Some of the most exciting documentaries are the ones where the “documentary” label doesn’t do the work justice.
On the basis of his first two features, director Khalik Allah’s work exists within such energizing, unclassifiable terrain.
His formally daring, hourlong 2015 breakout “Field Niggas” was a dreamlike assemblage of impoverished Harlem faces, drifting through the after hours in slo-mo set to their philosophical lamentations.While Allah applied some of his expressionistic approach to cinematography work on Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” the next year, he has continued to hone a daring, non-linear approach to transforming underrepresented stories into dazzling, experimental filmic essays.
His latest feature, “Black Mother,” is a challenging and profound deep-dive into Jamaican identity that rewards repeat viewings and confirms the aesthetic of a visionary filmmaker.As with “Field Niggas,” Allah’s approach has the immersive qualities of installation art, even as he stuffs a preponderance of evocative visuals
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