Everyone knows the phrase “Black is Beautiful,” but few know of the man who helped popularize it. Harlem based photographer, freedom fighter and activist Kwame Brathwaite took 500,000 photos across his 70-year career, always devoted to celebrating the joy and beauty of African American life.
Starting from Harlem in the 1950s and working until his death in 2023, Brathwaite photographed such icons as Stevie Wonder, Muhammad Ali, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, and the Jackson Five. But he also found beauty in regular folk on the streets.
At a time when this was deemed radical, Kwame’s photos of black communities and people focused on celebration and joy instead of trauma and conflict. Kwame also pioneered grassroots fashion shows that created a space to discover and share natural black beauty, heralding a new dawn across the globe.
This BC Premiere is part of our Celebrating Black Futures series co-presented with Vancouver Art Gallery and curated by Kika Memeh.
Co-Presented by
Yemi Bamiro
Kwame S. Brathwaite, Robynn Brathwaite, Sikolo Brathwaite, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Gabrielle Union
UK
2025
English
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Kwame S. Brathwaite, Robynn Brathwaite, Jamey Heath, Endyia Kinney-Sterns, John Logan Pierson, Alicia Keys, Kasseem ’Swizz Beatz’ Dean, Robin Bronk, Moby, Lindsay Hicks, Andee Ryder, Elisabeth D’arvieu, Imene Meziane, Ryan Haidarian
Producer
Joanna Boateng, Lizzie Gillett, Ian Bonhôte, Andrew Calof
Screenwriter
Otto Burnham, Yemi Bamiro
Cinematography
Jean-Louis Schuller
Original Music
Kwes Wren, Marli Wren
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