Coming To Theaters: White Lies, Black Sheep - Life as a Black Rocker? Maybe

In 2006, a movie came out called "Afro-Punk". The film, by James Spooner, was toted as being a film that would explore the world of what it was like to be black in a mostly-white sub-culture such as punk and metal. The film was, as you may have guessed, slanted towards the idea that blacks were ostracized by their friends to some minor degree. It touched the idea of blacks into metal were considered by some whites to be called "Safe blacks", something I will admit I've felt from time to time in my life, but not really. I guess growing up in a major city in the 90's to today means the experince of the director and some of the people in the film would be pretty different than, say, a rural area in the 70's and 80's.

He has a new film called "White Lies, Black Sheep" and the description is as follows:

A.J.'s real name is Ajamu Talib. His dislike for his African name is the least of his problems, still it says a lot about him. Brooklyn born and bred yet outcast by his peers, his only escape was music. A.J. found freedom in rock n roll.

Tight clothes, straightened hair, popular with girls and partying every night, he is fully entrenched, in the debaucherous New York rock n roll scene. For once he feels like everyone else. Well almost.

He begins to find that his chosen community, the white rock world, only seems to run smoothly for white rockers. A series of events force him to recognize his friends both exotify him and are in denial of his blackness. Black, but not "really" black. What's a young black rocker to do?

Shot in venues capturing NYC crowds, this film features live performances from Antibalas, Moldy Peaches, Theo, The SkyScrapers and Panther.

"White Lies, Black Sheep" is one of those films where the locations and the city itself are as important as the story. Much like Taxi Driver, Wild Style, Downtown 81, or Kids, "White Lies" is sure to be used as a reference point, establishing for future generations just what New York was like, back in early second millennium.

My thoughts? I think everything I just said is going to apply here.

The most annoying thing about being a black metal head or black punk (whatever I choose to do at the time) hasn't been from my fellow group of outcasts, but from other blacks. Ask any black person who is into a sub-culture; blacks tend to be insanely conservative and their hatred of outcasts, even in a major city, rival those of people in redneck areas. Its annoying, frustrating, and really, that's where I've seen the most problems in my life.

People in the metal and punk world tend to not care what someone is. In the end, we're all part of the same group of outcasts. Will punks make fun of emo-kids? Yes. Will emo-kids make fun of goths? Yeah. Does anyone give a shit about race? Only the skinheads, and there aren't a lot of those.

I do recommend giving the film a chance. Hey, $5? I don't mind! It could be good!

Where & When
Sedgwick Theater
7137 Germantown Ave
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19119
August 22, 2009
7PM
$5