Within Our Gates

(USA/1920—directed by Oscar Micheaux)  

Oscar Micheaux (1884 –1951) was an American author, film director, and executive of the first American movie company owned by Black filmmakers. Micheaux began his career during the early silent era, working in studios built on the East coast before the rise of Hollywood.

Within Our Gates (1920) is his earliest surviving film, a dense melodrama exploring the experience of multiple Black class divides in the years after WWI. Micheaux’s film follows Sylvia Landry (Evelyn Preer), a young bi-racial woman named whose family history was blighted by racial violence. Within Our Gates will be presented with a live musical score, composed and performed by pianist Mike Jellick. (79 min.)

This program is part of a companion series of film and music events presented in celebration of the exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971 from the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts galleries from February 4th through June 23rd, 2024.