Podtalk: Okema 'Seven' Gunn of ‘Black Mama Sable’ at 26th Black Harvest Film Fest

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CHICAGO – The 26th edition of Chicago’s Black Harvest Film Festival (BHFF) continues with online and virtual access. One of the short films, in the program “Voices of Our Time,” is writer/director Okema “Seven” Gunn’s “Black Mama Sable.”

Partnered with the Gene Siskel Film Center. The 26th BHFF will present most of their feature films and shorts programs through virtual access, as well as an array of panels and workshops to participate in. For all the information, including ticketing and special events, Click on 26th Black Harvest Film Festival.

’Black Mama Sable,’ Written & Directed by Okema "Seven" Gunn (inset), at 26th BHFF
Photo credit: Black Harvest Film Festival

Contained in the Shorts Program: Voices of Our Times (available through November 23rd) is the film “Black Mama Sable.” This story highlights a grandmother, the title character, who is a community activist, counselor, griot, and healer. In the story, her young granddaughter Cadence is confronted by her police officer father about her participation in a street protest, and grandmother must intervene.

“Black Mama Sable” is written and directed by educator and filmmaker Okema “Seven” Gunn. This is the fourth short film she has produced, including the recent festival favorite “The Sisterhood of Signatures.” Her films are characterized by the themes of strong black women, doing it for themselves.

In a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Seven Gunn talks about “Black Mama Sable” and the legacy of its ancestral story.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com