'Ethnic' Shows
Often People of Colour have reductive, token roles in film. We are all more than familiar with the Indian Scientist or the black guy who dies first in horror movies.
It's difficult to find characters who are portrayed to have experiences we can all relate to, whilst still being of colour.
Ethnic identity should enrich a character, rather than reducing them to a typecast role or gimmick.
The following show are examples of this, with genres ranging from off-beat comedies to full on rom-coms to heartfelt dramas. They aren't a campaign for social justice, they're just a reflection of real life.
Insecure
'Insecure' manages to reflect black culture without exaggerating and commodifying it, which seems to be a rarity.
Issa Rae started on Youtube with a series titled 'Awkward Black Girl' and whilst she now has her own show ('Insecure') on HBO, she continues her Youtube channel which showcases multiple short films and series by different writers and directors.
Giants
Giants is one of the shows on Issa's channel. It's basically about a group of young graduates trying to make something of their lives.
After sending the trailer to my friend, he responded with "Is this a pro-black show?"
This is how rare it is to see representation in film.
Rest assured, it is no more pro-black than 'Friends' is pro-white.
Atlanta
Donald Glover's 'Atlanta' is brilliant.
It touches on issues through the every-day lens of 'Earn' as he attempts to manage the beginning of his cousins' rap career.
With a black Justin Bieber and a white man with a hobby of black culture, Atlanta is unlike anything you have ever seen.
The satirical episode which pokes fun at Rachel Dolezal through the case of a black teen who identifies as a middle-age white man called Harrison, is just one of many favourites.
Moonlight
Initially, I was only going to mention TV shows, but this film is truly remarkable. Barry Jenkins' 'Moonlight' follows the journey of a young black boy, stumbling his way through his transition from a child into adulthood.
The scene in which Chiron is beaten up by four guys, and the teacher puts it down to him not being 'man enough' to take them on, is particularly harrowing.
Jenkins manages to construct a compelling masterpiece so involved in the story-telling and characters, that judgements are free from his lens. It is so evident how his mother's drug addiction has resulted in neglect, yet his mother doesn't seem to be a 'bad' person (or a particularly good person), just in a very desperate situation.
Masters of None
Whilst Season 1 is a little less refined, Season 2 tells heart-felt stories in a very light and funny way.
From when Aziz's character 'Dev' convinces his religious cousin to skip Eid prayer to go to a pig roasting festival to the brilliant episode which abandons the usual cast and follows the stories of individuals living in New York, Season 2 really is a masterpiece.
The Mindy project
In some ways, this show is just your typical rom-com, but in other ways it is much more than that. Mindy Kaling, who creates, directs and stars in the show as 'Mindy Lahiri' is witty, edgy and unusual in the way she bounces off political issues.
The first two seasons are probably the best, then the story line becomes a little repetitive, but the show really is one of a kind.