The Inheritance
Description
After nearly a decade exploring different facets of the African diaspora—and his own place within it—Ephraim Asili makes his feature-length debut with THE INHERITANCE, an astonishing ensemble work set almost entirely within a West Philadelphia house where a community of young, Black artists and activists form a collective. A scripted drama of characters attempting to work towards political consensus—based partly on Asili’s own experiences in a Black liberationist group—weaves with a documentary recollection of the Philadelphia liberation group MOVE, the victim of a notorious police bombing in 1985. Ceaselessly finding commonalties between politics, humor, and philosophy, with Black authors and radicals at its edges, THE INHERITANCE is a remarkable film about the world as we know it.
Reviews
“Critic’s Pick! A Black collective becomes a site of robust intellectual exchange, inspired artistry, joy and humor… The Inheritance feels like poetry visualized… Asili’s striking film.”
– Lovia Gyarkey, The New York Times
“Visually striking. An exhilarating addition to an emerging body of work — by artists as diverse as Bradford Young, Khalik Allah and Steve McQueen — that are forging a new language from film grammar.”
– Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
“Ephraim Asili’s boldly political, quietly experimental film asks what it means—and costs—for Black people to form intentional communities. Jarrel, Lockley, and McLean are expertly cast.”
– Cassie Da Costa, Vanity Fair
“A fascinating exploration of the history of radical Black intellectual thought and art. Like Godard’s La Chinoise, The Inheritance is visually stunning.”
– Rhian Sasseen, Paris Review
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