TOP TEN FILMS on Black Female Artists

WHEN I WAS ASKED TO COMPILE A LIST of the finest documentaries on Black female artists, several overlapping films came up in personal recommendations, best-of lists, and general film archive searches. On one hand, this affirms that their brilliance can be widely appreciated, rising to the top. But on the other hand, it is also telling that the most relevant films about Black women artists over the past couple decades fit on a list of 10+ films.

Documentaries about Black women artists tend to focus on the musicians, actors, and writers we know the best. But some spotlight those whose influence is undeniable, but who were anonymous footnotes in history until uncovered on film. 20 Feet from Stardom (2013) and Betty: They Say (2017) are two excellent docs that achieved exactly that.