Through a Lens Darkly

Film by Thomas Allen Harris, 2014. This film is not rated, 92 minutes.

African American communities have used the camera as a tool for social change from the invention of photography to the present. The first documentary to explore the American family photo album through the eyes of black photographers, Through a Lens Darkly probes the recesses of American history to discover images that have been suppressed, forgotten and lost. From slavery to the present, these extraordinary images unveil a world confronting the difficult edges of citizenship and what it means to be human.

Inspired by Deborah Willis’s book Reflections in Black and featuring works by Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Anthony Barboza, Hank Willis Thomas and many others, Through a Lens Darkly introduces the viewer to a community of storytellers who collectively transform singular experiences into a journey of discovery – and a call to action.

Join Tinworks at the Rialto for free, monthly screenings of films surrounding topics and themes associated with Chisel & Razor: The Artistic Legacies of Edmonia & Samuel Lewis exhibition. Popcorn available for donations and open to the public. Registration not required.