film: the last black man in san francisco
Background:
A loosely autobiographical look at a young adult’s experience growing up in San Francisco. Directed by Joe Talbot, story by Jimmie Fails and Joe Talbot.
Don’t look too hard for the plot in this film. It’s more of a character study, if you can call it that, and more so a relationship study between a man and a house. The man happens to be black and the house happens to be in San Francisco.
Why I watched:
“Do you love it? You don’t get to hate it unless you love it””
I was excited to see The Last Black Man in San Francisco for multiple reasons: for its portrayal of a city I love, for its take on gentrification and observations on race relations in this town.
As a gentrifier in SF, I feel a duty to understand and learn about the city’s history, its evolution & how people moving in affects families like Jimmie’s who have lived here for multiple generations. I try to use movies like this to get a glimpse into the diverse human stories of people who live here. That and I love San Francisco.
Striking scenes:
Opening where a little girl in a dress plays in an environmentally hazardous zone and a man in a hazmat suit cleans up
Jimmie & Mont are remodeling the house and come back with flowers to plant but find the former tenant sitting on the steps. They are the flowers - rootless, looking for a place to belong and bloom
The house his grandfather “built”
The pair embraces after the truth comes out Jimmie’s grandfather didn’t build the house. They’ve been quite literally pushed to the edge. The dock serves as a safe place where they can comfort each other without society’s scorn
“I’m sorry i didn’t tell you the truth. I just wanted it to be true. Felt so good, you know?” “Okay”
Finale when Jimmie rows off screen - saw this as a metaphorical take that he’s resigned to the truth about the house and the city, has confronted these truths but his search for home continues
Should you see it:
Watch if you’re in the mood for a slow-paced, almost meditative look at a friendship between two men and ode to a city that continues to undergo drastic change, often in the tiniest ways. Slightly “artsy” for a friends movie night, but a gorgeously shot homage on what it means to call someplace home
Watch with:
A glass of wine, patience and appreciation for this work