African Film Archive

Illusions

1982 — Julie Dash — United States

short · drama · flourishing

Set in a Hollywood studio during World War II, Julie Dash's 34-minute short follows a Black studio executive passing as white and a Black singer hired to secretly dub a white star's singing voice, critiquing the film industry's erasure of Black labor from its own history.

Fun fact: The film's editing was co-credited to Charles Burnett, tying it to the same L.A. Rebellion network of collaborators behind A Different Image.

Notes: Runtime listed as 34 minutes by most sources; a small number list 1983 as the release year.

Verification: verified · Sources: [1] [2] [3]

Poster source: Wikipedia