Within Our Gates (partially found silent film; 1920)
Within Our Gates, directed by Oscar Micheaux, is the oldest surviving film directed by an African American filmmaker.[1] Released in 1920, the film was extremely controversial with various scenes being cut at different screenings.[2] Shortly after the film's release, it was lost for decades.[2]
Rediscovery
In 1970, a print was found in Spain. However, all but four of the original English intertitles had been replaced with Spanish.[2] In 1992, Within Our Gates was selected by the Library of Congress to be restored and added to the National Film Registry.[3]
Status
Aside from the four surviving English intertitles, Micheaux's original text remains lost. The Library of Congress's restoration of Within Our Gates contains only approximations of what Micheaux originally said.[1]
External Links
- Wikipedia article on Within Our Gates.
- Archive.org video of surviving footage on Within Our Gates.
- IMDb's page on Within Our Gates.