In 2015, her film losing ground, which had shown at festivals in 1982. She excels at her job, but her friends worry about her mysterious habit of dying in the line of duty without staying dead. Finding her artist husband away from their upstate ny summer studio, professor sara seret scott fends off a student filmmaker, then locates victor bill gunn who has, it turns out, been painting a puerto rican model maritza rivera, in director kathleen collins losing. This year, one of the festivals major draws is a rare screening of kathleen collins losing ground 1982 on march 30. The film that opens the series, kathleen collinss losing ground, from 1982, will play for a week, making up for the fact that it has never had a theatrical release. Also collected here is the work collins wrote for the screen and stage. Losing ground 1982 is one of the few independent films made in the 1980s by a black woman director. In losing ground, collins filmed the story of a professor of french philosophy at c. Kathleen collins kathleen collins biography poem hunter. Kathleen collins sadly died at the age of 46, never seeing her own work published. The film that opens the series, kathleen collinss losing ground, from.
Kathleen collins march 18, 1942 september 18, 1988 also known as kathleen conwell, kathleen conwell collins or kathleen collins prettyman was an africanamerican poet, playwright, writer, filmmaker, director, civil rights activist, and educator from jersey city, new jersey. Nov 23, 2019 losing ground 1982, by the filmmaker, playwright, and novelist kathleen collins, is a particularly incandescent example of filmmaking as a process of defiant selfcreation. Its a sexy, intellectual film about a black philosophy professor and her latino artist husband, and it was never released. Feb 05, 2017 it was the release of the film losing ground, written and directed by kathleen in 1982, at a film festival at the lincoln center in manhattan in 2015 that brought her triumphantly into focus the. Remastering losing ground cost nearly as much as the amount it took to create it. The principle difference between this and other such films is that all the characters are africanamerican. Kathleen collins losing ground, a classic africanamerican film about a black philosophy professor, sara and victor, her artist husband. Kathleen collins, who died in 1988 at age fortysix, was an africanamerican playwright, writer, filmmaker, director, and educator from jersey city. It is a testament to kathleen collins incredible talent and a lasting treasure of african american and womens cinema. In an era when poetry is increasingly compressed to fit our iphone screens, nathaniel mackey has been writing two astonishing long poemsmu and song of the andoumboulouacross multiple books for the past thirtyfive years. The work of black women in american cinema has in fact always been less about canons than archivesprioritizing the recovery of such omissions in order to disrupt. One of the first feature films directed by an african american woman, kathleen collinss losing ground tells the story of a marriage between two remarkable people, both at a crossroads in their lives. Her film losing ground is one of the first features made by a black woman in america, and is an extremely rare narrative portrayal of a black female intellectual.
Kathleen collins made the feature film, losing ground, in 1982, and died a few years later at age 46 from breast cancer. Now a new book has arrived, notes from a black womans diary, a grab. Pioneering black filmmaker kathleen collins, who died in 1988 at age 46, wrote this collection of vibrant short stories, published now for the first time. Losing ground meditates on art as it examines a marriage in. Losing ground by kathleen collins gary bolling, bill gunn.
Stories by kathleen collins ecco published december 6, 2016. Losing ground now looks and sounds as fresh, bracing and complex as it did when it was first filmed. Kathleen collins douglas collins collins grew up in new jersey and graduated from skidmore college in 1963, when she was one of the only black students at the school. Kathleen collinss whatever happened to interracial love. The entirety of the book joins her collection of short stories, whatever. The new yorker called losing ground a masterwork, while the new york times said it was a bulletin from a vital and asyetunexplored dimension of realitya territory that director spike lee. Kathleen collins losing ground is a rare, revolutionary gem vice. Miranda july named a best book of 2016 by vice, elle, nylon, publishers weekly and npr named one of the most anticipated books of the fall by the huffington post, new york, the boston globe, lit hub, and the millions. D uring her lifetime, kathleen collins saw one of her screenplays become a movie losing ground 1982, which she also directedand one story. Kathleen collins was a pioneer african american playwright, filmmaker, civil rights activist, film editor, and educator. She was married twice, and had two children who she raised in piermont, new york.
The kathleen collins revival continues with notes from a black. D uring her lifetime, kathleen collins saw one of her screenplays become a movielosing ground 1982, which she also directedand one story and one play published. It was the release of the film losing ground, written and directed by kathleen in 1982, at a film festival at the lincoln center in manhattan in 2015 that brought her triumphantly into focus the. Losing ground 1982, by the filmmaker, playwright, and novelist kathleen collins. Kathleen collinss lost masterwork, losing ground the new. The 1982 film about the inner workings of black lives resists fetishization or. Kathleen collinss 1982 feature losing ground, an overlooked gem about a black female philosophy lecturer forced to reassess her marriage to a philandering painter, explores issues of class, race and gender with humour and a welcome lightness of touch. Kathleen collins was a brilliant, highly talented professor of film. Losing ground is a amusing but standard menage a trois, set in a small college town. It is the first featurelength drama directed by a black american woman since the 1920s and won first prize at the figueroa international film festival in portugal. Critics at the new yorker and the new york times raved, making note of the main characters physical beauty, the lush scenes of saturated colors filmed in the hudson river valley, and the palpably tense marriage depicted.
Collins was one of the first african american women to direct a. Kathleen collins mustsee restoredremastered losing ground hits bluraydvd in 2disc deluxe set 19 march 2016 shadowandact. Kathleen collins march 18 1942 september 18 1988 also known as kathleen conwell, kathleen conwell collins or. In losing ground, collins filmed the story of a professor of french. Barely released in 1982 and all but unseen for over three decades, kathleen collinss losing ground is a lively movie as well as a ghostly one.
Dec 02, 2016 pioneering black filmmaker kathleen collins, who died in 1988 at age 46, wrote this collection of vibrant short stories, published now for the first time. This is one revelation of saidiya hartmans book wayward lives, beautiful. More than 30 years later, it gets a theatrical run in new york. Collins 1982 losing ground was restored and reissued in 2015. This book uses detailed analyses of collinss films to contextualise her work in the african american, feminist and world film traditions, and it highlights her. Jun 20, 2017 remastering losing ground cost nearly as much as the amount it took to create it. Losing ground 1982 movie clip is this puerto rican. I discovered kathleen collins when losing ground screened publicly for the first time, in the fall of 2015. Kathleen collins whatever happened to interracial love. Kathleen collinss lost masterwork, losing ground the new yorker. Kathleen collins author of whatever happened to interracial. At the time of her death from cancer in 1988, kathleen collins was just 46 years old. Scott of the new york times and richard brody of the new yorker.
Realm walker an estranged mate, a mangled body and a powerful demon who calls her by name as a realm walker for the agency, juliana norris tracks deadly paranormal quarry using her unique ability to see magical signatures. It tells the story of sara rogers, a brilliant and beautiful black philosophy professor played by collinss close friend seret. In fact, it went unpublished for close to 30 years after her death, and this collection was only recently released, bringing together stories from her archives. She excels at her job, but her friends worry about her mysterious habit of dying in. Duane jones, kathleen collins, and seret scott on the set of losing ground. Kathleen collins prettyman kathleen conwell collins prettyman edit did you know. It is a testament to kathleen collins incredible talent and a. An estranged mate, a mangled body and a powerful demon who calls her by name as a realm walker for the agency, juliana norris tracks deadly paranormal quarry using her unique ability to see magical signatures. Losing ground, a film by kathleen collins home facebook. Kathleen collins prettyman kathleen conwell collins prettyman edit did you. Buy a print copy access the digital edition subscribe. Kathleen collinss ecstatic selfdiscovery yasmina price. Kathleen collinss notes from a black womans diary contains an. Kathleen collinss groundbreaking 1982 movie losing ground opens on a black female philosophy professor seret scott talking camus and sartre to a.
Dec 02, 2016 kathleen collins douglas collins collins grew up in new jersey and graduated from skidmore college in 1963, when she was one of the only black students at the school. Collinss first film, the cruz brothers and miss malloy was a 50minute film based on the work of henry h. Jan 23, 2017 when kathleen collinss 1982 film losing ground was screened at new yorks film society of lincoln center in 2015, it immediately became inconceivable to me that film history might have been written without it. This book uses detailed analyses of collinss films to contextualise her work in the african american, feminist and world film traditions, and it highlights her contribution to each of these canons. Collins s first film, the cruz brothers and miss malloy was a 50minute film based on the work of henry h. Her most known work is the film losing ground, followed perhaps by two plays, in the midnight hour, and the brothers. Unfortunately, she directed only this one commercial film, and tragically, she died when she was just 46 years old. Kathleen collins losing ground is a rare, revolutionary gem. Whats a criminally underseen film independent, adultthemed, brazenly honest, and the first featurelength drama directed by a black american woman since the 1920s kathleen collins groundbreaking dramedy losing ground has enjoyed a small resurgence this century as cinephiles rediscovered the remarkable 1982 picture which seemed lost to time. When kathleen collinss 1982 film losing ground was screened at new yorks film society of lincoln center in 2015, it immediately became inconceivable to me that film history might have been written without it. From the first page you know youre in the hands of an exceptional writer i adored this book.
Although the spritely comedy was a charming and beautifully crafted firsttime effort from an indie filmmaker, she was accused of deserting her africanamerican roots to tell the story of three puerto rican brothers scraping by while contending with the ghost of their dead father. Kathleen collins audio books, best sellers, author bio. The film, in which a painter bill gunn and philosophy professor seret scott retreat upstate to alternately tend and neglect their marriage and their work, is brainy, charming. Kathleen collinss losing ground is an underrated entry in. In 2015 a public space posthumously published collins short story interiors, a fictionalized account of her divorce from her first husband. Jan 30, 2015 the film that opens the series, kathleen collinss losing ground, from 1982, will play for a week, making up for the fact that it has never had a theatrical release. Kathleen collinss ecstatic selfdiscovery yasmina price the new. Lindy west and shrill dick dale morgan parker tommy. Losing ground is a semiautobiographical 1982 film written and directed by kathleen collins. The writer and filmmaker kathleen collins died in 1988, at the age of 46. Losing ground meditates on art as it examines a marriage. Dec, 2016 stories by kathleen collins ecco published december 6, 2016. Bonus features commentary track by professors lamonda horton stallings and terri francis 2015 theatrical trailer the cruz brothers and miss malloy 1980, 50 mins, color kathleen collins and ronald gray s first film video interviews with ronald k.
Nearly 30 years after her passing comes whatever happened to interracial love. Kathleen collinss only film, losing ground never played outside of the festival circuit until long after she died from breast cancer in 1988. Losing ground, a film by kathleen collins about facebook. Mu and song of the andoumboulou are two ongoing sequences beaded with his insights on cosmology, grief. A comedic drama, losing ground was one of the very first fictional features by an africanamerican woman filmmaker. Losing ground, written and directed by kathleen collins, centers on the experiences of sara seret scott, a university professor whose artist husband victor bill gunn rents a country house for a month to. Losing ground is a semiautobiographical 1982 film written and directed by kathleen collins starring seret scott, bill gunn, and duane jones. While collins was able to sell losing ground to six countries in europe, it was never sold in the united states. Kathleen collins march 18 1942 september 18 1988 also known as kathleen conwell, kathleen conwell collins or kathleen collins prettyman was an africanamerican playwright, writer, filmmaker, director, and educator from jersey city, new jersey. The interior worlds of kathleen collinss fiction and film. Before she died in 1988 at 46, kathleen collins was a trailblazing activist, playwright, and filmmaker. Kathleen collins has a magnificent ear for dialogue whose humor felt light and natural, even when her intense subject wracks her narrators with pain.
Collins was an awardwinning playwright and filmmaker who died in 1988 from breast cancer, at the age of 46. Kathleen collins is considered one of the first black woman to direct an american featurelength drama. She was the first black american woman to make and. Despite her considerably hefty body of work, collins wasnt a. Although it never played outside the film festival circuit during her lifetime director kathleen collins died in 1988 at the age of 46 and was mostly overlooked when it was first released, losing ground was later rediscovered by critics such as a. Apr 17, 2016 barely released in 1982 and all but unseen for over three decades, kathleen collinss losing ground is a lively movie as well as a ghostly one. What happened to kathleen collins the village voice.
The film, in which a painter bill gunn and philosophy professor seret scott retreat upstate to alternately tend. Losing ground 1982, by the filmmaker, playwright, and novelist kathleen collins, is a particularly incandescent example of filmmaking as a process of defiant selfcreation. She was the first black woman to produce a feature length film. Seret scott, bill gunn, duane jones, kathleen collins. Artist bill gunn is married to philosophy professor seret scott. A philosopherfilmmaker, kathleen collins decisively redefined the parameters of african american film with the cruz brothers and miss malloy 1980 and losing ground 1982. This foreword is titled in search of kathleen collins, yet ms. Kathleen collinss lost masterwork, losing ground the.
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