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Spike Lee on Honoring the Black Vietnam Veterans Experience in Da 5 Bloods, Shining a Spotlight on PTSD
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With “Da 5 Bloods,” Spike Lee set out to tell a story about Black veterans’ experiences, crafting his tale around Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album “What’s Going On,” which encapsulated what soldiers faced during the Vietnam War abroad and after coming back home.
“Marvin had an older brother that did three tours in Vietnam; he was a radio operator. So he was writing Marvin periodically and giving him a firsthand account of the horrors of the Vietnam War,” Lee explains. “But also, he’s in Detroit, so he’s seeing the bloods come back in body bags, the ones who were maimed or strung out on heroin.”
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Costume Designers Francine Jamison-Tanchuck and Charlese Antoinette Jones on Ruth E. Carter s Oscar Win: She Opened a Lot of Doors for Us
Jazz Tangcay, provided by
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“She opened a lot of doors for us,” “Judas and the Black Messiah” costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones says of Ruth E. Carter’s
historic Oscar win in costume design for her work on “Black Panther.” “I’ve seen more people requesting Black designers this year definitely due to her win, but also partially due to the social climate. Even me being considered [for awards] right now is due to her winning and laying this groundwork.”