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How It Feels to Be Free

How It Feels to Be Free

Representation Score

7.3/10

Good

2021

TV-14

Director

Yoruba Richen

Runtime

120 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

How It Feels to Be Free is a sophisticated exploration of the multi-layered experiences of Black women. By focusing on their ability to act, the film deconstructs the power dynamics of the mid-20th-century entertainment industry. The documentary effectively highlights how race, gender, and identity intersect to challenge dominant cultural hierarchies. However, it does not significantly address physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

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Category Breakdown

Does How It Feels to Be Free have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film explores how LGBTQ entertainers challenged traditional social norms and reclaimed their identities in spaces that historically demanded conformity.

How does How It Feels to Be Free portray gender?

Excellent

The documentary highlights how six iconic women actively shaped their legacies, challenging traditional gender hierarchies and taking control of their stories.

How racially and ethnically diverse is How It Feels to Be Free?

Excellent

This study focuses on Black women and how they used their platforms to challenge systemic racism and demand fair representation.

How does How It Feels to Be Free represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film examines how Western institutions were used as tools of oppression, highlighting the tension between individual identity and restrictive social codes.

Does How It Feels to Be Free include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the film.

Present on Screen

  • Focuses on the multi-layered experiences and ability to act of Black women.
  • Highlights the active role of women in shaping their legacies.
  • Examines how identity challenges traditional social norms.

Limited or Absent

  • Inclusion of representation regarding physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Tells the inspiring story of how six iconic African American female entertainers – Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier – challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process.

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