ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on two primary aspects of The Forty-Year-Old Version (Radha Blank). First, I will be discussing Radha Blank’s role as a Black female filmmaker and how that impacts understandings of The Forty-Year-Old Version, as well as how the film functions as both an independent film and as New African American Cinema. Investigating the term “Black women’s filmmaking,” I also historicize Black women’s filmmaking within the context of contemporary American independent cinema and contextualize how these filmmakers are “talking back” to more traditional representations of Black femininity. Then, I analyze the narrative, cinematic style, and aesthetics of the film itself, drawing attention to its representation of Black female identity and aging femininity. Thus, I argue that the film fits into a history of both Black and female filmmaking in contemporary American independent cinema, creating a space for Black women’s voices to be both seen and heard on screen.
