As Mil Faces de Street

It's a shame this film didn't get more notice and better distribution at the time it was released, in spite of being championed by indie fave Steven Sorderbergh. I've been waiting for another directorial effort from Wendell B. Harris, but nothing appears to be forthcoming. That's unfortunate but indicative of the realities of contemporary Hollywood, where talented black performers are given short shrift in favor of the bottom line. This usually means that the project that gets made is based on the name recognition of the rising black star who's attached and where they are on the pop music charts.

Even though the film itself suffered a bit on the production value end because of its low budget, the story was original and Mr. Harris' portrayal of the identity shifting protagonist was exhilarating for its boldness. The idea of person of color who unapologetically subverts "the system" is daring in and of itself. The fact that it was done with style and a good bit of humor was both refreshing and encouraging. It says that there are statements to be made through the medium of film without being overtly confrontational or dogmatic.