Darnell Martin
1. Darnell Martin, born 1964, purportedly the first African-American woman to make a major studio movie (with Columbia Pictures), directing, writing and co-producing "I Like It Like That" (1994). Martin began her career as 2nd assistant camera on Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" (1989), after a meeting with Lee's director of photography Ernest Dickerson. "I Like It Like That", which was exhibited in the "Un Certain Regard" section at the Cannes Film Festival, told the story of a black housewife who enters the music business after her husband is jailed for looting. The film was well received from the majority of critics.
2. "I Like it Like That" (1994)
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" (Made for TV movie 2005)
"Prison Song" (2001)
Martin has directed episodes of many popular television shows on top of her full length features, including "Law and Order," "The L Word," "Grey's Anatomy," and "ER." She is currently working on a film entitled "Cadillac Records."
3.
I saw "Their Eyes Were Watching God," last year and had mixed feelings about it. I tend to feel that way about most big productions that are backed by a lot of money. I don't remember it well enough to go into detail, but I do remember one beautiful scene at the end of the movie where Halle Berry is floating in a body of water, feeling free and content that really sticks with me as being a moving image.
4. Her work has been shown in major motion picture theaters, and has also been on network television, as well as Showtime (The L Word).
5. I found her on the Sisters in Cinema website, but she is pretty accessible because of the popularity of a couple pieces of her work.