"Through A Lens Darkly" at George Mason University

George Mason University’s Visiting Filmmakers Series to bring Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People and filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris and co-producer Deborah Willis to the Johnson Center Cinema on March 16, 2015 at 4:30pm. Discussion to follow. The event is free and open to the public.

The first documentary to explore the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations and social emergence of African Americans from slavery to the present, Through a Lens Darkly probes the recesses of American history by discovering images that have been suppressed, forgotten, and lost. Bringing to light the hidden and unknown photos shot by both professional and vernacular African American photographers, the film opens a window onto lives, experiences and perspectives of black families absent from the traditional historical canon. These images show a much more complex and nuanced view of American culture and society and its founding ideals. Inspired by co-producer and GMU alumnus Deborah Willis’ book, Reflections in Black, Through a Lens Darkly casts a broad net that begins with filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris’ family album. It considers the difference between black photographers who use the camera to define themselves, their people, and their culture and other photographers who, historically, have framed black subjects differently.