Inspired and named after a 1923 all-Black-cast movie, ‘Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971’, which is currently on show at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), explores the overlooked legacy of Blacks in American film from the dawn of cinema through to the civil rights movement. Originally organised by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the exhibition aims to bring lost or forgotten films, filmmakers and performers to a contemporary audience, while at the same time, highlighting how trailblazing African American artists persisted, despite barriers of discrimination and prejudice, in order to showcase their talent, tenacity and commitment to creative expression.
