The World of Black Film

Press Reviews

• Mark Cousins

  Resonant, exciting and eye-opening-one of the best books I've read about Black cinema.

• Ellen E Jones

  Clark's dedicated research and unmatched eye for beauty has uncovered so many cinematic treasures, which he generously shares with us here-from Barack Obama's take on Black Orpheus to a 1940s Tyler Perry forerunner and the first sub-Saharan western. His writing, at once authoritative and playful, is illustrated with fascinating film stills, resulting in far more than a century's worth of reading-and viewing-pleasure. What a joy!

• Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

  An excellent starting point for exploring the world of Black film in all its diversity and complexity. This brilliant and accessible survey invites the reader to reflect on 'cinematic Blackness' and makes them eager to continue the journey beyond the book onto the screen.

• Spike Lee

  My Brother Ashley Clark Has Broke It Down To What Black Film Was, Is Present Day, And What The Future Might Be. BLAK IZ BLAK. YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF. Enjoy This BLAK CINEMATIC SCIENCE.

• Julie Dash

  Ashley Clark has given us an essential gift with The World of Black Film-a meticulously curated journey through one hundred films that illuminate the breadth, depth, and revolutionary power of Black cinema. As someone who has spent decades fighting to tell our stories on our own terms, I'm deeply moved by this love letter to the artists who dared to dream in celluloid and digital, who transformed limited resources into limitless vision, and who understood that our stories matter not just to us, but to the world. Clark's insightful commentary provides crucial context while allowing each film to speak with its own voice, creating a chorus that truly spans continents, decades, and genres. This book belongs on the shelf of every film lover, every student of cinema, and everyone who believes in the transformative power of storytelling. It's a celebration, an education, and an inspiration all at once.

• Raymond Ang

  GQ

  An indispensable guide for any film lover yearning to learn more about Black cinema.

• Ife Olujobi

  Screen Slate

  Historically rich, contextually pointed, and radiates with a sense of personal stakes.

• Jenny Brewer

  It's Nice That

  Monumental...vast in scope and rich with inspiration

• Library Journal

  Clark has created a helpful and fascinating portrait of Black filmmaking and its history.

• Empire

  Ashley Clark, the curatorial director of the Criterion Collection, brings his exceptional taste and keen critical eye to this thoughtful, analytical volume covering international Black cinema.

• Reader review

  An incredible achievement. A wonderful book with a wonderfully curated set of films that doesn't play safe, doesn't patronise (the reader or the filmmakers) and opens up a whole world of films that have either been completely ignored or critically pigeon-holed. I had fallen out of love with film before I got this book, drowned in tedium by my own bias and relying on lumpen algorithmic churn, but this book had liberated me from this ennui and I have gone on a really pleasurable journey of discovering new filmmakers and connections. It's beautifully presented and I refer to it daily, you can't let it leave your hands for too long. Can't wait for more from the author.