Mario Van Peebles spoke with us about restoring his father’s debut feature, his thoughts on its genesis, and the lessons he’s taken from his dad into his own, celebrated career as a multi-hyphenate director.
Melvin Van Peebles, American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and starred in Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), a groundbreaking film that spearheaded the rush of African American action films known as ‘blaxploitation’ in the 1970s. He also served as the film’s composer and editor.