Denisse Ariana Pérez reimagines the anatomy of the Black body through poetic words and images in a captivating film that celebrates all that Blackness is and can be.
Words and Film by Denisse Ariana Pérez
Blackness is hard to summarise. It has many meanings, nuances, and tones. Blackness is intrinsically poetic and diasporic. It is always shifting and transforming, it is never static, and never one-sided.
I grew up in spaces where Black bodies were not considered beautiful or worthy enough to be celebrated—a notion my work rebels against. “A Poetic Lesson on Black Anatomy” intends to serve as a new glossary to describe the Black Body through poetic imagery and words. It is an invitation for self-exploration and self-determination; a giant leap from the days when Black bodies were placed on podiums to be observed, experimented on, and analyzed by the gaze of colonizers. Rather, the film is an anatomical exploration from a place of self-determination, where the subjects themselves are empowered to explore their bodies for no other purpose than for their own contemplation.
This body of work is an ode to Blackness, and specifically to Black Anatomy. Black bodies take so many different shapes, shades, and forms, and yet they all share mystical, ancestral poetry. Throughout the course of modern history, Black bodies have been reduced to stereotypes, but they are much more complex than superficial generalizations.
“A Poetic Lesson on Black Anatomy” is an homage to multifacetedness and complexity. No two Black bodies have the same experience or appearance. This project is an invitation to celebrate all that a Black body is and can be.
Models
Makeda (Meme Gold) Carayol
Luiz Felipe Lucas
Jorel E. Panterino
Estefanía Mendes
Rosana Ehizele Ozgul
Crew
Cinematographer Alvar Riu Dolz
First Camera Assistant Lucía Ajúria
Second Camera Assistant Marc Villafranca
Photography Assistant José Lorrue
Asisstant Director Nora Navarro
Gaffer Jan Haase
Spark Romá Cots Cole
Key Grip Marc Ros
Grip Juan Ignasi Prátola
Set Designer Cristina Ramos
Props Pedro Ramos
Sound Tech David Gascón (114 Studio)
Stylist Stephania Yepes
MUAH Itziar Lorente
Post Production
Film Editor Aleix Rodón
Colorist Martí Somoza
Sound Design David Gascón (114 Studio)
Production by FALCA