Diary of an African Nun (1977) dir. Julie Dash

Made during her tenure at UCLA, Julie Dash’s Diary of an African Nun sees the young director fully in control of a poetic and political style whose influence would ripple across cinema. The early short from one of the most influential members of the diverse crowd of LA-centric filmmakers working throughout the ‘70s known as the LA Rebellion traces a cloistered nun’s wavering faith as she’s caught in a deep act of religious self-reflection. Composed of stunning landscape shots, delicately singled close-ups and the eternal grace of Barbara O. Jones’ visage, Diary of an African Nun’s beautiful arrangement belies its bleaker themes. As the film maneuvers away from its peaceful opening into an extended moment of crisis in the loneliness of her quarters, the camerawork becomes enveloped in Jones’ unraveling. In pointed lyricism, Dash channels the tides of torment that keep the nun from sleeping soundly, producing an experience akin to prayer that swings between moments of bliss and doubt.