USA/1920—directed by Oscar Micheaux | 60 minutes

One of the most significant early works by independent African American film pioneer Oscar Micheaux, The Symbol of the Unconquered was created as a bold response to the racist themes central to D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film The Birth of a Nation. 

In Micheaux’s powerful narrative, the Ku Klux Klan is depicted as a violent gang of hooded thieves attempting to seize the property of a determined young Black homesteader. The film also explores complex issues of racial identity and the miscegenation laws of the era, adding depth to the characters’ struggles.

Recently restored by the Royal Cinémathèque of Belgium, this thematically rich work will be presented with a new live musical score, composed and performed by Marion Hayden.

“Stunning. Perhaps no other film in history has encapsulated so well the nightmarish, threatening madness of the Klan.” -Donald Bogle