Becoming Black (2019)
Overview
In the 1960s, a white couple living in East Germany tells their dark-skinned child that her skin color is merely a coincidence. As a teenager, she accidentally discovers the truth. Years before, a group of African men came to study in a village nearby. Sigrid, an East German woman, fell in love with Lucien from Togo and became pregnant. But she was already married to Armin. The child is Togolese-East German filmmaker Ines Johnson-Spain. In interviews with Armin and others from her childhood years, she tracks the astonishing strategies of denial her parents, striving for normality, developed following her birth. What sounds like fieldwork about social dislocation becomes an autobiographical essay film and a reflection on themes such as identity, social norms and family ties, viewed from a very personal perspective.
Where to watch Becoming Black
| Country | Stream | Rent | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Kanopy, Fawesome | Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube | Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube |
| United Kingdom | — | Apple TV, YouTube | Apple TV, YouTube |
| Canada | — | Apple TV | Apple TV |
| Australia | — | Apple TV, YouTube | Apple TV, YouTube |
| Ireland | — | Apple TV | Apple TV |
| New Zealand | — | Apple TV | Apple TV |
| South Africa | — | Apple TV | Apple TV |
| Germany | — | YouTube | YouTube |
| France | — | Apple TV, YouTube | Apple TV, YouTube |
| Spain | — | Apple TV | Apple TV |
Streaming availability from JustWatch via TMDB, which also lists Becoming Black in 38 more countries. Catalogues change often, so check the provider before subscribing.
What is Becoming Black about?
In the 1960s, a white couple living in East Germany tells their dark-skinned child that her skin color is merely a coincidence. As a teenager, she accidentally discovers the truth. Years before, a group of African men came to study in a village nearby. Sigrid, an East German woman, fell in love with Lucien from Togo and became pregnant. But she was already married to Armin. The child is Togolese-East German filmmaker Ines Johnson-Spain. In interviews with Armin and others from her childhood years, she tracks the astonishing strategies of denial her parents, striving for normality, developed following her birth. What sounds like fieldwork about social dislocation becomes an autobiographical essay film and a reflection on themes such as identity, social norms and family ties, viewed from a very personal perspective. Becoming Black is a Documentary movie, released on 2019-10-09, runtime 91 minutes.
Is Becoming Black worth watching?
There are not enough ratings yet to summarize how viewers feel about Becoming Black.
Where can I watch Becoming Black?
In the United States, Becoming Black is free to watch on Kanopy and Fawesome and can be rented from Amazon Video and Apple TV. The table on this page lists 9 more countries. Movie World also lists online streaming sources and links to external sources on this page.
Directed by
Ines Johnson-Spain
Cast
- Ines Johnson-Spain as Self
- Armin Gundermann as Self
- Madeleine Papangou Johnson as Self
- Germaine Papangou Johnson as Self
- Geneviève Papangou Johnson as Self
- Irène Papangou Johnson as Self
- Christel Anders as Self
- Werner Anders as Self
- Rosi Judisch as Self
- Christophe Kuessi Johnson as Self
- Michael Gundermann as Self
- Raymond Johnson as Self
More like this
Sources
Details and the 6.0/10 rating from Becoming Black on TMDB, also on IMDb. Back to Movie World.