Jocelyn Taylor
Directing
Biography
American video artist.
Known For
The Watermelon Woman
A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.
The Mosquito Coast
Allie Fox—a brilliant inventor and stubborn idealist—uproots his family for a dangerous quest through Mexico to flee the U.S. government and find safety.
Greetings from Africa
Cheryl, playing herself, humorously experiences the mysteries of lesbian dating in the '90s.
Sluts & Goddesses
A humorous, absurd, heartfelt and worshipful look at sex. Features many exotic ways to stimulate sexual and sensual pleasure, like flagellation with oak leaves, body contortions, tattooing, piercing, shaving and gender play.
Black Nations/Queer Nations?
This is an experimental documentary chronicling the March 1995 groundbreaking conference on lesbian and gay sexualities in the African diaspora. The conference brought together an array of dynamic scholars, activists and cultural workers including Essex Hemphill, Kobena Mercer, Barbara Smith, Urvashi Vaid and Jacqui Alexander to interrogate the economic, political and social situations of diasporic lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgendered peoples. The video brings together the highlights of the conference and draws connections between popular culture and contemporary black gay media production. The participants discuss various topics: Black and queer identity, the shortcomings of Black nationalism, and homophobia in Black communities. Drawing upon works such as Isaac Julien's "The Attendant" and Jocelyn Taylor's "Bodily Functions", this documentary illuminates the importance of this historic conference for Black lesbians and gays.
Frankie & Jocie
Examining the relationships between brother and sister, hetero and queer, male and female, this video weaves a provocative discussion between a Black lesbian and her straight brother. In an eloquent examination of desire and denial, Jocie attempts to make her brother acknowledge the violent face of homophobia recounting a time when she was attacked. Frankie candidly tells his sister about his own disempowering experiences as a Black man and recounts the time he tried to seduce her former lover. A candid and brilliant dialogue between family members.
Filmography
as Tourist Woman
as Stacey
as Dee
as Self
as Self
as Self