Acclaimed filmmaker, two documentaries highlight Black History Month

Cornell Cinema and Africana Studies will host filmmaker St. Clair Bourne at a screening of his new documentary about actor and activist Paul Robeson, shown here in his groundbreaking performance as Othello.

In honor of Black History Month, Cornell Cinema presents the Ithaca premiere of the documentary "Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords" Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 7:30 p.m. Winner of the Freedom of Expression award at the Sundance Film Festival, Stanley Nelson's film interweaves archival photographs, documentary footage and interviews with historians and journalists to chronicle the rich history of African-American newspapers. Variety called the film "an enlightening and engrossing history lesson" that chronicles the history of the black press from the founding of the first U.S. African-American newspaper in 1827, through J. Edgar Hoover's efforts to muzzle the black press during World War II, up to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. Cosponsored with Africana Studies.

On Tuesday, Feb. 29, at 7 p.m. acclaimed documentarian St. Clair Bourne will make a special guest appearance at the showing of his most recent film, "Paul Robeson: Here I Stand!" This new film biography examines the life and career of performer, scholar, activist and sports legend Paul Robeson, one of the most visible and influential African-Americans of his time. When Robeson's views on race and class resulted in harassment by the U.S. government and the revocation of his passport, the civil rights pioneer refused to renounce either his country or his opinions. Interviews with Harry Belafonte, Pete Seeger, Ossie Davis, and many others make this startling portrait the definitive film about Robeson. St. Clair Bourne, whose documentaries about Langston Hughes and Amiri Baraka, among others, have received international recognition, will introduce the film and take questions after the screening. Cosponsored with Africana Studies and the Department of Theatre, Film and Dance. Both films will be shown in Willard Straight Theatre. Admission is $4.50/$4 for students, seniors and children 12 and under.