HBO Documentary Films is currently in production on SEEN & HEARD, a two-part documentary exploring the history of Black television as seen through the eyes of trailblazers who wrote, produced, created and starred in groundbreaking series of the past and present.
The documentary will offer cultural commentary about representation in black storytelling and feature interviews with actors, showrunners, writers, celebrities and other notable influencers as well as verité-driven segments and inventive use of archival material. The featured participants will reflect on their own experiences watching African Americans represented on television yesterday and today, while sharing insights into their current creative endeavors, personal experiences, and inspiration, providing a window into the larger evolution of Black storytellers across television history.
“Black people have such a rich, but often unacknowledged history in Hollywood,” commented Issa Rae. “We have defined American culture and influenced generations time and time again across the globe. I’m honored to pair with Ark Media to center and celebrate the achievements of those who paved a way for so many of us to tell our stories on television.”
The two part documentary is produced and directed by award-winning documentarian Phil Bertelsen (“Who Killed Malcolm X?”), and executive produced by Issa Rae (HBO’s “Insecure”) and Montrel McKay of Issa Rae Productions (“Insecure”), the Peabody and Emmy®-nominated team at 3 Arts Entertainment, including Jonathan Berry and David Becky (HBO’s ”Insecure” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show”), and by the Peabody and Emmy-award winning team at Ark Media (“Who Killed Malcolm X?”), including Rachel Dretzin and Esther Dere.
