Shadows

Shadows is a 1959 American film directed by John Cassavetes. It is considered a pioneering work in the American independent film movement and is noted for its use of cinema verité and improvisational filmmaking.1

The film, shot on 16-mm film over approximately two and a half years, focuses on three African American siblings. It explores themes of racial discrimination as the older brother, a jazz musician, experiences more prejudice than his lighter-skinned siblings. The jazz score for Shadows was composed by Charles Mingus.1

Cassavetes financed many of his independent projects, including Shadows, through his acting work, as studios were often reluctant to back his personal filmmaking vision. Despite initial distribution challenges in the U.S., Shadows gained international recognition when it won the Critics Award at the 1960 Venice Film Festival.12