The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)
91%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 8 nominations
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is a riveting and thought-provoking documentary that transports viewers back to a pivotal moment in American history. Through a combination of archival footage and contemporary interviews, director Goran Olsson captures the raw energy and passion of the Black Power movement, while also exploring its complexities and contradictions. From the fiery speeches of Stokely Carmichael to the poignant reflections of Angela Davis, the film offers a multifaceted portrait of a movement that continues to resonate today. With its powerful soundtrack and innovative structure, The Black Power Mixtape is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of race and social justice in America.
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is a documentary that takes you back in time to the era of the Black Power movement. It’s not your typical documentary, but rather a raw and intimate look at the people who were part of this movement. From unrepentant revolutionaries like Angela Davis to their bell-bottomed white lawyers, this film is both thrilling and amusing. With music by the Roots and Michael Jackson, it’s a mind-expanding experience that corrects misconceptions and sets history straight. It’s a must-watch for anyone interested in the history of the Black Power movement and its impact on American society.
Production Company(ies)
Absolute Clay Productions, Quincy Jones Productions, Shadow Catcher Entertainment,
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2011
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 40m
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Language(s):English, Swedish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 13, 2011
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, black power movement, Sweden, journalists, interviews, speeches, Stokely Carmichael, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, Harry Belafonte, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, directed by Göran Olsson, written by Göran Olsson, produced by Annika Rogell, Axel Arnö, Gaspard Lamunière, reviewed by Mark Sinker, Ina Diane Archer, Lisa Kennedy, Joe Williams, Tom Long, Marc Savlov, Barbara Shulgasser, David Lamble, B Ruby Rich, Ren Jender, Steve Erickson, Stuart Klawans, starring Abiodun Oyewole, MPAA rating R, box office performance $264.3K, budget unknown, documentary film, racial politics, civil rights, oppression, prejudice, discrimination, social justice, historical footage, African American studies, contemporary commentary, professors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, bias, propaganda, unbalanced, eye-opening, emotional, chilling, moving, vital, modern American history, outsider perspective, incendiary events, powerful, raw, remarkable, mutual transformation, real time
Worldwide gross: $280,256
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $368,956
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,812
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 40,235
US/Canada gross: $273,749
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $360,390
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,417
US/Canada opening weekend: $17,316
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $22,796
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,466
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): SEK 5,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Talib Kweli – Voice
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Voice
Angela Davis – Voice
Harry Belafonte – Voice
Erykah Badu – Voice
Director(s)
Göran Olsson
Writer(s)
Göran Olsson
Producer(s)
Annika Rogell, Axel Arnö, Gaspard Lamunière
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (53) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (4)
By resisting the impulse to let present-day moralists tamp the story into safe hindsight shape… it allows us to glimpse rawer and more remarkable elements of mutual transformation in real time.
July 6, 2018
Mark Sinker
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Olsson includes material that might typically have been considered outtakes and lets clips play at length, reinforcing an impression of intimacy with the participants in the scene.
November 5, 2013
Ina Diane Archer
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Broken into nine chapters — one for each year — the documentary isn’t a rigorous work but a felt piece of vital, if flawed, art.
November 4, 2011 | Rating: 3/4
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
It’s thrilling to hear from unrepentant revolutionaries such as Angela Davis and amusing to hear from their bell-bottomed white lawyers.
October 28, 2011 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is not your standard documentary dealing with racism in America.
October 21, 2011 | Rating: B-
Tom Long
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
The timing of this release is more than perfect. And the story behind the film is nearly as interesting as the stories it tells.
October 21, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Docu about Black Power movement; language, violence.
July 14, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Barbara Shulgasser
Common Sense Media
With music by the Roots and Michael Jackson, this mind-expanding doc is an appropriate companion piece to Harvard Law School Professor Randall Kennedy’s penetrating new volume, Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency.
June 10, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
The result is astonishing, for stereotypes have long since replaced the vivid realities of that moment; now, revivified, its actors spin back into action, misconceptions corrected, history set straight.
February 28, 2020
B. Ruby Rich
Film Quarterly
A film that does seem eerily relevant right now is The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975.
March 12, 2019
Ren Jender
Bitch Flicks
The territory covered by “The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” is relatively fresh, especially for viewers who didn’t live through the period.
March 5, 2018
Steve Erickson
Gay City News
The best thing about The Black Power Mixtape is that it plays out our disagreements, then and now, and plays them loud. Listen.
January 9, 2018
Stuart Klawans
The Nation…
Plot
Footage shot by a group of Swedish journalists documenting the Black Power Movement in the United States is edited together by a contemporary Swedish filmmaker.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 features commentary from notable voices such as Talib Kweli, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, and Erykah Badu.
Göran-Olsson.jpg
