NDNF fest presents "Pariah"

Here's one more must-see film from the Film Society of Lincoln Center's upcoming New Directors/New Films Festival, 40th Anniversary edition:

Pariah (US, 2011)

Written and directed by Dee Rees

86 min.
a Focus Features release

Oh, my, oh, my. 

Dee Rees's semiautobiographical Pariah is a fine, fine work of art. The story of young Black teenager's coming out as a lesbian in Fort Greene, Brooklyn has nearly everything going for it--a remarkably brisk pace, Rees's sharp ear for dialogue and true affection for her characters, the immediate and lasting appeal of her actors. About the only turnoff is the occasional, queasy-making hyperactivity of Bradford Young's camera but, thankfully, there's not a whole lot of shaking and swerving going on. For the most part, Young's eye is stable and stellar, with an aesthetic of light and color that makes this film delectable.

Aasha Davis, left, with Adepero Oduye
 (Photo: Focus Features)

Young budding writer Alike (pronounced Ah-LEE-kay), played by Adepero Oduye, is a work-in-progress, challenged to discover herself and take her place in the world while caught between far more experienced friends and a fearful, frustrated, controlling mother. Oduye has charm to burn and a sensitive fluidity in her acting that makes you care about her from the start. But you really come to care about everyone here. The excellent cast also includes Pernell Walker (as Alike's best pal, Laura), Kim Wayans (as the difficult mom), Charles Parnell (her interestingly complex detective dad), Aasha Davis (Bina, another friend) and Sahra Mellesse (Sharonda, Alike's younger sister).

We clamor for more high-quality projects for talented Black actors. Now here's a worthy project of that caliber, and--guess what?--it comes from a Black lesbian writer/director, telling a Black lesbian's exemplary story. Hooray!

See Pariah at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center on March 26 (8pm) or at the Museum of Modern Art on March 28 (9pm). For more information and ticketing, click here. And here's the film's official Web site.