Michelle Williams Gamaker and Powell + Pressburger

Michelle Williams Gamaker’s stunning, beautifully-staged films trouble the too often overlooked political dynamics trapped in classic cinema. Calling her work ‘fictional activism’, she imagines alternative scenarios where marginalised brown characters take control of the films in which they appear, reformulating narratives and disturbing received histories. The House of Women (2017, 14min) drastically reimagines casting sessions for Kanchi in Black Narcissus in a deliberately dissonant, modern setting. Thieves (2023, 27min) meanwhile sees rebellious Sabu and Anna May Wong turn the tables on Michael Powell and his crew, during the making of The Thief of Baghdad, with electrifying results. We are delighted to also welcome Williams Gamaker to discuss her work, the issues it raises, and her interests in Powell and Pressburger, with Dr. Kulraj Phullar.

William Fowler