‘BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions’ Review: Kahlil Joseph’s Feature Debut Is a Kinetic Tribute to Black Experimentalists

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For many decades prior to his death in 1963, scholar W.E.B. DuBois tirelessly endeavored to bring to life an encyclopedia focused on the histories and cultures of peoples of African descent. He recruited allies, made appeals to fellow academics, and sought financial backing for this multi-volume endeavor from various government bodies and philanthropists. Regrettably, DuBois’ vision remained unfulfilled until 1999, when Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Kwame Anthony Appiah, along with Wole Soyinka and a worldwide network of artists and scholars, ultimately published the encyclopedia known as Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African-American Experience.

DuBois’ project aims to provide the new generation with information about Black people that matches the comprehensiveness of the Encyclopedia Britannica, a goal that permeates Kahlil Joseph’s captivating first film, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions. This work is a dynamic fusion of an Afro-futurist storyline, extensive research from Black visual and multimedia archives spanning decades, and personal narratives.

As a passionate gamer immersed in the world of art, I’ve delved into my creative project named “BLKNWS.” Building on its 2019 installation, I weave together a narrative about a journalist covering a bustling Transatlantic Biennale, interspersing it with works from visionary Black artists such as Senga Nengudi, Maren Hassinger, Garrett Bradley, Raven Jackson, Ja’Tovia Gary, and Alex Bell. The ideas in my film are fortified by the scholarly works of Saidiya Hartman, Christina Sharpe, and Dionne Brand. I draw inspiration for the film’s innovative form from the masterpieces of Jean-Luc Godard, Arthur Jafa, and Julie Dash. Additionally, I dedicate “BLKNWS” to honor my late brother Noah Davis, a brilliant visual artist and co-founder of the Underground Museum in Los Angeles.

Interestingly, similar to DuBois’ encyclopedia, the terms and conditions for BLKNWS had an unconventional journey leading up to its premiere at Sundance. Originally, the movie was pulled from the festival by its financier, Participant Media, who claimed that the director showed a hidden version of the film to critics. However, in a last-minute rescue, producer James Shani purchased the film, which was screened on Monday in the NEXT sidebar of the festival.

We’re incredibly fortunate for this indeed. BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions serves as a rich repository of Black perspectives and creativity for ex-Tumblr users. Notably, Joseph, recognized for his collaboration on the movie accompanying Beyonce’s Lemonade, curates songs, memes, videos, and photos at a pace equivalent to scrolling. Unlike our progressively distorted and anger-provoking algorithms, BLKNWS offers an enlightening experience. The director, who collaborated on the editing with Luke Lynch and Paul Rogers (Everything Everywhere All At Once)), provides a platform for exploration and a vibrant homage to Black avant-garde work.

BLKNWS is primarily inspired by the vibrant improvisation of jazz and the profound film essays by Jafa titled “Love Is The Message, The Message Is Death” and “Dreams are Colder than Death”. Similar to these works, BLKNWS roots its contemplations on Black futures in groundbreaking research. Jafa delved into the work of Hortense Spillers, while Joseph references Saidiya Hartman’s books “Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments” and “Scattered Empires”, Christina Sharpe’s “In the Wake”, Dionne Brand’s poetry, the late Nigerian curator and art critic Okwui Enwezor’s work, among others.

Joseph’s tale is built upon research about Sarah, a journalist (Shaunette Renée Wilson), who covers the imaginary Transatlantic Biennale – an art exhibition held on a luxurious ship named The Nautica. Eager to contact Funmilayo Akachukwu (Kaneza Schaal), the curator spearheading this grand endeavor, Sarah is at the heart of this narrative. Over approximately three centuries, their stories intertwine, mirroring the historical connection between Funmilayo and Sarah in a broad, sweeping manner reminiscent of the film ‘Neptune Frost’ by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman.

Despite some questionable aspects of the world building in Joseph’s screenplay, the director deliberately explores a future deeply immersed in art from the African diaspora, given its increasing significance. This perspective is clearly reflected through Enwezor’s influence: The director skillfully weaves in interviews conducted by the late curator, who passionately argued that African art was not only on par with but often surpassed European art. The dreamlike timeline is expertly captured by Bradford Young, serving as the cinematographer.

As a passionate viewer of BLKNWS, I’ve noticed that the threads within it vary in strength. Joseph presents an intriguing docudrama about DuBois’ last days, though it lacks authenticity. Despite the director’s humorous disclaimer that this film is not a documentary, the more fictional elements tend to stand out.

Joseph skillfully blends real stories like that of Anas Aremeyaw Anas, a Ghanaian undercover journalist who hides his identity beneath a beaded curtain on a bucket hat, with Sarah and Funmilayo’s tale. The central program, BLKNWS, is particularly captivating. Here, the director envisions a news station staffed by real anchors offering investigations, in-depth reporting, and podcast interviews – truly a fascinating creation.

Linking all these aspects is Joseph’s own narrative about his bond with DuBois’ project. Prior to the director making a humorous disclaimer that BLKNWS isn’t a documentary, he tells a story, using open captions, of how his father gave an edition of Africana to his brother who passed away from cancer in 2015. This touched off Joseph, who frequently references the text within BLKNWS. Almost every historical fact or cultural work is accompanied by its corresponding page number from the encyclopedia, emphasizing that BLKNWS serves as a contemporary index, tying Joseph’s work to DuBois’ project. There’s also an emotional component to these citations and how they let Joseph revisit his family history.

To someone who admires Davis and his work at The Underground Museum, BLKNWS seems just as much a celebration of Black culture as it is an homage to the innovative minds of Joseph and his sibling.

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2025-01-30 02:55