ACCLAIMED director and actor Melvin Van Peebles, known as the “Godfather of black cinema,” has passed away at age 89 in New York City.
Van Peebles was behind iconic films such as Watermalon Man and Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, credited with ushering in the era of “blaxploitation” stories.
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Born August 21, 1932, Van Peebles was known as an American actor, filmmaker, playwright, novelist and composer.
Mario Van Peebles, a fellow actor-director, was his father. Van Peebles is best known for his part in New Jack City.
His family, Janus Films and The Criterion Collection confirmed Van Peebles’ death on Wednesday, September 21.
“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 family said in a statement cited by the Hollywood Reporter.
“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 filmSweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song; a Criterion Collection box set,Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films,next week; and a revival of his playAin’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death, slated for a return to Broadway next year.”
There was no cause of death.
TRAILBLAZER
Van Peebles was considered to have paved the way for other Black directors such as Spike Lee and John Singleton with his style of distinctive jump cuts and rapid editing.
Perhaps he is most known for the 1971 classic Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song – a blaxploitation film that he wrote, directed and starred in.
He independently funded the film and released it. It opened up the world to Black filmmakers who wanted to tell stories about Black life in America.
The screen legend famously used the film’s soundtrack featuring Earth, Wind & Fire to promote the project.
‘BLACK IMAGES MATTER’
“Dad knew that Black images matter,” said Van Peebles’ son Mario, according to Variety.
“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.”
Peebles was married to Maria Marx and had three children – Max, Mario, 65, Megan.
Megan was an actress while Max became an actor, assistant director and director.
Although her cause of death was not known, she died tragically in 2006 at the tender age of 48.
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