“Blackout”
Set in the summer of 2003 when parts of America experienced a severe power outage, “Blackout” focuses on the eclectic residents of a New York neighborhood who fought–and banded together–to survive the ordeal.
Tag: Melvin Van Peebles
Black History? Director Peebles Defends Controversial New Film
“After I graduated (from Columbia University with a degree in economics), I got a job as a budget analyst,” said Mario Van Peebles. “I wanted to get into films, so I quit my job and modeled. I was at this Calvin Klein go-see where all these beautiful models were in the waiting room – Iman, (Dutch-Japanese model) Arianne, my sister. . . And (the bookers) saw everyone but me. I was like, `Ah, saving the best for last.’ And then, click, the lights went out, literally, and the lady said they would never use a black model. And what she really meant was they’d never use a black male model. Until then, I had never really seen color.”