Unit 4

Films like Middle of Nowhere are important because they tell the stories that mmost people shy away from. Nobody wants to be the one to talk about what happens to a woman when her man is incarcerated. Or how a woman can focus on a career and miss out on love and stable relationships. So much so that she is willing to settle for the wrong person just to have somebody. (Being Mary Jane) It is important to tell those stories because these are real life situations that everyday people go through. People need to see themselves reflected on screen. From these films I learned that black women do not always have to be a costar or exist in relevance to the man and his story. She can have her own story too.  It is smart to make films with the black woman in mind because we as black women are often overlooked. There are so many untold stories from the perspective of African American women.

Attached is the pilot episode of Being Mary Jane. The quality of the video isn’t very good but the message is the same. Black women can be anything, and do not have to exist with a man. Mary Jane has a career and a life filled with obstacles. Much like regular women today.

https://youtu.be/-iKlsg5qHFs