Imitation of Mammy

A short documentary about how the "Mammy" archetype impacts the relationship between white women and black women in cinema. Created through Alrick Brown's "Black Image in Cinema" NYU class.

Artist's statement from director Ava Emilione:

"In my Black Image in Cinema class, we watched multiple films featuring the mammy figure. This hyperbolic caricature and her prevalence in pop culture intrigued me, so I wanted to learn more. The mammy is simultaneously a manifestation of white supremacist media and some of the earliest opportunities for black women to have notable roles on screen. I wanted to explore that complicated history in this piece because the mammy is an important element of black history that should not be forgotten."

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