Readers Would Add These African-American Directors to the Criterion Collection

Like Lee, DuVernay was nominated often and for several different projects. Her period look at the 1965 civil rights demonstrations in Alabama was the film that came up the most, but readers repeatedly mentioned her 2012 drama “Middle of Nowhere,” which, as our report noted, Criterion rejected.

Honorable Mention

These films showed up on at least 10 lists:

— “Tongues Untied,” Marlon Riggs (1989)

— “Chameleon Street,” Wendell B. Harris Jr. (1991)

— “Losing Ground,” Kathleen Collins (1982)

— “Shaft,” Gordon Parks (1971)

— “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” Melvin Van Peebles. (Criterion issued this 1971 movie on laser disc, but it didn’t make the transition to the Blu-ray/DVD era.)

— “Ganja Hess,” Bill Gunn (1973)

— “Menace II Society” (1993) and “Dead Presidents” (1995), the Hughes brothers. (Criterion issued both films on laser disc, but neither made the transition.)

— “The Spook Who Sat by the Door,” Ivan Dixon (1973)

— “Friday,” F. Gary Gray (1995)

— “Hollywood Shuffle,” Robert Townsend (1987)

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/movies/black-criterion.html