Famed filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, known for notable films likeSweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss SongandWatermelon Man,died Tuesday in his Manhattan home, Deadline reports. He was 89 years of age. Mario Van Peebles, the son of Van Peebles confirmed the news via a statement.
“Dad knew that Black images matter. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what was a movie worth? We want to be the success we see, thus we need to see ourselves being free. True liberation did not mean imitating the colonizer’s mentality. It meant appreciating the power, beauty, and interconnectivity of all people,” Mario Van Peebles said.
Janus Films and Criterion Collection both responded to the news by posting a tribute on Twitter. “In an unparalleled career, distinguished by relentless innovation, boundless curiosity, and spiritual empathy, Melvin Van Peebles made an indelible mark on the international cultural landscape through his films, novels, plays, and music. His work continues to be essential and is being celebrated at the New York Film Festival this weekend with a 50th-anniversary screening of his landmark film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” The company tweeted.
Melvin Van Peebles was born on August 21, 1932, in Chicago. He started his career by creating short films before going on to write and direct feature projects like 1967’s The Story of a Three-Day Pass. The story tells the story of a Black GI, who is fired for his affair with a Parisian white shop clerk. The next movie he picked up wasWatermelon Man(1970). Based on Herman Raugher’s screenplay, the film tells the story of a white bigot in search of his new pigment.
He’s likely most recognized for writing, directing, producing, and starring in his 1971 blaxploitation film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. The film, which was selected to be part of the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry last season, is about an orphan who was raised at a brothel. He learns how to avoid compromising positions and is prepared to take on racism in Los Angeles.
Many in the film industry felt the loss of the filmmaker. Ava DuVernay, the director, shared a quote from the prolific writer/director in response to the news. “‘You have to not let yourself believe you can’t. Do what you can do within the framework you have. And don’t look outside. Look inside.’ ― the iconic artist, filmmaker, actor, playwright, novelist, composer, and sage Melvin Van Peebles, who has gone home at the age of 89,” she tweeted.