Representation choices in the audiovisual media are never neutral, they shape how audiences perceive themselves and others. Historically, for Black and queer communities, visibility on screen has been scarce or distorted -often reduced to stereotypes or erased altogether. However, recent decades of cinema and television are increasingly embracing narratives that center these identities, offering a more nuanced and inclusive cultural landscape.
This movement, more and more present in contemporary productions is profoundly political. Plurality becomes a site of resistance, where marginalized communities confront rooted structures of exclusion and stand up to the legacies of colonialism, racism and heteronormativity. It is through these lenses that the audiovisual field reaches a new level of relevance.
In search of media pieces that successfully highlight the unique experiences of these communities, Her Campus curated a list of eight films, series, and even documentaries that address this theme, inviting the audience to engage with identities that have been silenced for a long time.
1. Moonlight (2016)
The film follows three moments in the life of Chiron (Ashton Sanders), a young black man living in a suburb of Miami. From childhood bullying to adolescent identity crisis and the temptation of crime and drugs, this is a poetic character study.
2. High Fidelity (2020)
Obsessed with music and pop culture, Robyn Brooks (Zoë Kravitz) is a young adult who has no luck in love or business: all her recent relationships have gone wrong, and her record store is on the verge of bankruptcy. Rob needs to reevaluate her choices and priorities in life, finally becoming a more mature person.
3. I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the documentary reflects on what it means to be black in the United States. In 1979, James Baldwin began his last book, Remember This House, recounting the lives and assassinations of activist leaders who marked American social and political history: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.
The unfinished manuscript was entrusted to Haitian director Raoul Peck, who combines the material with a rich archive of images from the civil rights and Black Power movements, connecting these historic struggles for justice and equality with current movements that still demand the same rights.
4. Leave It On The Floor (2011)
In this 2011 musical drama, Brad (Ephraim Sykes) is a black man who fights with his mother and runs away from home. By chance, he finds a new, dysfunctional family in Los Angeles, the then–center of the Ballroom scene — an underground subculture created by Black and Latin American LGBTQ+ communities, centered on houses and competitive events called balls where participants perform, vogue, and celebrate chosen family.
5. She’s Gotta Have It (2017)
Nola Darling (DeWanda Wise), the series’ protagonist, is a young woman unlike any other. In her twenties, she is a Brooklyn artist who defies society’s norms. While searching for her own identity, she divides her time between her friends, her work, and her three lovers: Greer Childs (Cleo Anthony), Jamie Overstreet (Lyriq Bent), and Mars Blackmon (Anthony Ramos).
6. The Life and Death of Marsha P. Johnson (2017)
The documentary follows Victoria Cruz’s personal investigation into the sudden death of Marsha P. Johnson, a transgender woman, LGBTQI+ rights activist, founder of the Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries group, and a key figure in the Stonewall Riots.
The film is directed by David France, already known for his work on related topics, such as the HIV epidemic. Victoria, also an activist and part of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, seeks a solution to the case, based on documentary evidence, official witnesses, and accounts from people who knew Marsha.
7. Tattoo (2013)
This Brazilian film is set in 1978, when the military dictatorship is showing signs of exhaustion. In a theater located on the outskirts between two cities in northeastern Brazil, a group of artists provokes the established power and morality with their performances and public interventions.
Led by Clécio Wanderley (Irandhir Santos), the troupe known as “Chão de Estrelas” rehearses political resistance through debauchery and anarchy. But Clécio’s life changes when he meets Fininha (Jesuíta Barbosa): a 18-year-old soldier from the countryside who is doing his military service in the capital. This encounter sets in motion a transformation for both of their worlds. Their closeness leaves a mark, like a tattoo.
8. September Mornings (2021)
In this series, Cassandra (Liniker) is a transgender woman who works as a motorcycle courier in São Paulo and finds her greatest strength in music. She had to leave her hometown to fulfill her dream of becoming a cover singer for Vanusa, a Brazilian singer who was successful in the 1970s.
After years of suffering, Cassandra is now enjoying a period of stability: she has managed to rent her own apartment and has found love in the form of Ivaldo (Thomas Aquino). However, everything becomes complicated when her ex-girlfriend, Leide (Karine Telles), reappears with a boy she claims is her son.
__________________________
The article above was edited by Alyah Gomes.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Cásper Líbero for more!