Representing Cultures in American Independent Films explores diversity in American independent films. How are different groups, cultures, and ideologies represented in the film industry through some of the critical lenses independent filmmakers bring to the table? As broad and vague as the word “diversity” might sound, it is closely and deeply related to us. To put it in a simple way, each of us comes from our unique background and has our own ways of navigating the world. In films, we can see how the diverse backgrounds of filmmakers play out in styles and stories and how the screenplays highlight different cultures and perspectives.
The film industry today is not a one-sided story anymore. Participants of the industry, the production companies, filmmakers, artists, and spectators, all have their own opinions and showcase them in different productions and reviews. While some of the mainstream Hollywood studios like Marvel provide their own take on diversity in box office hits such as Black Panther (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), and Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings (2021), indie filmmakers have been on the road to discover authentic cultural representations for a long time. And what makes them special is their less constrained styles and takes on a variety of topics. Here, we bring to you a series of American indie films that represent different cultures in their own ways.
Leonard Bernstein once said, “[a] work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them.” The aim here is not to give an answer to authentic cultural representation, but to provoke questions, thoughts and discussions.