Part of the Birthrights series, this BBC Two documentary is a wonderful window into the groundbreaking contributions of Black writers and creatives to the world of science fiction across literature, film and television. The program explores the evolving portrayal of Black characters and narratives in a genre often dominated by exclusionary perspectives, featuring compelling interviews with trailblazers like Octavia Butler, Samuel R. Delany, Mike Sargent, Steven Barnes and Nichelle Nichols. Celebrating the imaginative brilliance of Black sci-fi and fantasy creators, this seeks to examine the complexities of race within said genres as well as the visionary paths these resilient storytellers forge for the future of speculative fiction.
07-08-1992
1h 0m
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Main Cast
Movie Details
Production Info
Director:
Terrence Francis
Production:
BBC Two, BBC TV
Budget:
$65,000
Locations and Languages
Country:
GB
Filming:
GB
Languages:
en
Main Cast
Octavia E. Butler
Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction author and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.
Born in Pasadena, California, Butler was raised by her widowed mother. Extremely shy as a child, Butler found an outlet at the library reading fantasy, and in writing. She began writing science fiction as a teenager. She attended community college during the Black Power movement, and while participating in a local writer's workshop was encouraged to attend the Clarion Workshop, which focused on science fiction.
She soon sold her first stories and by the late 1970s had become sufficiently successful as an author that she was able to pursue writing full-time. Her books and short stories drew the favorable attention of the public and awards soon followed. She also taught writer's workshops, and eventually relocated to Washington state. Butler died of a stroke at the age of 58. Her papers are held in the research collection of the Huntington Library.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Octavia E. Butler, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Nichelle Nichols (born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932 - July 30, 2022) was an American actress, singer and voice artist.
She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting. Her most famous role is that of communications officer Lieutenant Uhura aboard the USS Enterprise in the popular Star Trek television series, as well as the succeeding motion pictures, where her character was eventually promoted in Starfleet to the rank of commander. In 2006, she added executive producer to her résumé.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Nichelle Nichols, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.