Full Article by Lauren Zoë

On November 14th, The Houston Cinema Arts Festival and Project Row Houses presented filmmaker and acclaimed cinematographer Arthur Jafa for a screening of Dreams are Colder Than Death followed by an artist talk.

Arthur Jafa has worked as a cinematographer on several films including the highly acclaimed films Crooklyn (1994) and Daughters of the Dust (1991). His recent documentary, Dreams are Colder than Death is described as an exceptional “stream of black consciousness” with soft slow visuals studying the black experience and unique stories of each person being interviewed. Shot and edited in six weeks in several cities, Jafa described wanting to make a movie about the black experiences of through an unfiltered lens. The film felt more authentic than a “scripted” documentary. He says he wanted his participants to say what they know, not what they think. Black people tend to have a very particular survival strategy when presented with the white gaze. He mentions, “pointing the camera is the white gaze.”