A Past Which Hasn't Existed Yet - Anika Williams

    Laura U. Mark's article, “Monad, Database, Remix: Manners of Unfolding in The Last Angel of History,” really captures in just words how strong the film The Last Angel of History was. The favorite thing I've learned so far is how all these major artists like Sun Ra and Gorge Clinton were making very similar music, funk, and jazz all futuristic, and about how space is the place to be. It makes me feel more connected, it lets me know how connected black people were at that time. That they felt like displaced African Americans and looked to funky techno spaces to fit in. The film itself was strong and just as chaotic as the music or the soundtrack paired with the film. Which is intentional. They both go hand in hand, while. music can stand on its own usually. A film with no music would lack emotion. 

    A common theme I still am seeing is a future made with history. They would flash images before our eyes that looked like historic pieces of art. Which to me is a strong way to represent something alien or foreign. Like it's out of this world and a different period of time. Even if it was the past. It's almost as if it's writing a history of Afro-futurism even though it didn't exist.

- Anika Williams