Black/Surveillance

Black/Surveillance is a feature-length documentary that examines the intersection of Blackness and surveillance in the United States. Using lenses of anti-blackness and afrofuturism, the film probes what surveillance means for Black people.

[blackxsurveillance]

Simone Browne | Dark Sousveillance Race, Surveillance and Resistance

[blackxsurveillance]

Black/Surveillance

Black/Surveillance is a feature-length documentary that examines the intersection of Blackness and surveillance in the United States. Using lenses of anti-blackness and afrofuturism, the film probes what surveillance means to Black people and what is being done to resist the hyper surveillance state that is compounded by Blackness. 

Surveillance has become a part of everyday life. Surveillance exists in the security camera on every block, the phones we carry, and our social media. This has propelled a discussion around surveillance over the past couple of years from people like Edward Snowden, but how do we contextualize surveillance under white supremacy? Does everyone experience the same types of surveillance?  What is the history of surveillance for Black people from enslavement to present day.

The Film Black/Surveillance will Specifically focus on those who are most marginalized the intersection of Blackness and surveillance: Black trans people, Black undocumented people, Black women, Black homeless people, and Black incarcerated people. The film will be a mix of personal narratives and interviews expounding on the questions above and how people envision their own spaces, worlds, freedoms and the ways in which they escape surveillance. These means of escape range from encryption to performance, dreams and meditations.