Zeinabu irene Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zeinabu irene Davis
Davis at the University of California, San Diego, 2010
Born	(1961-04-13) April 13, 1961 (age 64) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater	Brown University, University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation	Director, producer, professor
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Marc Arthur Chéry

Zeinabu irene Davis (born April 13, 1961) is an American filmmaker and a professor. She teaches in the Communication Department at the University of California, San Diego.

In 1985, she earned her master's degree in African studies from UCLA. Later, in 1989, she received another master's degree in Film and Television production. Davis is known as one of the filmmakers from the L.A. Rebellion. This group was made up of the first African-American students who studied film at UCLA. They worked together to challenge old ideas in Hollywood. They created new and different films. Their main goal was to tell original Black stories and show them to a wider audience. Her films include short stories, documentaries, and experimental films. They often focus on the experiences of African American women.

Zeinabu Davis's Journey in Film

Early Life and Education

Zeinabu irene Davis was born in Philadelphia. She loved arts, theater, and learning from a young age. She went to Catholic school and then studied at Brown University. Later, she traveled to Kenya to study. However, the university there closed because students protested.

In Kenya, she met Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. She learned how different groups of people in Kenya were not shown fairly in movies. This experience made her want to change how Black people were seen in film.

She earned her first master's degree in African studies in 1983. Then, in 1989, she got a Master of Fine Arts in film and video production from UCLA.

Teaching and Awards

Davis has received many grants and awards for her work. These include support from the Rockefeller Foundation and the American Film Institute. She has taught at several colleges, like Antioch College and Northwestern University. Today, she is a Professor of Communication at UC San Diego.

Exploring Zeinabu Davis's Films

As a filmmaker, Zeinabu Davis's movies are often seen as part of Black feminism. This is because she shows the special experiences of African American women. Film expert Gwendolyn Audrey Foster says that Davis believes Black filmmakers are creating a "new genre" or style of film. This new style shows a unique Black artistic view.

Davis was also part of the L.A. Rebellion. This was a group of independent Black filmmakers who went to UCLA. They wanted to create new, more human, and accurate images of Black people. This was different from how Hollywood movies usually showed them. Davis believes that working in groups helps filmmakers grow and find their own style.

Cycles (1989)

This was Zeinabu irene Davis's first short film. She was the director, producer, editor, and even acted in it. The film shows a woman who is worried because her period is late. While she waits, she does African rituals to clean her body, home, and spirit. A film expert from UCLA, Jacqueline Stewart, said that Davis "combines beautifully intimate still and moving images." She also uses fun stop-motion parts.

Trumpetistically, Clora Bryant (1989)

In this film, Zeinabu irene Davis shows the life of Clora Bryant. Clora Bryant was a talented jazz trumpet player. The film shows how she faced challenges like stereotypes and unfair treatment in the jazz world. This 1989 documentary explores Clora Bryant's life and struggles. It starts when she first loved the trumpet and continues even after she could no longer play. It shows how she became one of the best trumpet players ever.

The film also highlights how important it is for African Americans to remember their history and pass on knowledge. Clora Bryant taught her sons about music and how to overcome unfair challenges. She wanted them to succeed while remembering their past. Women like Bryant wanted their skills and stories to live on. They hoped that younger generations could find their true identity more easily.

A Period Piece (1991)

For this short film, Davis worked with performer Quinta Seward. In A Period Piece, four women perform a funny old-school rap song. They joke about the silly claims made in ads for feminine hygiene products. This film uses humor to talk about menstruation. It reminds us that real confidence comes from inside, not from a product.

Mother of the River (1995)

This film is about Dofimae, a young enslaved girl. She learns about the world through her father's riddles. The film starts with a proverb from Nigeria: "Riddles are the horses of discourse." Dofimae later meets and takes care of a wise woman called Mother of the River. This shaman likes Dofimae and promises to free her and her father by taking them North one day.

Compensation (1999)

This 1999 film was Davis’s first full-length movie. It tells two love stories in Chicago, set a century apart. Both couples have a deaf woman and a hearing man. They deal with big ideas like death and love. Davis gives a fresh look at love stories. The characters face challenges related to race, gender, social class, education, and disability. They communicate using sign language. This film truly shows how love and life can be short. It also shows the ongoing challenges of racism over many years.

Momentum: A Conversation with Black Women on Achieving Advanced Degrees (2010)

This film celebrates the successes of students at the University of California San Diego. It highlights their achievements in getting advanced degrees.

Co-Motion: Tales of Breastfeeding Women (2010)

Davis created this documentary by interviewing parents, doctors, and other experts. The film "explores modern views of breastfeeding."

Spirits of Rebellion: Black Cinema from UCLA (2015)

In this film, Davis asks questions like "What is Black film?" and "Where did the name 'L.A. Rebellion' come from?" She gives viewers a close look at the films and filmmakers of the L.A. Rebellion. The documentary includes filmmakers like Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, and Davis herself. She shares their stories with powerful interviews and comments about their experiences as student film revolutionaries.

Awards and Recognition

Her film Compensation won the Gordon Parks Directing Award in New York. It was also shown at the Sundance Festival in 2000. This film tells two similar stories of deaf Black women, one from the early 1900s and one from the late 1900s.

Davis also won awards for Cycles (1989) from the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Her other works, like A Period Piece (1991), A Powerful Thang (1991), Mother of a River (1995), and Compensation (1999), also won many awards. In 2017, her film "Spirits of Rebellion" won the Best Documentary Feature Film at the San Diego Film Awards.

Filmography

See also

• L.A. Rebellion
• Women's Cinema
• U.S. Women Film Directors
• Film Director
• African American Film Director
• Women Screenwriters
• American Film Directors