Watch Black Creators Movies for Free on the Criterion Channel
While ongoing protests against police brutality against black Americans are re-emphasizing the importance of raising the voice of black writers, artists, thinkers and creators, Criterion provides a multitude of free movies from black creators and a black spotlight. What makes a work of art worthy of being canonical has the same (or even more) relationship to who defines what is canonical than anything inherent in the work itself. For decades, the Criterion Collection has been a resounding voice proclaiming cinematic canon and has been widely regarded by moviegoers as the gold standard for cinematic labels. Criterion has long stood for “important classic and contemporary cinema from around the world” with home media releases and, since 2019 , the Criterion Channel streaming service .
In a tweet released yesterday, the company pledged its support for the Black Lives Matter movement and announced that recent protests have spurred internal discussions about how they can “create a better, fairer and more diverse yardstick,” a process that will begin by redefining that role. which they play in determining which films are considered “worthy of the criterion”: “… whose voices get higher and who decides whose stories to tell.”
In solidarity, Criterion announced an ongoing donation of $ 5,000 a month to anti-racist organizations in America, and right now Criterion – a subscription that typically costs $ 10.99 a month – has removed the paid access to 15 films from black authors. :
We use our Criterion Channel streaming platform to highlight films about black life, including works by African American film pioneers such as Oscar Michaud; classics by Maya Angelou, Julie Dash, William Greaves, Kathleen Collins, Cheryl Danier and Charles Burnett; contemporary works by Khalik Allah and Leyla Weinraub; and documentary portraits of blacks by white directors Les Blanc and Shirley Clark. We have moved away from paid access to as many of these games as possible, so even if you’re not a subscriber, you can watch them for free.
At the time of this writing, the films that are highlighted in the carousel on the Criterion Channel homepage are still on a pay-per-view basis, but the streamer pointed out that once they become available for viewing, all the additional material that surrounds them, including interviews, essays and behind-the-scenes articles that put them in historical context will also be available free of charge.
If this sounds like a company you want to give your money to, this is not a bad month to do so: throughout June, Criterion Channel’s programs will also highlight queer films and creators in support of Pride . In particular, if you’re tired of endlessly flipping through lazy blockbusters and a jumble of movies you’ve never heard of on Netflix before, the Criterion Channel is fantastic. The simple fact that a directory is curated by someone with a specific point of view is of paramount importance; knowing that they are doing it with a focus on inclusion and social justice (along with simple entertainment) makes them even better.
Looking for ways to protect black lives? Check out this list of resources .