Tongues Untied Poster

Tongues Untied

Black Men Loving Black Men

Not Rated Documentary

Starring: Marlon Riggs, Essex Hemphill, Brian Freeman, Michael Bell, Willi Ninja

Writer: Joseph Beam, Reginald Jackson, Steve Langley, Donald Woods, Chris Harris

Release Date:
March 16, 1990
Ratings:
6.6 / 10
Director:
Marlon Riggs
Companies:
Signifyin' Works

Overview

Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.