Staging the Sacred: Materiality, Ritual Technology, and Production Design in Black Sacred Arts Cinema
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19312632Keywords:
production design, materiality, Black sacred arts, ritual technologies, diasporic spirituality, visual cultureAbstract
This paper examines production design as a form of ritual technology in Black sacred arts cinema, arguing that cinematic environments function as active agents in the performance and preservation of diasporic spiritual practices rather than mere backdrops. Drawing on material culture frameworks, this study analyses two seminal works: Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust (1991) and Beyoncé's visual album Lemonade (2016). The analysis reveals that production design in these works operates as a means of anamnesis, ritually re-enacting historical memory and spiritual resilience through careful curation of objects and spaces. Kerry James Marshall's design for Daughters of the Dust utilises textiles and natural elements to create a preserved, sacred landscape. At the same time, Hannah Beachler's work on Lemonade employs water, fire, and architecture to stage rituals of reclamation and purification. This comparative analysis demonstrates how the visual language of production design translates intangible spiritual concepts into tangible cinematic experiences, positioning it as a vital yet under-examined component of Black sacred arts aesthetics that challenges Western cinematic traditions where sets serve merely as passive containers for action.
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