Brother to Brotherby Anonymous

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June 19, 2005: I had the pleasure of viewing this film on PBS, as part of their “Independent Lens” series, and I truly can say is that it is moving beyond words. It is superbly written, directed and acted. Rich in heart, thought, and wit, Rodney Evans’s fictional work undoubtedly does justice to the art, intellectual ancestry and the strength of perseverance in the face of social injustice. Both an artistic and political achievement, “Brother to Brother” offers a rare glimpse of what it means to be a black, gay artist today as well as during the Harlem Renaissance, and marks Evans as a brave and unique voice in American cinema. Perry Williams is a talented young artist working and studying in New York. Art world success is knocking at his door, but Perry is afraid of selling out to a white privileged world. At the same time, community and family support is elusive as he endures homophobic barbs from his black classmates, rejection by his father, and a disappointing shallow relationship with his handsome white lover. Then Perry meets Richard Bruce Nugent, a living relic, who was a poet and painter of the Harlem Renaissance, along with Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Wallace Thurman. Surreal narrative turns land him in the middle of scandalous parties and dinners in 1930s Harlem, and Perry learns that his struggle is not new and what is most important is a strong self-image and a commitment to preserve truth and nurture his artistic spirit. Thank you, Mr. Evans, for your strength of character and undeniable power to give voice to such a profound blend of Fact and Fiction.