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Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Women In FilmIssa Rae is stepping behind the camera for her next project with HBO.
The Insecure creator and star has signed on to executive-produce Seen & Heard, a two-part HBO documentary that will look at the history of Black television as seen through the eyes of those who “wrote, produced, created and starred in groundbreaking series of the past and present.”
Directed and produced by Phil Bertelsen, who also helmed Netflix’s six-part documentary series Who Killed Malcolm X?, the doc will include interviews with actors, showrunners, writers, celebrities and other notable influencers, and will also incorporate the use of archival material.
According to HBO, Seen & Heard will offer “a cultural commentary about representation in black storytelling” while having participants reflect on their own experiences watching African Americans represented on television throughout the years.
“Black people have such a rich, but often unacknowledged history in Hollywood,” said Rae in a statement. “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,” she added.
Seen & Heard is currently in production at HBO Documentary Films.
By Carena Liptak
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black documentary history produce tapped Television two-part
