A cinematic legacy continues: Haile Gerima’s “Bush Mama” and Merawi Gerima’s “Residue” featured in “L.A. Rebellion: Then and Now” at Film at Lincoln Cente in New York. (Photos courtesy of Film at Lincoln Center)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: April 25th, 2025
New York (TADIAS) – This month, Film at Lincoln Center is presenting L.A. Rebellion: Then and Now (April 25–May 4), a landmark film series revisiting the pioneering work of Black filmmakers who emerged from UCLA in the 1970s and ’80s. Known collectively as the L.A. Rebellion, these directors—including Haile Gerima, Julie Dash, and Charles Burnett—redefined Black cinema and helped reshape American film culture.
Among the featured filmmakers is Ethiopian-born director Haile Gerima, whose groundbreaking films Bush Mama (1979) and Ashes and Embers (1982) are part of the retrospective. Both screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with Gerima, offering audiences a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of the movement’s founding voices.
The series also includes Residue (2020) by Merawi Gerima, Haile Gerima’s son, highlighting the continued influence of the L.A. Rebellion on a new generation of diasporic filmmakers. Residue will screen alongside Brick by Brick by Merawi’s mother, Shirikiana Aina, a longtime collaborator and filmmaker in her own right. A Q&A with Merawi Gerima will follow the April 25 screening.
Curated by Claire Diao and co-organized by Madeline Whittle, L.A. Rebellion: Then and Now pairs classic and contemporary works from artists across the African diaspora to explore shared themes of identity, resistance, and representation. The series reflects the movement’s enduring impact on global cinema and invites reflection on the evolving narrative of Black life onscreen.
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If You Go:
Showtimes, film descriptions, and ticket information are available at filmlinc.org.
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