The great indie wave of the 90s has one more crest to surf, as a missed masterpiece of the era, Naked Acts, written and directed by passed-over auteur Bridgett M. Davis, has been unearthed and restored. Lydia Love (Patricia DeArcy) was the queen of Blaxploitation films in the 1970s, where she would have her daughter Cicely (Annette Myrie) on set while she was shooting. Little Cice grew up in this questionable environment while watching her mother take off her clothes for the camera.
About two decades later, the retired Lydia owns a video store, making sure all of her old movies are in stock. All grown, Cicely (Jake-Ann Jones) walks back in after being gone a very long time since they last fought. Cicely has changed, having dropped 74 pounds and now radiating a stronger sense of self-worth. She lets Lydia know that she is planning on going into acting herself, but she will refuse to compromise her dignity like her mother did. Cicely is determined to keep her clothes on and is already booked for an indie production through her director friend Joel (Ron Cephas Jones). Lydia is skeptical, telling Cicely that show business isn’t that accommodating, which just pisses Cicely off.
“Cicely has changed, having dropped 74 pounds and now radiating a stronger sense of self-worth.”
When Cicely meets with the producer and writer of the movie, Marcel Brown (John McKie), she is informed that she will be playing a painter’s model, a role that will require nudity. The other actresses in the movie, Diana (Rene Cox) and Winsome (Sandye Wilson) are willing, as they have been told that the nude work is for artistic purposes. The head of photography, Rae (Bridgett M. Davis), says she will ensure everything is done tastefully. When Cicely complains to Joel about having to show her body, Joel lets her know that show business isn’t that accommodating.
Shot on 16 mm and finished in 1996, Naked Acts didn’t see a video release until 2000 on a small label with very limited distribution, as with a title like that, Blockbuster wouldn’t be buying. Talk about hiding a light under a bushel, as this is a major piece of indie history that no one knew about. In 1996, even after taking a black independent film course at the University of Toledo, Julie Dash was the only Black female indie director on my map. Living in Austin, I went to indie after indie during the 90s stampede, seeing all the greats on the big screen. Davis’s film would have been right at home at Austin’s legendary Dobie, which included an Egyptian and a Gargoyle-themed theater. In fact, it would have stood out.
"…the perfect primer for all the methods of using nudity artistically."
