Film 4

Film 4 serves as a fragmented yet profound visual ledger of the African American experience during the late 1920s, captured through the lens of Solomon Sir Jones. Rather than a traditional narrative, this collection of 16mm footage functions as a moving-image map, traversing the vibrant streets of Indianapolis, the domestic quietude of Denison, Texas, and the bustling spiritual hubs of Nashville and Memphis. The film documents the 'New Negro' movement in real-time, focusing on the pillars of the community: the church, the home, and the burgeoning Black business sector, including a rare and dignified look at an African American undertaker’s operations. It is a silent witness to a self-sufficient society thriving within the constraints of the era, preserved not as a story with a beginning and end, but as a living record of presence and persistence.