’s most impactful scene) sharing screentime with the likes of Lewis H. Michaux, Eldridge Cleaver or Louis Farrakhan. Additionally, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, Melvin Van Peebles, Harry Belafonte and many others are invited to comment and reflect on the footage in the form of narration. Always insightful and never disruptive, these present-day interviews are used as soundclips to accompany the footage, and the film, rather than being the conventional documentary, becomes an incredible and uncompromising time-travel experience one does not come back from unchanged. Interestingly, the film reflects on its nature as a Swedish production, admitting to a perhaps unwarranted outsider’s perspective while simultaneously strongly confirming its validity and subversive power. Easily one of the best documentaries - or biblio-doc as, it has been pointed out to me, is the appropriate term for documentaries with no new footage in them - I have ever seen, The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is absolutely essential and life-changing. 

For much more on the film, read Kier-la Janisse’s expansive interview with director Göran Hugo Olssen via Spectacular Optical, ideally while listening to the beautiful soundtrack, which, due to “complicated rights issues” is available on Soundcloud, uploaded by a certain Limpasen, which seems to be the director himself.